The Plot of "Black Mass" Has Been Told Before ("The Departed"), but This Time, Johnny Depp Is in It, and He Isn't Playing Jack Sparrow, but He Does Resemble a Vampire...

Black Mass

Gangster movies have tended to glorify (intentionally or not) their subjects since the creation of the genre, but it is rare when there is a film that actively tries to make you hate the gangster. In the rare film in which the gangster is truly the antagonist, it is the law enforcement agent(s) that then get glorified (Brian De Palma’s The Untouchables comes to mind). Black Mass goes the extra mile making both the gangster and the main FBI agent terrible people.

Black Mass is based on the true story of Boston gangster James “Whitey” Bulger (Johnny Depp) and an FBI agent, John Connelly (Joel Edgerton), who formed an unholy alliance with him. The true story is extremely complicated, mainly because nearly everyone involved is still alive, and nearly all of the gangsters have testified against each other. It is hard to tell who is being honest in reality, which adds an extra layer of confusion to the film. But Black Mass is a movie, not a historical document. While there will be detractors who bemoan it as pure “fantasy” (as former Bulger confidante Kevin Weeks labeled it), it’s hard to deny that director Scott Cooper has crafted a dark, atmospheric gangster film that features Depp’s most interesting performance in years.

Depp is the true draw with this film because it marks a return of sorts for the actor. After a serious of bombs intermingled with increasingly boring Jack Sparrow joints, Depp returns looking just as crazy but definitely changing things up a bit with a truly effective performance. Depp, who looks nothing like Bulger in reality (though at this point, it’s hard to tell what Depp’s natural look is), features white blond hair receding into a slicked back helmet, piercing blue contact lenses, and a dead front tooth. The appearance is so jarring that it’s distracting at worst, menacing at best. At times, Depp would not have looked out of place in a vampire film. Oddly enough, it works for the film.

Black Mass is just as much Joel Edgerton’s film as it is Depp’s. In fact, the focus is arguably more on Edgerton’s Connelly character than on Bulger. This actually makes the film more interesting as Connelly is the more complex character. Bulger is not very complicated; it is painfully clear that he is a terrible person, and he is okay with that. Connelly, on the other hand, is pretty awful, morally speaking, but appears to be a bit delusional about it. You get the sense that he truly believes he is doing a good deed by protecting Bulger. Depp is the draw that gets you to the movie, but Edgerton anchors the film.

The supporting cast is nothing short of amazing, featuring the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch, Rory Cochrane, Jesse Plemons, Dakota Johnson, Kevin Bacon, Peter Sarsgaard, Adam Scott, Corey Stoll, Julianne Nicholson, W. Earl Brown. They each have their moments, making this one of the most impressive casts of the year.

Director Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart, Out of the Furnace) takes a close up approach that gives the film a more intimate, grimy feel that fits with the time setting. That setting is what also makes Black Mass unique. Bulger comes across as the least glamorous gangster of all time, which adds to the character. He seems to simply enjoy the things he does. The money is inconsequential. In fact, Connelly seems to be enjoying the money more than Bulger.

Gangsters, crooked cops, murder, etc. is familiar territory, though, even if much of the approach is unique. It doesn’t help that Bulger’s story was the inspiration for Martin Scorsese’s The Departed, making the plot something many viewers have literally seen before. Some might be exhausted by this particular story even if it has not technically been told yet. If that is the case, Black Mass might not be unique enough to garner your interest. But if you are always up for a gangster movie (like me), and you yearn for another great performance from Johnny Depp (like me again) then you will find plenty to keep you interested in Black Mass. Just don’t expect to end up rooting for the bad guys, because this time, they’re actually bad.

Black Mass receives a:

Way Too Late Review: "The Lone Ranger"

Directed by Gore Verbinski, written by Justin Haythe, Ted Elliott, and Terry Rossio, starring Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, Tom Wilkinson, Helena Bonham Carter, and William Fichtner - Rated PG-13

 

 

This is slightly above a "meh."

 

 

 

 

 

I've pretty much taken off the last month as far as reviewing movies is concerned, and I have no real excuse for you.  I haven't been busy, and nothing major has happened in my personal life.  I simply haven't been motivated to write anything, reviews or otherwise.  Now, inexplicably, I feel like writing again, so I wanted to start with The Lone Ranger. 

 

In all honestly, I had very little intention of watching this movie before it came to HBO.  I remember reading about it being shut down before it even started filming, and I thought that was probably a good idea.  No matter how big the draw of Johnny Depp, a film version of a franchise that has been dead longer than most intended viewers have been alive is not a great idea.  (Of course, hindsight is 20/20, and I would not have mentioned my initial thoughts if this film had turned out to be a success.) 

 

But the film eventually got the green light, and the rest is unfortunate Hollywood history.  The fact that it bombed is what made me want to see it.  Last year's John Carter was a high profile bomb, and I ended up loving that movie.  So maybe the same would be true of this. 

 

In short, I did not like this nearly as much as John Carter.  I didn't hate The Lone Ranger, but it doesn't surprise me that most people do hate it or simply don't care about it.  First, it's a western.  I love westerns, but they are few and far between because they don't make a lot of money.  As far as westerns go, this is too much Wild Wild West and not enough Tombstone for my tastes, but it's still nice to get my western fix in.  (And to be clear, this is not nearly as ridiculous and horrible as Wild Wild West.  No giant robot spiders in this film...) 

 

Second, and more importantly, the film is kind of a mess.  It's too long (at nearly two and a half hours) and tries to cram too much story into that running time.  I was never all that confused (thanks to a framing device in which a child asks all the questions the audience might have), but I didn't really care about all of the stuff going on.  The moments when some people get their comeuppence meant nothing to me.  In fact, I had a hard time deciding if there were any characters that I wanted to survive or die. 

 

Despite plot issues and generally not caring about anybody onscreen, I still sort of enjoyed this one.  The action is big and expensive, and it's nice to see a western.  Also, it has Johnny Depp.  I like Depp, so I liked most of the moments that were meant to be funny.  I thought the character ventured too far into Jack Sparrow country every now and then (feeding the bird, for example), but for the most part I enjoyed the performance.  As for Armie Hammer, well, he's Armie Hammer, that bland, handsome guy that doesn't really matter.  He's a fine actor, but aside from playing the Winklevi, his roles haven't been very interesting. 

 

Depp playing a Native American has left many people upset, but I doubt that that it was factored into the film's success.  It certainly didn't affect my opinion of the film.  Sure, it seems a bit silly to have Depp play a Native American, but in general the Natives are treated as the wronged people who deserve to strike back at the white settlers.  Regardless, the controversy gets to die now since the film is not likely to spawn a sequel.

 

Overall, I enjoyed the movie, as long as I didn't try to get too involved in the story.  I'll probably never watch it again, but I don't regret watching it once.  It is still a western after all, and I'll take whatever I can get.  Unfortunately, due to this film's box office, I won't likely get a chance to see another western for quite some time.

 

Random Thoughts

 

 

Glad to see Jeff Bridges isn't the only one getting mileage out of his True Grit accent.  Barry Pepper pretty much sounds just like his character from that western.

 

I had no idea what was going on with Helena Bonham Carter.  Her scene was the equivalent of the visit to the voodoo lady in the Pirates movies, except she's just a prostitute...with an ivory leg?  Not going to lie, I paid almost no attention to that scene because I just didn't care.  In fact, all that scene did was confuse me because I assumed it meant Carter's husband Tim Burton had directed the film when I know it was directed by Gore Verbinsky.  So much confusion...

 

 

 

"Dark Shadows"

Directed by Tim Burton, written by Seth Grahame-Smith and John August, starring Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, and Eva Green - Rated PG-13

"Then we shall have spirits enough to fill a schooner's hull!"

I’ve always found the Tim Burton/Johnny Depp films to be hit or miss.  What’s strange is that I’ve ended up enjoying the misses more than the hits.  I am not that crazy about the popular films the duo has created.  My favorite film they’ve made is the under seen Ed Wood.  That fantastic film is a far cry from the plastic, bubble gum worlds of Alice in Wonderland and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.   Yet the latter (and later) films were extremely profitable.  I suppose it’s fitting that Dark Shadows is slightly bombing at the box office, because I enjoyed it. 

At first glance, Dark Shadows appears to be another colorful, yet dull film.  While the film hasn’t unseated Ed Wood as my personal favorite, this film surprised me very much by being funny and just dark enough to rise above the cartoonish worlds of the previous films. It is not a perfect film and most likely will never be considered among Burton nor Depp’s best, but the 1970s setting, Depp’s performance, and a bit of violence elevate Dark Shadows above previous efforts.

While this film is based on the supernatural soap opera of the same name, it is doubtful that many people are flocking to the cinema because of that.  No, the main reason that this film will make any money is Johnny Depp.  If Depp is the only reason you are watching, then you won’t be disappointed.  He gives his funniest performance in years.  Sure, Depp got to be weird and all with Charlie and Alice, but here he gets to be properly funny as well.  The set up of Dark Shadows allows Depp to energize the film. 

Depp plays Barnabas Collins, a cursed vampire who was buried away from his family and the world for nearly two centuries.  Thanks to some unlucky construction workers, Barnabas is unleashed back into the world.  Barnabas is astonished, not only by the changes time has made, but also by the disrepair his family has fallen into.  The basic plot of the film is Barnabas’s attempt to bring the family back to prominence and right some wrongs from his past. 

As a fan of the original series (I watched reruns with my mom when I was little), I was a bit concerned with this adaptation at first.  The soap opera was a bit funny, but never on purpose.  That was what I enjoyed about it.  It was a super serious soap opera about vampires, witches, werewolves, and ghosts.  Burton decided to take the funny aspect and bring it out in the open.  I didn’t like this idea at first, but after watching the film, I think that this was the right choice. 

The fish out of water gag might be overdone (especially since that’s the concept of  The Dictator as well), but there are still good laughs to be had from that scenario.  Are they “easy” jokes to make?  Absolutely.  But they still made me laugh.  Who better than Depp to spout off 18^th century answers to 20^th century questions?  The arrogance in his voice coupled with the archaic vocabulary cracked me up many times. 

Viewers who find that type of humor outdated or annoying should not fear, though.  Dark Shadows isn’t a film that consists of Depp walking around commenting on electricity and cars.  He’s also a vampire and there are some darkly funny moments.  Thankfully, the filmmakers made Barnabas a true vampire.  He kills many people in the film and is not shown to be a villain at all, even though the people he murders are mostly innocent.  That provides a bit of edge to a film that was presented to be rather goofy. 

The 1970s setting is a blessing and a detriment to the film.  The time period allows for some of the goofiest elements of the film (lava lamps and disco balls), but it also allows for a slightly gritty style since Burton attempted to make the film look as ‘70s as possible.  In fact, Dark Shadows could be considered a period piece.  The music of the time features prominently in the film as well, and the soundtrack provides a very ‘70s feel. 

The setting and tone are vastly important to the film, but this is still Depp’s movie and the film is better each moment he is on screen.  The almost ageless Depp is clearly having fun with this role and while you can find shades of Captain Jack Sparrow in there, it is still a performance all its own and the bright spot of the film.  Dark Shadows features fine turns from many other actors, as well, but no one stood out to me.  The sheer amount of supporting players may be the biggest problem with the film, actually. 

A film based on a soap opera has the tough task of deciding which storylines to embrace, since there are literally hundreds of possibilities.  Dark Shadows attempts a few too many and kind of falls apart near the end.  Some of the events, especially in the end, seem random and rushed.  An element involving a werewolf is brought up and dismissed within three minutes and it was all completely unnecessary and served only to complicate the already busy finale.  It’s almost as if the writers were told this would be a one-off so they needed to cram as much stuff in there as possible.

The forced storylines don’t ruin the film, though.  Despite the over the top action of the ending and a flat out stupid fight/sex scene, Dark Shadows provides a fun ‘70s feel, a dark undertone, and a fine performance from Johnny Depp.  It’s not a groundbreaking collaboration between Burton and Depp, but it’s definitely one of their better films.

Random Thoughts (SPOILERS)

Seriously, the werewolf crap was just stupid.  I know there were werewolves in the series, but they just tossed that in during the last five minutes.  And having Chloe Grace Meritz say, "Yeah, I'm a werewolf.  So what?" (or something like that) doesn't excuse the laziness of it.

And what about the stuff with David?  He was the main plot point for the first third and then he disappears.  His father is quickly dismissed as well.  Seems like there was more of a story there than there was in the whole, "Let's rebuild the cannery" storyline. 

I actually enjoyed the hippie scene, even though it was an easy gag.  I loved that he still killed them after their talk.

"Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides"

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - Directed by Rob Marshall, written by Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio, starring Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Ian McShane, and Geoffrey Rush - Rated PG-13

Mermaids with fangs? (Shaking head...)

Captain Jack Sparrow is back and this time he’s not weighed down by Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom; this time Captain Jack is the star, for better or worse. On Stranger Tides attempts to be a simpler tale than the last two Pirates sequels but ends up being just as busy, twice as goofy, and half as entertaining.

Tides has Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp in his comfort zone) searching for the Fountain of Youth. Even though this film has left out Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann, Jack still has plenty of cohorts…and enemies. Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) is the main familiar face. New to the series are Angelica (Penelope Cruz) and Blackbeard (Ian McShane). And thrown in for good measure are some voodoo zombies, a clergyman, a Spanish armada, and mermaids. They all tie together somehow but the point is that it is all a bit too much.

The clergyman and the mermaids are the biggest problem with the film. It’s as if the screenwriters started writing the script without two young lovers in it then chickened out and added a couple of replacement characters for Will and Elizabeth, so any chance of the film being much different from the others went out the window. What’s worse is that these two new additions are much less compelling than Will and Elizabeth. The film would be much better off without them.

Tides would also benefit from the exclusion of the mermaids in general. The Pirates series has always had some goofy supernatural elements to it, but having multiple scenes in which grown men shudder in fear at the thought of mermaids was just too stupid. Not to mention the mermaids themselves which turn out to be…vampires? Vampires with some kind of whips? It’s never really explained just what they are and who cares anyway? They should’ve never been in the film to begin with.

Including Blackbeard and Angelica in Tides was more than enough new blood for the series. Blackbeard even brings in the added supernatural element of voodoo, which is another reason why the mermaids were unnecessary. Instead, the bloated script doesn’t have enough time to really explain anything about Blackbeard and his voodoo tendencies or just what is so magical about his sword or his ship. Ian McShane does what he can with the character, but at times even he looked confused about who or what he was. With that historic character and the casting, the addition of Blackbeard turned out to be a huge disappointment. The film focuses on all the wrong things.

The movie isn’t without its fun, though. Depp is still entertaining as Jack Sparrow. Since this is his fourth time playing the pirate there are no surprises here, but if you’ve enjoyed him before you’ll enjoy him again. Rush is as great as ever as Barbossa, though the film woefully misuses him. The movie would’ve been much better if the entire film had been about Sparrow and Barbossa teaming up. It’s been done in the series before, but so what? Depp and Rush are much more entertaining onscreen together than some no-name, whiny clergyman and a nearly mute mermaid.

The look of the film is one of the brighter points. This is a big budget movie and you can see the money on the screen, which is always a good thing. As far as the action goes, it’s serviceable but nothing too memorable. The 3-D, aside from a few sword pointing moments, was pointless and not at all worth the extra money.

On Stranger Tides is an overlong, goofy mess that could’ve used some serious rewriting and editing. It’s not a complete disaster or anything, but it is definitely a missed opportunity to reinvent the series overall. Many people had been disappointed with the sequels, with some going so far as to skip the third one because the plot had become so convoluted. (I enjoyed the sequels, though I can understand the problems some had with them.) Tides is certainly easier to follow than those films, but that doesn’t mean it’s automatically better. The story is simple but there are too many players. The new Pirates film isn’t a colossal waste of time, but it definitely isn’t as fun as it should be. A film featuring Jack Sparrow cannot afford to be this dull and bloated. You won’t be sorry if you just wait to rent this one.

Random Thoughts (SPOILERS)

That stuff with Richard Griffiths as King George was almost unbearable.

Why make Barbossa part of the British Navy? Geoffrey Rush has the greatest pirate laugh and they relegate him to the straight man role of the film. Let the guy be the over the top pirate he was meant to be.

Stephen Graham had a few funny moments as one of the new comic-relief pirates.

Was it just me or did it seem like it took forever for Jack Sparrow to finally end up on a boat. A movie with "Pirates" in the title should stick to the ocean as much as possible.

"The Tourist"

The Tourist - Directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, written by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, Christopher McQuarrie, and Julian Fellowes (based on a film by Jérôme Salle, starring Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, and Paul Bettany - Rated PG-13

Much like Bruce Banner's dad, this film just couldn't figure out what it was supposed to be.

The Tourist, the latest from Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp, is a film that never figures out what it wants to be and ultimately becomes a boring, forgettable film. The film is about Frank Tupelo (Depp), an American tourist who gets stuck in the middle of an elaborate international sting operation. Elise (Jolie) is the ex-lover of the criminal the sting is after. She is watched constantly, so the criminal tells her to find someone who matches his height and build so the cops (and the mobster he stole money from) think that the stranger is him. This all seems fine and just complicated enough to be slightly interesting, but it’s only interesting on the surface.

The Tourist never really takes off and this is due to a lack of chemistry and interesting dialogue. There is supposed to be this immediate fire between Depp and Jolie, but it simply is not there. Because of this, the film contains many quiet moments of these two actors staring awkwardly into space or at each other. When they do talk, it is almost never interesting. Frank asks bland questions that Elise never answers. A lot of the film consists of Depp and Jolie riding boats in silence in Venice. Speaking of Venice, the locations end up being one of the only interesting parts of the film.

The lack of chemistry would be forgivable if the film made up for it with style, but the filmmaking is quite boring as well. Co-writer and director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck shows none of the promise from 2006’s The Lives of Others. Aside from one moment near the end of the film, the look of The Tourist is as forgettable as its content. Perhaps von Donnersmarck was held up because this was a big budget studio remake of a 2005 French film. Here’s hoping he does something more original for his follow-up.

The stars themselves are some of the only redeeming qualities to this film. Depp and Jolie may not have much in the way of chemistry, but they are still decent actors. Jolie is outshined by Depp here, though. Jolie is forced to play this heartbroken, depressed woman and that is not cinematically interesting in a movie that is meant to be more entertaining than heartfelt.

Jolie doesn’t fit into the action movie aspect of the film, but The Tourist isn’t an action movie. Is it a comedy, though? Depp’s character seems to point in that direction. Depp gets the only funny things to do in the film: be slightly bumbling, speak Spanish to Italians, get chased in his pajamas, etc. Some of this stuff works and is amusing at times, but then the movie changes pace again.

Just when it seemed like the film was some kind of light action comedy there would be a scene that made it seem like the film was a serious drama about Depp and Jolie’s relationship. Then the mobster stuff was thrown in and the film became a bit dark and serious as people started getting murdered. But there was never a true sense of danger. Then there’s the whole mystery of who Elise’s criminal boyfriend really is. That mystery may be what the film tries to focus on, but it never gained my true interest.

The mystery aspect could potentially make The Tourist one of those films that requires you to watch it again to look for clues, but it is all so boring and the stakes of the film are so unbelievable that it never works. Who cares if Frank or Elise ever find true love? Who cares if the cliché mobster gets his revenge? Who cares if the bitter Scotland Yard inspector (a wasted Paul Bettany, who does his best to make the role worthwhile) finds the criminal? Who cares? If a film can’t hook you into slightly caring about its characters, then it can’t keep your interest.

Normally a film devoid of emotion like this could at least keep you happy with a bit of visual flair, but The Tourist fails in that regard as well. It’s possible that the star quality of Depp and Jolie will be enough for some, but if you’re looking for true substance and interesting filmmaking, you won’t find it with The Tourist.

Random Thoughts (SPOILERS)

I just have to say that I was honestly expecting this to be a good film considering all who were involved. A true missed opportunity.

The revelation that Depp is actually the criminal the whole time should have been a payoff that made me want to watch the film at least once more to look for clues, but I really did not care. I was just happy the film was over. Maybe the whole twist thing will work for some, though.

I enjoyed Timothy Dalton in his few scenes.

That one visual flair, when all the mobsters get hit with sniper fire in slow motion, was pretty great. If only there were more moments like that.