Black
Mass is a blend of 70s, 80s, 90s and occasional 00s mob tropes balanced into
one surprisingly effective film. Black Mass takes a lot from previous
gangster films: complex alliances, morbid humor, a rise and fall story, villain
protagonists, snitches and persistent paranoia, rivaling businesses, clashing
ethnicities, and of course brutal, unapologetic violence…violence done right I
might add. The major difference between Black Mass and its previous mob influences
is its grim and gritty violence; there’s some dark s%!t happening in Black Mass, with no effort to lighten
the impact (making its film title all the more appropriate). The violence is given no bright and colorful cinematography,
catchy soundtrack, or witty dark humor—when it happens, Black Mass is blunt, bleak and highly effective.
Johnny Depp appears revitalized in
his role as Irish mobster Jimmy “Whitey” Bulger. I was worried to see some zany Captain Jack or
Tim Burton persona in his performance—instead Depp delivers with high
efficiency one of his darkest roles to date.
Jimmy, for lack of a better word, is a paranoid psychopath—killing friends
and allies at the slightest hint of betrayal.
There’s a scene where Jimmy wants to know an ally’s “family secret
recipe” for cooking steak, and after some seemingly playful prodding is told
the answer—immediately Jimmy’s demeanor turns cold and deadly, stating if he
was so willing to give up a family secret, then he could easily give up other
secrets as well…which could lead to an early grave. Jimmy’s demeanor then abruptly goes back to cheerful,
revealing he was only playing a joke—though by the look of his terrified
colleagues, the “joking” aspect was clearly missed. It’s as if they combined Robert De Niro and
Joe Pesci’s characters from Goodfellas
into one very disturbing being—a being Depp portrays convincingly and compellingly. Jimmy is a breath of fresh air for Depp, and
a role which will hopefully lead to more diverse portrayals in his film career
other than Jack Sparrow and the Mad Hatter.
A truly appreciated aspect from Black Mass is its split storytelling
between Jimmy Bulger and John Connolly (Joel Edgerton), a crooked FBI agent who
allies with Jimmy for mutual benefit.
These two are effective parallels, both delusional scum working on
opposite ends, yet allied to ensure their own success. SPOILERS FOR THE DEPARTED BEGIN: Black Mass’s depiction of such alliance has cleared some personal confusion
surrounding The Departed, as I’ve
always been confounded how such a high ranking criminal as Frank Costello (Jack
Nicolson) could possibly be an informant for the FBI (particularly when considering
all his heinous crimes). Black Mass cleared up such confusion,
offering the possibility Costello had an inside alliance with a few FBI members—a
high possibility considering Costello is loosely based on Whitey Bulger
himself. SPOILERS END
I’ve been told Black Mass was originally a three hour film before trimmed down to
two—after seeing the final cut, such decision appears to have been a wise
move. Everything vital to the story has
been kept intact, with Black Mass ending
just when it begins getting sluggish. Black Mass is far from original, but also
far from stale and repetitive—it’s a successfully enjoyable mob film which
brings back old elements in an even grittier outlook, combined with a remarkable
performance by Johnny Depp.