'Black Mass' shows Johnny Depp at his grittiest

Besides a lot of positive press for Black Mass in general, many writers are particularly happy to see Johnny Depp take on a more serious and grounded role, perhaps tired of Jack Sparrow, duds like The Lone Ranger and Transcendence, and a seemingly endless series of Tim Burton characters.  Depp is indeed intense and frightening in this film, but he's not the only good thing about it, as there are other good performances and subplots that feel equally as important.  While the finished product is unlikely to end up being remembered as one of the year's best, it's still an interesting and often brutal look at an infamous crime lord.

Depp plays James "Whitey" Bulger, the leader of the Boston-based organized crime group the Winter Hill gang, and the movie primarily follows some of his more notable actions during the seventies and eighties.  Having already served time in Alcatraz when the film starts, Bulger only continues to gain notoriety for his steadily increasing power in the criminal underworld.

Bulger ends up finding a new opportunity when he is reunited with his childhood friend John Connolly (Joel Edgerton), who is now part of the FBI.  Initially believing that Bulger is still capable of being trusted, Connolly sneakily offers to turn a blind eye to his crimes if he serves as an informant to help the FBI catch other big-time criminals.  While Bulger initially helps bring down an opposing criminal family, he decides to take full advantage of his immunity, and continues to be as ruthless as ever to anyone that even potentially gets in his way.  Eventually, the facade begins to collapse for both Bulger and Connolly, and their gradual downfall is chronicled in the film's final act.

Bulger is an interesting character alone, but it can be argued that the film focuses on Connolly just as much, as he keeps letting crimes slide in favor of his own personal gain.  Thankfully, Depp, Edgerton, and the rest of the cast, including Dakota Johnson and Benedict Cumberbatch, deliver quality performances all around.  Depp particularly shines during a very tense scene late in the movie where Bulger visits Connolly for dinner, and has some moments that deeply disturb his friends, Connolly's wife, and the audience as well, to the point where it could probably be declared the film's most effective scene.

The various murders that we see Bulger and his crew commit are also appropriately brutal, though few and far between.  If any criticism can be leveled against the film as a whole, it has a rather leisurely pace for most of its running time, and the overall size of the cast makes it hard to truly get to know most of the characters.  It's ultimately this issue that makes the film just good instead of becoming something truly great.  It can be argued, though, that the scarcity of the more violent scenes gives them more of an impact.

Despite such a notable issue, Black Mass is still an enjoyable film that can be enjoyed on the strength of its performances and best moments.  Hopefully the commendations Depp has already received for his performace of Bulger will encourage him to try more highbrow roles again, as this certainly proves he's still capable of pulling them off.  For fans of gritty organized crime dramas in the vein of Goodfellas, this is worth a look.

Rating: 7 out of 10
Originally written September 26, 2015