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Actors Turn up the Heat in ‘Black Mass’

Anyone who admires great performances will want to see Black Mass, if only to savor the work of Johnny Depp, Joel Edgerton, and Benedict Cumberbatch in the leading roles. Together they offer a tour de force that shouldn’t be missed.
Having seen Joe Berlinger’s compelling documentary Whitey: The United States of America vs. James J. Bulger last year, I feared that I’d be comparing every incident with the true-life account, but that was never an issue for me. On the contrary, director Scott Cooper and his screenwriters (Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth) take us inside the story and behind closed doors to dramatize what could only be spoken about in the documentary.

Joe Edgerton-Black Mass

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

In terms of movie fodder, and the gangster-movie genre, Black Mass reminds us that truth is not only stranger than fiction: it can be much more outlandish. Only the most fanciful writer would dream up a saga where a ruthless Boston crime lord literally gets away with murder because he maintains a secret alliance with the FBI.

Joel Edgerton does a great job as John Connolly, the slick, ambitious Federal agent who persuades Bulger that serving as an informant for the government will accrue to his benefit and then does an elaborate tap-dance to convince his superiors—over a span of years—that he’s right, even when the results become openly embarrassing. Aussie Edgerton is colorful and credible as a Bostonian, matched by Cumberbatch, a talented Brit who also scores as Bulger’s brother, a respected state senator who keeps an arm’s length from his notorious sibling. Their Boston accents and attitudes are right on the money.

Benedict Cumberbatch-Black Mass

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

From the outset, Black Mass has all the ingredients of a great gangster saga: rivalries, schemes, betrayals, and bursts of violence. Towering over the proceedings is Johnny Depp, who brings his A-game to the role of Bulger, including a major physical transformation. We see first-hand what he’s capable of as a devoted family man, a resident of the tight-knit neighborhood known as Southie, and a leader who brooks no signs or even hints of disloyalty. If others rule with an iron fist, he uses a sledgehammer—but dispatches his flunkies to wield it.

Numerous filmmakers have trod this Boston turf with considerable success in recent years but Black Mass never feels shopworn. Cooper gets the most from his locations and a strong ensemble led by Kevin Bacon, Peter Sarsgaard, David Harbour, Dakota Johnson, Rory Cochrane, Jesse Plemons, W. Earl Brown, Adam Scott, Julianne Nicholson, and Corey Stoll.

Black Mass may not break new ground in the gangster genre but it tells its story with vigor and panache—and offers juicy parts to some of the most talented actors working today.

Leonard Maltin is one of the world’s most respected film critics and historians. He is best known for his widely-used reference work Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide and its companion volume Leonard Maltin’s Classic Movie Guide, now in its third edition, as well as his thirty-year run on television’s Entertainment Tonight. He teaches at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and appears regularly on Reelz Channel and Turner Classic Movies. His books include The 151 Best Movies You’ve Never Seen, Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons, The Great Movie Comedians, The Disney Films, The Art of the Cinematographer, Movie Comedy Teams, The Great American Broadcast, and Leonard Maltin’s Movie Encyclopedia. He served two terms as President of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, is a voting member of the National Film Registry, and was appointed by the Librarian of Congress to sit on the Board of Directors of the National Film Preservation Foundation. He hosted and co-produced the popular Walt Disney Treasures DVD series and has appeared on innumerable television programs and documentaries. He has been the recipient of awards from the American Society of Cinematographers, the Telluride Film Festival, Anthology Film Archives, and San Diego’s Comic-Con International. Perhaps the pinnacle of his career was his appearance in a now-classic episode of South Park. (Or was it Carmela consulting his Movie Guide on an episode of The Sopranos?) He holds court at leonardmaltin.com. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook; you can also listen to him on his weekly podcast: Maltin on Movies. — [Artwork by Drew Friedman]

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