The Black Mass was a perversion or unholy alliance in the Catholic Church, and it’s an apt descriptor of the new Johnny Depp movie about the corruption orchestrated by Jimmy “Whitey” Bulger–with the FBI’s blessing–in Boston in the 70’s.
“Southie” ties run deep in Boston. Jimmy (Depp) is adored by many neighborhood thug, and he grabs at the golden opportunity to eliminate the competition and seize territory by becoming a snitch for the FBI. The agent in charge is his boyhood admirer, John Connolly (Joel Edgerton), looking to still impress Jimmy, while Jimmy’s brother, Billy (Benedict Cumberbatch), a State Senator, turns a blind eye to Jimmy’s criminal behavior.
There’s great attention paid to the look and feel of Southie in Black Mass. The accents are spot-on. But the story itself runs flat and walks a fine line between convincing and cartoonish. Johnny Depp looking ashy, with piercing blue-eyes and a menacing presence. The story unfolds through Whitey’s supporting characters, led by Jesse Plemons, who provide a rich well of originality. The movie is light on women, which was problematic; the ones chosen made the most of their time on screen but leave you wondering what happened.
If nothing else, the production values alone makes this a movie worth seeing–and be sure to force yourself to sit through the end credits. They contain some of the best original footage and presentation of the whole film.
The Rest of the cast include: Kevin Bacon, Rory Cochrane, David Harbour, Dakota Johnson, Julianne Nicholson, James Russo, Adam Scott, Corey Stoll, Juno Temple, W. Earl Brown, Bill Camp, Brad Carter, and Jeremy Strong. And directed by Scott Cooper. — C.M.
