Film review: Black Mass (15)

I’ve been looking forward to Black Mass for quite some time – with it having been released over in America way back in September.

Starring the always awesome Johnny Depp as notorious Boston mobster James “Whitey” Bulger and boasting a huge supporting cast, it always looked like being one of the gangster films of the year.

And if, like me, you have little or no knowledge of the story before walking through the cinema doors, you’re in for a pretty enjoyable ride.

I’ll try not to reveal too much in this review but, as ever, the facts are out there should you want to Google Whitey Bulger.

What I will say is that Black Mass is as much the story of agent and South Boston native John Connolly (Joel Edgerton – Exodus: Gods and Kings).

As somebody that grew up on the same turf as Whitey, Connolly – despite his differing career path – is very much in awe of the balding Bulger.

We meet both of them as relatively small fish in their respective roles, but both have designs to better themselves.

That leads to Connolly proposing a mutually beneficial “agreement” to Bulger, which would see him become an FBI informant in return for, well, essentially becoming immune from prosecution.

Both want to bring down the Italian mob bossing North Boston, but need each other to get rid of ‘La Cosa Nostra’.

Whitey hates “rats”, but views the proposition as more of a business arrangement – and manages to use it to his advantage for the best part of 20 years.

As with all shady deals, it eventually costs both men in different ways, although not before they’ve prospered on different sides of the fence.

Black Mass is packed full of other big names, too.

Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) stars as Whitey’s younger brother Billy, a senator that was among the most powerful men in the state. He doesn’t get as much screen time as I expected, but certainly plays a good role.

There’s also a cameo from Dakota Johnson (50 Shades Of Gray as Lindsey Cyr, the mother of Whitey’s only child, while Kevin Bacon plays Connolly’s FBI supervisor McGuire.

Throw in Rory Cochrane (Argo) as Whitey’s partner in crime Stevie Flemmi, Corey Stoll (Ant-Man) as federal prosecutor Fred Wyshak and Breaking Bad’s Jesse Plemons as a Whitey wannabe and you have a pretty sizeable ensemble of recognisable faces that are all near the top of their game.

Depp’s physical appearance is initially the most surprising thing about Black Mass. Far from his suave turn in Blow or his comedy turn as Jack Sparrow, he looks pretty ropey.

But his performance is typically superb, with Whitey a character that you’ll really be invested in despite the heinous acts he (regularly) commits.

Also surprising is that Black Mass is based on a true story. Quite how the authorities sanctioned what went down is not only shocking, but very worrying.

Edgerton must also take plenty of credit for his performance. He’s great as a character that is in way over his head – and doesn’t realise until it’s way too late.

As ever with true stories, if the ending isn’t ideal, there’s not a lot the writers can do about it. Black Mass does end rather abruptly and you are left wanting a bit more, which is a shame.

But that shouldn’t detract from what is a very good gangster offering.

It’s perhaps not quite on the same level as timeless classics such as Goodfellas and Casino, but it’s not all that far behind. A better comparison would be American Gangster – and that’s still high praise indeed.

If for nothing else, you should watch Black Mass to see Depp back to the peak of his powers.

Voice Verdict: 8.5/10 (reviewed at Boston’s West End Cinema)
+ Depp and Edgerton are amazing
+ Great true story
+ Huge supporting cast deliver
– Abrupt end