Sicario (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
Set along the lawless U.S./Mexico border, 'Sicario' (meaning hitman in Spanish) is a grim, grisly, moody drama directed by Canadian Denis Villenueve, who specialized in another dark, grim drama - and one of my favorite films of 2013 - Prisoners. Two short years later, he's now given us yet another film that's destined to be one of my faves for the year. Idealistic FBI agent Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) & her SWAT partner, Reggie (Daniel Kaluuya), raid a house in Arizona, where they discover a stash of decomposing corpses hidden in the walls ... as well as hidden explosives; it's the dirty work of Mexican drug cartels. When the mysterious, flip-flop wearing Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) shows up & asks Kate to join his new cross-agency governm't task force dedicated to bringing down drug lords, she leaps.
This covert squad is led by someone even more cryptic than Matt ... vengeful Colombian 'consultant,' Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro). He's one scary dude and, after he tells Kate that "nothing will make sense to your American ears, & you will doubt everything we do", she discovers that there's more at stake here than she'd ever imagined. Unclear as to what's going on or why she's truly there, she's given misinformation - or NO information - and the task force's missions never appear to be more than arresting/shooting random Mexican thugs. And, unfortunately for her, as time goes on, Kate realizes that she's only a small cog in a large, darker plan.
'Sicario' is one grim, grisly affair ... and I loved it, haha. In all seriousness, this type of tense, moody, well-acted crime drama is right up my alley and, when executed correctly, can be the type of nuanced film that I can watch over & over again; despite the dark elements. 'Sicario' is also an unpredictable film -- you don't know what's around the corner, what might happen in the next scene, or whos life will be in jeopardy. That sense of grim unpredictability really heightens the tension as you watch. This is evidenced right away in the opening scene set in Arizona when Kate (and co.) stumble upon the corpses in the drug house. Later in the film, there is a dread-fueled border crossing scene that is so fraught with suspense that I had to look away/into my lap to break the tension. Near the end, there is a scene in which our leads must navigate a tunnel in pitch-darkness with night goggles on. There are countless scenes, as such, with this kind of suspended tension & sense of dread.
Aided by Roger Deakins' incredible cinematography (crisp lensing, astute character close-ups, artistically-shot macabre images, astonishing aerial shots over the dry, cactus-filled Chihuahua Desert, an eerie shot of a character wielding a knife in the shadows as he walks closer & closer to the camera), director Denis Villenueve has delivered a movie that is bold, thought-provoking, & unflinchingly despairing; yet, still exhilarating, thanks to its execution. Taylor Sheridan's script may not be wholly original or groundbreaking, but it places us (the viewer) riiiiight with Kate; where sometimes, we're simply watching her observe events with little explanation -- we're in the dark as much SHE is. That made me feel like I was in her shoes or on her shoulders the whole time. I felt as much in danger as she always was.
Emily Blunt has proved herself in nearly every film genre you can name: romantic comedies, musicals, sci-fi actioners, historical dramas, et al. She's always good. And yet, never before has she taken a character as far into darkness as she does with Kate. Tip-toe-ing through an ethical minefield from the 1st frame ‘til the last, I was arrested by her bewilderment during the mission (trying to figure out its true purpose), as well as her quiet strength in the heat of the moment. Josh Brolin is stellar as the seemingly laid-back, but shady task force leader who keeps Kate in the shadows (literally & figuratively) for his own curious reasons. And Benicio Del Toro is charismatically frightening as the steely-eyed Alejandro, an enigmatic man whose deadly motivations, once revealed, make him quite the dubious character.
'Sicario' isn't the deepest film out there, but what it does, it does very well. The action scenes - while not traditionally mainstream - are quick, brutal, & striking to watch. And while the film does end with a for-sure conclusion, it doesn't conform to a Hollywood norm where heroes ride off into the sunset. Instead, 'Sicario' offers the type of 2-hour escapism where you're filled with anxiety {yay!}, trying to figure out the pieces of the puzzle, & left to ponder moral ambiguities ("Bad" drug dealers can do what they do because they love their families, & "good" Federal agents can torture/kill without a hint of remorse. In so far as killing the 'bad guys', does the end justify the means?). This film has lingered with me since seeing it last week and I imagine it will continue to. It has a sneaky, haunting hold over me.
This covert squad is led by someone even more cryptic than Matt ... vengeful Colombian 'consultant,' Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro). He's one scary dude and, after he tells Kate that "nothing will make sense to your American ears, & you will doubt everything we do", she discovers that there's more at stake here than she'd ever imagined. Unclear as to what's going on or why she's truly there, she's given misinformation - or NO information - and the task force's missions never appear to be more than arresting/shooting random Mexican thugs. And, unfortunately for her, as time goes on, Kate realizes that she's only a small cog in a large, darker plan.
'Sicario' is one grim, grisly affair ... and I loved it, haha. In all seriousness, this type of tense, moody, well-acted crime drama is right up my alley and, when executed correctly, can be the type of nuanced film that I can watch over & over again; despite the dark elements. 'Sicario' is also an unpredictable film -- you don't know what's around the corner, what might happen in the next scene, or whos life will be in jeopardy. That sense of grim unpredictability really heightens the tension as you watch. This is evidenced right away in the opening scene set in Arizona when Kate (and co.) stumble upon the corpses in the drug house. Later in the film, there is a dread-fueled border crossing scene that is so fraught with suspense that I had to look away/into my lap to break the tension. Near the end, there is a scene in which our leads must navigate a tunnel in pitch-darkness with night goggles on. There are countless scenes, as such, with this kind of suspended tension & sense of dread.
Aided by Roger Deakins' incredible cinematography (crisp lensing, astute character close-ups, artistically-shot macabre images, astonishing aerial shots over the dry, cactus-filled Chihuahua Desert, an eerie shot of a character wielding a knife in the shadows as he walks closer & closer to the camera), director Denis Villenueve has delivered a movie that is bold, thought-provoking, & unflinchingly despairing; yet, still exhilarating, thanks to its execution. Taylor Sheridan's script may not be wholly original or groundbreaking, but it places us (the viewer) riiiiight with Kate; where sometimes, we're simply watching her observe events with little explanation -- we're in the dark as much SHE is. That made me feel like I was in her shoes or on her shoulders the whole time. I felt as much in danger as she always was.
Emily Blunt has proved herself in nearly every film genre you can name: romantic comedies, musicals, sci-fi actioners, historical dramas, et al. She's always good. And yet, never before has she taken a character as far into darkness as she does with Kate. Tip-toe-ing through an ethical minefield from the 1st frame ‘til the last, I was arrested by her bewilderment during the mission (trying to figure out its true purpose), as well as her quiet strength in the heat of the moment. Josh Brolin is stellar as the seemingly laid-back, but shady task force leader who keeps Kate in the shadows (literally & figuratively) for his own curious reasons. And Benicio Del Toro is charismatically frightening as the steely-eyed Alejandro, an enigmatic man whose deadly motivations, once revealed, make him quite the dubious character.
'Sicario' isn't the deepest film out there, but what it does, it does very well. The action scenes - while not traditionally mainstream - are quick, brutal, & striking to watch. And while the film does end with a for-sure conclusion, it doesn't conform to a Hollywood norm where heroes ride off into the sunset. Instead, 'Sicario' offers the type of 2-hour escapism where you're filled with anxiety {yay!}, trying to figure out the pieces of the puzzle, & left to ponder moral ambiguities ("Bad" drug dealers can do what they do because they love their families, & "good" Federal agents can torture/kill without a hint of remorse. In so far as killing the 'bad guys', does the end justify the means?). This film has lingered with me since seeing it last week and I imagine it will continue to. It has a sneaky, haunting hold over me.