Sicario (B) Movie Review
Denis Villeneuve, director of Enemy and Prisoners, directs Emily Blunt as an FBI agent named Kate with a good moral compass. Kate takes a job outside of her comfort zone in Juarez, Mexico, taking down a drug lord but things become murky as people are not as they seem.
Sicario solidifies Denis Villeneuve as an exciting cinematic voice. Enemy was one of the most unique and thematically interesting films of 2013 and Prisoners was a taut, well-made thriller. I don't think Sicario is as strong as either of Villeneuve's 2013 efforts but it's still a fine film with a good head on its shoulders.
I've seen Sicario described as taut and I wouldn't use that word. I think there's some unnecessary footage here, particularly in the first half, and it's not too tightly wound. That's my main complain with the film, that there's some drag in the beginning. Much of the first half is dense exposition and what felt like a lot of scenes in which people are being transported from one place to another and their motives aren't very clear. Towards the second half, we see the action pick up and we're more enlightened on what's actually happening. If you make it through that dense exposition, you're golden.
You've also seen the basic plot of this film before. It's a drug bust film and there's nothing in it plot-wise that sets it apart, though its script has some fascinating ideas about moral ambiguity and the grey area between right and wrong. Its script is elevated by its intelligence, direction, and performances.
Seriously, this has to be some of the best direction I've seen in any film this year. Denis Villeneuve knows how to create an excellent scene. Every directorial choice made by Villeneuve feels in service of a greater good. He knows how to direct a camera and he knows how to direct his actors. He knows where to let things play out, where to let scenes linger, and where to cut them short.
And can we all agree that Roger Deakins, the cinematographer, is a national treasure? Honestly, this film looks impeccable. This is some of the finest cinematography of the year. As Deakins stated in a recent interview, it's not all about creating beautiful images (though these are common in this film), it's about the cinematography being used in service to the story. And he does his job beautifully.
Benicio Del Toro gives some very strong supporting work here as a mysterious agent whose employer is not clear. You can constantly feel Del Toro lurking in the shadows of every scene and he does a fantastic job of playing up the mystery surrounding his character. He says ominous and open-ended things like, "Soon everything will become clear," and he says them with such a penetrating stare. Emily Blunt also gives one of the finest performances in her career to date as an FBI agent, Kate, very much out of her comfort zone. Kate is our voice of reason in the film and to watch her line between right and wrong blur is fascinating, thanks to Emily Blunt's superb performance.
Sicario's second half completely saves the drawn-out first half. It's an explosive second half, with marvelous performances and suspenseful action, all bolstered by beautiful cinematography and tremendous direction. And don't get me wrong, the first half has its moments too. If you're going to see one Josh Brolin film this week (the other being Everest), make it this one.
FINAL GRADE: B
MPAA RATING: R for strong violence, grisly images, and language
Sicario solidifies Denis Villeneuve as an exciting cinematic voice. Enemy was one of the most unique and thematically interesting films of 2013 and Prisoners was a taut, well-made thriller. I don't think Sicario is as strong as either of Villeneuve's 2013 efforts but it's still a fine film with a good head on its shoulders.
I've seen Sicario described as taut and I wouldn't use that word. I think there's some unnecessary footage here, particularly in the first half, and it's not too tightly wound. That's my main complain with the film, that there's some drag in the beginning. Much of the first half is dense exposition and what felt like a lot of scenes in which people are being transported from one place to another and their motives aren't very clear. Towards the second half, we see the action pick up and we're more enlightened on what's actually happening. If you make it through that dense exposition, you're golden.
You've also seen the basic plot of this film before. It's a drug bust film and there's nothing in it plot-wise that sets it apart, though its script has some fascinating ideas about moral ambiguity and the grey area between right and wrong. Its script is elevated by its intelligence, direction, and performances.
Seriously, this has to be some of the best direction I've seen in any film this year. Denis Villeneuve knows how to create an excellent scene. Every directorial choice made by Villeneuve feels in service of a greater good. He knows how to direct a camera and he knows how to direct his actors. He knows where to let things play out, where to let scenes linger, and where to cut them short.
And can we all agree that Roger Deakins, the cinematographer, is a national treasure? Honestly, this film looks impeccable. This is some of the finest cinematography of the year. As Deakins stated in a recent interview, it's not all about creating beautiful images (though these are common in this film), it's about the cinematography being used in service to the story. And he does his job beautifully.
Benicio Del Toro gives some very strong supporting work here as a mysterious agent whose employer is not clear. You can constantly feel Del Toro lurking in the shadows of every scene and he does a fantastic job of playing up the mystery surrounding his character. He says ominous and open-ended things like, "Soon everything will become clear," and he says them with such a penetrating stare. Emily Blunt also gives one of the finest performances in her career to date as an FBI agent, Kate, very much out of her comfort zone. Kate is our voice of reason in the film and to watch her line between right and wrong blur is fascinating, thanks to Emily Blunt's superb performance.
Sicario's second half completely saves the drawn-out first half. It's an explosive second half, with marvelous performances and suspenseful action, all bolstered by beautiful cinematography and tremendous direction. And don't get me wrong, the first half has its moments too. If you're going to see one Josh Brolin film this week (the other being Everest), make it this one.
FINAL GRADE: B
MPAA RATING: R for strong violence, grisly images, and language