Black Mass Movie Review

Black Mass marks, hopefully, what many of us have been waiting for. The return of Johnny Depp to form. I guess it's more of a return to making 'better' choices. Hollywood uses his immense talent in the best way in a long time (Mortdecai,Transcendence,Dark Shadows,Lone Ra... let's not go there).

The movie attempts to tell the story of Irish hoodlum James "Whitey" Bulger and how he rose from his street level reputation to being the crime lord of Boston. And in that, the movie never truly shows how he got from one place to the other. Yeah, we see him forming an "alliance" with the FBI and working up schemes.But you never see the progress he makes gradually. That's just one small issue I had.

One thing you need to know about Black Mass is that it does what it wants to. Simple and ruthless. It''ll make you cringe away from Depp's blood-curdling "Whitey". That dinner scene we saw in the trailer was spine-chilling, simply put. Joel Edgerton does an impressive job as well, playing the FBI agent who grew up with Bulger and seeks an "I scratch your back,you mine" kind of deal.

Director Scott Cooper makes sure he doesn't overkill with Depp's performances and let's other characters breathe but never leaves you wanting more of Depp. He gets the balance just right. He does not, however, let the story breathe. Or give it much depth. The movie spans over 10 years and no shot ever feels like it's in a different time from the previous. The movie could"ve used an extra 15 minutes to lay more emphasis on a few scenes.

"All the guys tended to be corrupt-it's an interesting film because there's not a hero to root" Joel told EW.

"Strictly Criminal" says one of Bulger's associates when asked about his opinion of him. Personally, I feel that's a better suited movie title. I say so because it isn't the cop trying to track down the bad guy type of story. Every character in Black Mass is a dirty scoundrel. Everyone wants in on the action. So much that Bulger even has to pay a friend of his to NOT do a 'hit'. I saw some people complaining about that.About the film not having a character you could follow the story through, and I don't know if I fall into the same category. We do get a character who has a "hard on" for catching our protagonist towards the end and I admittedly found that part of the film more exciting. Then again, Black Mass isn't trying to tell you how this criminal was brought to Justice. It's Bulger's story. Of how he made it to where he did (see how I use the word 'protagonist').

So I guess, my problem with Black Mass is that we don't see the character plan what he wants and then accomplish it. We're never looking forward to him succeeding or failing. We don't care enough. We're just riding the ride. An enjoyable ride. A gripping one,sometimes.But nothing more.

Watch the film to see Johnny Depp creep you out with his harrowing portrayal of a "crime lord".Watch the film to see Joel Edgerton almost hold his own against Depp. Watch the film to see Scott Cooper's well-shot, violent crime movie. Don't watch the film to see how it holds up against Goodfellas. Manage your expectations and you should end up having a great time at the movies (as I did, if it wasn't clear).

So have you seen this movie?What did you think about it? Also, what's your favourite Johnny Depp movie? And what's your favourite Depp performance? Comment below.

Everest Movie Review

Everest is the latest film by director Baltasar Kormákur ( '2Guns'). The movie is based on a true story and centers around two expedition teams on their final ascent toward the summit of Mount Everest. As any moviegoer would expect, not everything goes according to plan...

The movie isn't notably experimental but it also isn't just trying to be a thrilling experience to look at, in awe. It takes out time to show the characters at base camp, just talking and having a nice time. This DOES help build the sense of teamwork within these people, but no individual character (or duo) is prominent enough. That's not to say that the actors don't do a good job.
In fact, all the performances in the film are top-level. Everyone gave their best. That's something worth noting as actors and directors tend not to focus on that aspect when the film is more picturesque and quaint.

Jason Clarke plays one of the team leaders and he does that really well(we've seen him do something very similar in Dawn of The Planet of The Apes). Josh Brolin and Jake Gyllenhaal are in this movie as well. The latter not having enough of a story arc or screen time for my satisfaction. Brolin plays his character sincerely. The script, however, isn't that impressive. The narrative structure is pretty straightforward. Moreover, none of the character relationships that the movie implies exist ever really blossom. So when conflicts do arise, you don't root for anyone. You just watch the mayhem ensue.

Everest simply lacks direction. Yes, it's trying to tell the story of these people. But that's not enough. "Why do you want to do this?" asks one of them. Noone really has a definitive answer.

It IS a well shot movie nonetheless. At the expense of sounding cliched, I'll say this-- The movie really puts you there.On Mount Everest. Not once did I notice the green screen in the background. To the director's credit, maybe it WAS visible. Maybe I was just that much into the scene during those moments.Particular scenes involving a strong blizzard surprised me with how well it was captured.

That LOOKS like it was shot on location. Props to those involved in creating that ambience.

Another complaint I have is the way some of the characters' deaths are handled. The audience never really formed an emotional bond with these people,so when they build up so much to the "climactic" scenes, it never really hits home.
(No.That isn't a spoiler. You know not everyone is going to make it back. A.Because it's a movie. B. IT'S BASED ON A TRUE STORY.)

In the film's defense, I did get what I went in expecting and what the film marketed itself to be. A pleasant visual spectacle with a great cast and surprisingly gripping moments. Everest is a touching story. It's just told in an ordinary fashion. The film ended with me feeling like I should've cared more about these people.
I did however, have a good time watching it. I would recommend it only if you don't mind simply enjoying what the filmmaker has created and ignore all the ways it could've been a better movie.

So have you seen this movie? What did you think about it? Comment below.