Scott Cooper’s Black Mass is perhaps the quintessence of “perfectly fine.” It efficiently tells the story of psychopath gangster James “Whitey” Bulger in a straightforward, non-editorializing manner. Period. It boasts a large cast of name actors giving solid, if rarely exciting, performances. And, yes, it affords Johnny Depp an Oscar-bait role: heavy make-up, including pale blue contact lenses, completely unlikable, not a glimmer of humor — all the things Oscar dotes on. It is also a role that will allow the anti-Depp brigade (of which I am not a member) to claim that he’s achieved some measure of “redemption.” In that regard, I suppose it serves its purpose. But much like the performances — and I include Depp’s in this — it’s just not very exciting. Mostly, it made me want to come home and watch Jack Nicholson’s fictionalized turn as Bulger in Scorsese’s The Departed (2006). If nothing else, The Departed contained an authentic whiff of madness — something sorely lacking in this singularly humorless film.
Apart from the insertion of interview/deposition footage, Black Mass is textbook biopic basic — almost completely devoid of surprise or personality. I can only assume that this is intentional, though I don’t understand the point of the approach. Here is Whitey Bulger. This is what he did. This is what happened. And here is the obligatory series of “what happened next” titles to bring it all to a close while Tom Holkenberg’s dirge-like music plays on the soundtrack. The impression is supposed to be that we have just witnessed some kind of grand tragedy. The effect — at least for me — falls short of anything approaching that. All I see is a solidly-made, uninvolving, efficient movie about people I wouldn’t want to know. No amount of glossy production or A-list actors or dreary music really changes that.
The problem, I think, is that there’s no one to care about. It may be reasonably argued that these people are gangsters, psychos and generally unlikable. Fair enough, but there’s also just plain no characterization to speak of. By way of characterization what we get is that Whitey let his mother cheat at cards with him, loved his son, prided himself on loyalty and killed people. I’m not sure that’s really enough reason to spend two hours in his company. And no one else is served any better.
Now, I’m not saying Black Mass is a bad movie as such. It’s professionally made. It gives you a reasonable account of Whitey Bulger. The cast is first rate and does the best job possible given the material, but the material is simply too shallow to make the kind of impression it intends. I had no problem sitting through it, but frankly could muster no more than a shrug by the time I left. The most remarkable thing about it is that it left me with almost nothing to say. I didn’t like it. I didn’t hate it. It was just sort of there. One of the big lessons Whitey teaches his son is, “If nobody sees it, it didn’t happen.” Well, I saw it and it still seems to have barely happened. Rated R for brutal violence, language throughout, some sexual references and brief drug use.
All I see is a solidly-made, uninvolving, efficient movie about people I wouldn’t want to know.
You’ve just described every Scott Cooper film to date.
Well, pretty much, yeah.
Yes, it was a perfectly fine film. Maybe you all are missing the point that we don’t have enough info about James Bulger to tell the whole story. I think the time period that was presented and trying to tell the public about the alliance with the FBI was enough. I don’t need a CRAZY Jack Nicholson type character. The Departed was an awesome film…but I enjoyed the quiet of this film. And no one did some stupid over-the-top Boston accent. Cumberbatch had Billy Bulger’s accent down. He must have watched and listened because I spent a lot of time in my younger years in Southie and watching him do the St. Patrick’s day roasts on tv. Very well done movie. Not sure why Adam Scott was there with 4 lines??
http://www.magpictures.com/whitey/
Is Donnie Brasco still the better mafia movie with Depp??
I wouldn’t know, but this isn’t really a Mafia movie.
Donnie Brasco is the better film.
“Mostly, it made me want to come home and watch Jack Nicholson’s fictionalized turn as Bulger in Scorsese’s The Departed (2006). If nothing else, The Departed contained an authentic whiff of madness — something sorely lacking in this singularly humorless film.”
Hard to equal Marty!
I agree with you, again, about the general quality of the movie. Michael Mann or Scorsese would have made a more interesting film, I guess.
I have a friend who’s an ardent member of the anti-Depp brigade, and you have pretty much summed up what I know he’s going to say. I’ve been reading and hearing that from almost everywhere.
I have nothing exactly against Depp here, but it just isn’t an especially exciting performance, and I’ll be surprised if it has any lasting power.
This is how we are “entertained” today. Wow. I DID like the fact that Johnny Depp looked like a normal South Boston goon (I’ve lived there) and not some clown archetype out of Salvatore Dali’s subconscious, dressed to go to a Halloween party for 8 year old
psychopaths.