When, with little notice, my movie companion was free for the evening for a film, I scrambled to find something suitable for both of us (said companion has displayed great patience in the past with my leanings toward less-than-blockbuster-esque films). Enter Black Mass—a decent enough crime drama with some violence, a lot of mobsters, and a purported great performance by Johnny Depp. I’ll admit from the start: whether due to jet lag from a return from Ireland* a few days before, the generous pour of wine over a premovie dinner, or the film itself, I did finally succumb to the heavy eyelids pestering me through much of the movie and nod off, but not until the very end, and only briefly.
Depp’s performance is good. His performance is better than in many things I’ve seen him in. But at this time of year, I begin comparing performances: is this one better than that other one(s) I have lauded? Is this in the same category of those grand performances from last year? Who will deserve to be among the list for statues in the coming months? And although good, Depp, to me, just didn’t rise to those levels. (I also found his makeup and contact lenses to be distractingly obvious.)
Maybe Depp’s performance in my eyes has more to do with the roles. Depp plays Whitey Bulger, an Irish mobster in Boston who rose to power in the 80s and who, after fleeing, was second on the FBI’s most wanted list for over a decade. Surely, then, this could be a great role in which to shine. Unfortunately, whether Depp played Bulger as he actually was purported to be or because Depp wanted to try to maintain some callous, flat air of Bulger, the character never really grabbed me. I never cared, in either direction. I wasn’t repulsed, but I wasn’t concerned. I wasn’t on edge, but I wasn’t involved. He did not bring enough of an element to swing me in any direction.
For me, the movie was much more about the character played by Joel Edgerton: John Connolly. Given too that it was not until just now that I looked up the actor for his name that I had not realized Edgerton played Gordo in the recent film, The Gift, well, now that is the sign of a great actor—when from role to role, the viewer does not bring past performances into the present one. Add that Connolly’s story was deeper, richer, more layered—I can acknowledge that perhaps Edgerton had more to work with. I never understood what was behind Bulger; Connolly, on the other hand, brought substance.
Other actors fill the screen, filtering in and out like a parade of names: Kevin Bacon, Dakota Johnson, Peter Saargard, and Benedict Cumberbatch. I almost giggled to see Corey Stoll (House of Cards). Likewise, I loved seeing Julianne Nicholson, who I’ve been watching in Masters of Sex. So to the film’s credit, it did bring a lot of good players together as a loose ensemble.
The film is told much like the first season of True Detective—using much later interviews to fill in stories of the past. (I have not watched the second season yet, so shhhhhhh.) So some things, you know as issues unfold, such as who survives and who gets caught. I don’t think this hurt the film, but it also did not help it in any way. Still, the movie is a crime drama, but I wouldn’t refer to it as suspenseful or action-packed. Yes, there are some violent scenes as far as ruthless murders go, and yes, for someone like me who did not know Bulger’s story going in, I wasn’t sure what direction things would completely take. And that, in itself, made the movie night a good one. Time with a good friend made it especially enjoyable, even if I did fall asleep on him. But only for a moment. 😉
*As a side note, yes, I was particularly interested in the Irish-American angle of Black Mass, my having just returned from Ireland. And the alleged involvement in the IRA’s activities definitely held my attention.