All Rise...

Judge Gordon Sullivan is an undercover operative for The Digital Bits.

The Charge

Keep your enemies close.

The Case

It is said that when Alexander reached the edge of the known world he wept "for there were no more worlds to conquer." Johnny Depp must know how that feels. He started out in the popular eye with 21 Jump Street, his pretty boy looks often leading people to assume he wasn't talented. So he struck out on his own, spending the late 80s and 90s working passion projects with directors who recognized his ability to disappear into roles. That didn't mean he was out of the public eye—his collaborations with Tim Burton like Edward Scissorhands were definitely popular successes—but it kept him out of the scrum of Hollywood popularity contests. Then in 2003 he won the role of Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Its unlikely success thrust him into the spotlight as the equally unlikely face of a billion dollar franchise, and for Disney no less. He had come full circle, from popular to underground and then back, but now on his own terms. With nothing left to conquer, however, Depp has starred in a number of dubious projects (perhaps Mortdecai the most dubious of them all, perhaps of his career). It's made audiences skittish, and Black Mass was unjustly ignored at the box office. Luckily this Blu-ray gives fans another chance to see this excellent Johnny Depp performances.

Based on the true story of Boston mobster James "Whitey" Bulger (Johnny Depp), Black Mass follows the relationship between Bulger and his childhood friend John Connolly (Joel Edgerton, The Gift). Bulger is looking to rise in the ranks of Boston's criminal underworld, while Connolly is hoping to rise in the ranks of the FBI. With Bulger feeding Connolly info on other criminals, both men find success, even as Bulger's violent methods threaten to tear everything apart.

The story of Whitey Bulger might as well be crime fiction. If it weren't substantiated by numerous conflicting participants then viewers might dismiss it as the product of a fevered imagination. But in the small world of Boston gangs—where life-long members of communities only a few blocks square rigidly control criminal enterprises—it actually happened. Whitey Bulger did grow up with a guy who became an FBI agent, and Whitey's brother (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) really was a famous state-level politician.

This is perhaps the perfect scenario for a gangster film. It checks the authenticity box—Bulger is a true native son of Boston, who spends the vast majority of his life in the Winter Hill neighborhood which gives the name to his gang. Bulger's penchant for violence gives the film its excuse for showing the dark side of organized crime. The relationship between Bulger and Connolly gives the film a worthy stance on the opposite side of the legal spectrum. There's even the requisite tragic ending, as Bulger was apprehended after years on the lam and currently sits in jail.

But that story just sits on the page, another piece of Boston trivia without the actors bringing these guys to life. Johnny Depp was unfairly ignored during awards season, the stink of his recent failures obscuring his transformation to Bulger. He's not exactly a dead ringer, but the make-up, hair, and contacts remove the actor from his pretty boy looks and let him stalk around the screen as someone else. He absolutely the nails the psychotic edge and weaselly desire to get away with something. Joel Edgerton has the more difficult job of making Connolly believable as someone hustling both sides. More importantly, he has to stand up against the more charismatic Bulger without overshadowing him. It's an impressive balancing act that Edgerton nails. Benedict Cumberbatch isn't in much of the film, but he's fun as Bulger's legit brother, and his accent is pretty great. Smaller roles are rounded out with a series of excellent performances that could sustain the movie without Depp or Edgerton. Dakota Johnson, as Bulger's wife, is surprising in her grief. Faces like Kevin Bacon, Adam Scott, and Corey Stoll make up the bench of the "good guys." Actors like Jesse Plimmons, Peter Sarsgaard and W. Earl Brown make up Bulger's side. In terms of casting, Black Mass is one of the best of 2015.

Warner Bros' Black Mass (Blu-ray) release is pretty excellent too. The 2.40:1/1080p transfer is pretty excellent. Detail is strong throughout, with plenty of resolution on the real-life locations. Colors are a bit muted, which fit the tone of the film and the chilly Boston exteriors. Black levels are deep and consistent throughout. The film itself doesn't rely on visual fireworks, so this workmanlike transfer is fine. The film's DTS-HD 5.1 is largely quiet, with dialogue coming clean and clear from the center channel. When things heat up the track offers good demonic range and directionality.

Extras start with an hour-long documentary on the search for Bulger that fills in the gaps where the film ends. We also get a featurette on Depp's disappearance into the role of Bulger along with a more typical making-of featurette. DVD and Ultraviolet copies of the film are also included.

I found Black Mass a largely pleasant, but forgettable experience. There's a definite sense that Bulger's story deserves something more than this very typical "rise and fall of a gangster" story. Bulger's connections to the state legislature and the FBI make his story anything but typical, and yet Black Mass goes for a story that could have substituted just about any random criminal in the lead. The film also glosses over Bulger's decade-plus on the lam, when the search for Bulger might have created a more compelling narrative than the one presented here.

Black Mass is a fine way to spend a couple of hours. The performances are great and the direction is solid. Those looking for the definitive portrayal of Whitey Bulger have found it in Johnny Depp even if the film isn't the definitive presentation of his life's story. With expectations in check—this doesn't reinvent the gangster genre—Black Mass is a fine enough film, especially with the supplements on this disc to round out the viewing experience.

The Verdict

Not great, but not guilty.

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