Black Mass Review

Starring: Johnny Depp, Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kevin Bacon, Jesse Plemmons

It's been a rough stretch for  Johnny Depp fans. Johnny Depp has become a bit of a parody of himself, taking on ludicrous roles seen in Mortdecai, Alice in Wonderland, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. While I loved him in the first Pirates of the Caribbean, that role has become a joke that is simply no longer funny. For those who have hoped Depp would one day come back, your wait is over. Johnny Depp turns in possibly his best performance ever as gangster Whitey Bulger in Black Mass. Unrecognizable, Johnny Depp is able to bring to life the fantastic true story of Bulger and how he avoided the FBI. I'd love to say the movie is as good as Depp's performance, but I'm afraid it sinks about halfway through. The writing falls a little flat and the story feels lagging. Depp never falters in his terrifying portrayal of the criminal mastermind known as the most dangerous mobster in American history.

The story of Whitey Bulger (without spoiling) goes like this. Bulger ran the Winter Hill gang, a mob that terrorized a part of Boston. Bulger became an informant to the FBI in order to give information on the rival gangs and claim Boston, and ultimately Massachusetts as his own. His brother, played by an always excellent Benedict Cumberbatch, was State Senate, and his childhood friend was his liaison into the FBI. Both protected him and granted him immunity. And back then, nobody had a problem with it as long as some criminals were going behind bars. The story is one of the things I thought would work the best in film form. However, I think the story weighed the movie down. Johnny Depp is doing his own thing and that's great. But whenever he and Joel Edgerton are not onscreen, the movie feels 75% slower. There is so much exposition in each scene, the middle feels like a tedious activity. I believe that is because the writers wrote the movie around Depp's Whitey Bulger, so whenever he isn't there it just doesn't work.

The acting here is really great across the board. Joel Edgerton is the supporting actor with the best scenes. He nails every line he delivers. I've seen him in some good, but not great, roles in the past, and I hope Black Mass can help get him the parts he deserves. Benedict Cumberbatch is always good, and I was surprised by his ability to play someone other than a lost genius (i.e. Sherlock, The Imitation Game, every other role) and I enjoyed his character. Kevin Bacon is also good as the FBI head trying to nail Bulger.  However, it is Depp's movie. While I said the story brought the movie down, the dialogue is incredible. Johnny Depp has some scenes where he just disappears into this horrible monster. The complexity of his character's decision to inform the FBI is brilliantly displayed. Bulger becomes the rat, who is the type of man he's killed so many times. He's actually chilling to watch. I had to keep reminding myself this is Captain Jack Sparrow. It's truly a magnificent role.

While I think Black Mass is a good movie, I don't think it nearly reaches its full potential. Mob movies have set a pretty high bar with Goodfellas and The Departed, and Black Mass can't quite reach those heights. Both films had great ensemble casts, and that's where Black Mass stops. It doesn't have the story to really propel it into the next level. That being said, if you're a Johnny Depp fan, you really have to see this movie to believe it. There's an Oscar nomination, and possible win on the way.

Rating: 3.5/5