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A technically immaculate, haunting action-thriller

Posted : 2 months ago on 26 January 2024 12:20

Sicario is one of 2015's must-see movies, a modestly budgeted action-thriller in a similar vein to Steven Soderbergh's Traffic and the best films of Michael Mann. With the acclaimed Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners, Enemy) at the helm and with a screenplay by Taylor Sheridan, Sicario is more than a formulaic action-thriller - it is a technically immaculate and unforgettably haunting exploration of the human mind's dark recesses set against the backdrop of America's war on drugs. Ethical conundrums are common, blurring the line between right and wrong as the protagonist is absorbed into a dark, morally grey realm but is sufficiently satiated by the promise of results after years of slow progress and police fatalities. Sicario is an audio-visual masterpiece with Villeneuve at the top of his game, but it is a bleak movie featuring characters who lack warmth, making it easy to admire but hard to genuinely love.


An FBI Agent concentrating her efforts on Mexican drug trafficking, Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) is shaken by a discovery in suburban Arizona, raiding a house full of corpses that is also rigged with an explosive device that claims the lives of two law enforcement officers. Determined to apprehend the criminals at the top of the food chain, Kate is recommended for and joins a covert Joint Task Force, working alongside CIA Officer Matt Graver (Josh Brolin), who gives her limited details about the mission. Kate is full of moralistic, by-the-book ideals, finding the task force's methods - especially those of secretive, highly-skilled assassin Alejandro Gillick (Benicio del Toro) - frustratingly questionable. As Kate begins questioning her role in the dangerous operation, she finds it difficult to trust the men of authority surrounding her.

The screenwriting debut for Taylor Sheridan, who went on to pen Hell or High Water and Wind River, Sicario paints a searing picture of the ostensibly unwinnable war against violence and drugs filtered through Kate's eyes. Kate is skilled but sheltered and naĆÆve, and she finds herself unprepared to witness the "good guys" using worryingly unconventional tactics throughout the operation. Just as Kate is mostly ignorant of the operational specifics beyond fighting the war on drugs, the script likewise leaves viewers in the dark to observe the ethically questionable abyss of violence that seemingly lacks rhyme and reason. Sicario is entrenched with procedural minutiae, following Matt's team as they relentlessly work towards their unclear ultimate goal. Villeneuve explores the moral grey area of the operation, with characters lying, stealing, setting traps and killing, which takes a toll on the conflicted Kate, who wants results but is weary of the cost. Moreover, Sheridan plays with conventional storytelling rules, even switching focus to Alejandro during the third act with terrific sleight-of-hand. Alejandro emerges as the film's secondary protagonist, enhancing the overall narrative without taking away from Kate's story, and the establishment of his character leads into the 2018 sequel, Sicario: Day of the Soldado.


Sicario is the second collaboration between director Villeneuve and cinematographer Roger Deakins after 2013's Prisoners. Villeneuve's directorial spell is enrapturing, concentrating on evocative atmosphere, periods of silence and careful mise-en-scĆØne. Under Deakins's meticulous eye, every frame looks achingly gorgeous, with visually arresting compositions and remarkable lighting and use of shadows, while Johann Johannsson's pulse-pounding, Oscar-nominated score perfectly complements the cinematography. An inescapable feeling of dread and tension permeates Sicario, with Johannsson's music enhancing the atmosphere and effectively driving the movie, maintaining momentum during stretches containing minimal dialogue. The visuals emphasise the almost otherworldly nature of the desolate desert locations, with the soundtrack compounding the sense of uneasiness, making viewers feel like strangers in a strange land. During the moments of gunplay and violence, Villeneuve exhibits genuine flair and talent; a deadly confrontation on a busy stretch of road is both savage and riveting, while an extended climax stretching multiple locations is nail-bitingly intense. Sicario wears its R rating on its sleeve, facilitating moments of shocking violence and an unnerving look at the realities of drug smuggling and cartel operations. However, Villeneuve is wise enough not to dwell on the brutality, showing tact and restraint during the action beats, with the characters dispatching enemies swiftly.

Blunt is exceptional as Kate, coming across as a wholly believable FBI Agent with tenacity and grit but who is also recognisably human. The actress admirably acquits herself during the action sequences, but she shines during the smaller moments, strongly conveying the impacts of the moral conundrums she faces through body language and measured line delivery. A concluding scene between Blunt and del Toro is a highlight. Speaking of del Toro, he is outstanding here as the cagey Alejandro, delivering what is potentially the best performance of his career so far. Alejandro adopts a steely, ruthless exterior demeanour that hides anger and grief, and del Toro immerses himself into the character with impeccable abandon. Brolin is another standout, perpetually keeping his cool and maintaining control despite Kate's consistent questions and the mission's inherent danger. Outside the central trio, Sicario also features Jon Bernthal, Victor Garber, Jeffrey Donovan and Daniel Kaluuya in supporting roles, all of whom hit their marks admirably. This was right before Bernthal's big break as Frank Castle/The Punisher in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and he capably plays a smooth-talking, corrupt Arizona cop here. Garber is excellent in anything, and this is no exception; he brings a pronounced sense of gravitas to his role as a supervisory agent in the FBI.


Sicario carries the feeling and appearance of an arthouse production, but it is more thrilling and captivating than this description implies. Indeed, the movie concentrates on tense standoffs, armed conflicts, intriguing investigations and heated interrogations instead of a numbing series of static scenes in dim rooms with people talking. However, there is still an underlying gravitas and sophistication to prevent Sicario from feeling like simplistic direct-to-video schlock. In other words, this is an action-thriller done correctly. It is a testament to Sheridan, Villeneuve and the rest of the crew that, despite the dense narrative, Sicario does not feel like mundane homework. Also note-worthy and relevant is the film's suggestion that the war on drugs is ultimately futile despite America's funding and operational strength to combat it.


8.3/10



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Sicario

Posted : 7 years, 4 months ago on 21 November 2016 04:38

The best thing going in Sicario is Roger Deakinsā€™ masterful use of light. Deakins is such a high-level artist in his field that he can transform the most mundane and muddled of scripts into top-flight entertainments. He uses his consummate skills to makeĀ SicarioĀ a beautifully murky, tension filled action-crime-thriller and elevates the weakly written material into something much better. Itā€™s this persistent conflict between top-shelf technique by all involved smashing into a poor script that keepsĀ SicarioĀ in some strange state, locked in-between a serious triste on the War on Drugs and a popcorn entertainment.

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I lean harder towards thinking of this as a popcorn entertainment with A-level craftsmanship. The longer the film goes on, the more director Denis Villeneuveā€™s technique brings more attention to itself. He never coheres the script into a whole, but he makes individual set pieces thrilling and memorable, palpable with enough tension that a trip wire in your mind could cause chaos to ensue for the characters on the screen. Shame that so much feels more like Grand Guignol horror sutured to escalations of violence and existential terror in the face of an unwinnable war.

Ā 

If the film dips into overwrought, although spectacular, artistry, your senses never entirely hit mass saturation due to a series of anchoring performances that try to keep the film grounded even as it dips into melodramatics. Emily Bluntā€™s character is an improbable creation on the page, seemingly too naĆÆve for the work sheā€™s dedicated her life to and consistently finding herself in situations which strain credulity, is given more depth by the actressā€™ great work. Just as solid is Josh Brolin as a government contractor who recruits her for a shadowy mission and Daniel Kaluuya as her partner, both of whom are forced to deliver trite dialog like it is brand new information. They both succeed.

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Towering above all, or maybe itā€™s quietly lurking in the shadows is Benicio del Toroā€™s supporting work. Heā€™s withheld for much of the film, keeping a low profile and stalking in the background with only a few brief moments of violent outbursts to reveal the depths of his true character. Heā€™s starred in several movies about cartels and the drug wars before, so heā€™s clearly in familiar terrain but he never repeats his work inĀ TrafficĀ orĀ SavagesĀ here. The final scenes, which transition from Bluntā€™s heroine to his morally questionable avenger, are the crescendos as we submerge into the despair and horror thatĀ SicarioĀ has merely flirted with thanks to del Toroā€™s impressively cruel work.

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In the end,Ā SicarioĀ reveals itself as yet another violent film and not a film about violence. The script holds our hand too much, stymying any message and deeply felt atmospherics on display. Perhaps we should take a clue from the script and best not ask too many questions, just sit back and enjoy the ride.Ā SicarioĀ isnā€™t about moral complexity, itā€™s about Roger Deakinā€™s gorgeously twisted cinematography lingering over Emily Bluntā€™s facial reactions and exquisitely photographed gun battles between undercover agents and the cartelā€™s soldiers.Ā 



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A very good movie

Posted : 7 years, 10 months ago on 18 May 2016 09:12

Since I kept hearing some really good things about this movie, I was really eager to check it out. On top of that, I have enjoyed all the movies directed by Denis Villeneuve that I have seen so far, so I had some rather high expectations concerning this movie. Well, eventually, even though I thought it was really good, I have to admit that it didn't completely blow me away though. I mean, it was definitely a strong production, no doubt it, with a great cast, a very solid directing and one of the best stories about the war on drugs I have seen for a very long time. While watching this, somehow, I couldn't stop thinking about all the people going on holidays in Mexico. I mean, how could you go there to have some fun when you are aware of all the atrocities going on in this country? So, it was definitely some strong and dark material and, yet, something bothered me about the damned thing though. Basically, you are pretty much like Emily Blunt's character, they keep you in the dark during the whole thing and, as a result, the plot was sometimes rather murky, I'm not sure if I was really able to follow everything and now that I have seen the damned thing, I'm not sure that everything really made sense. Anyway, even though it wasnā€™t a complete home-run, it was not far from it and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.Ā 


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Sicario (2015) review

Posted : 7 years, 10 months ago on 18 May 2016 06:18

Villeneuve is way ahead of the tired screenplay about who is riogth who is wrong in the figth against narcos. Emily acts as an idiot. Never understands what is all about. But I like the 'personification' of Ciudad Juarez 'the beast', and Del Toro is ok.


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Sicario (2015) review

Posted : 7 years, 10 months ago on 11 May 2016 02:22

This was intense. So much so that it made me kind of uncomfortable. I was squirming in my seat. And it was extremely dark. Not color wise, but the subject matter. Villeneuve really knows how to take the most vile subjects and turn them into wholly compelling cinema.


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The Worse Demons Of Our Nature

Posted : 8 years, 1 month ago on 17 February 2016 09:55

Sicario is more than just an action-thriller about the brutal, pointless drug war in North America. Its graphic depictions and nihilistic tone flip a sizzling pan of heroin into your face over and over again, forcing you to confront the grim realities of wealth, power and addiction.

The cinematography is a treat and the bleak landscapes of the American desert and the gang riddled ghettos of Mexico are themselves a metaphor for the emptiness of the struggle our characters endure. Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin and Emily Blunt all put in excellent performances and the script is clean and efficient, eschewing needless exposition in favor of short, smart dialogue that focuses on pushing the plot forward and not wasting time or insulting the intelligence of its audience. The ominous soundtrack and excellent pacing keep you on the edge of your seat as you move from one barbaric encounter to the next.

The ending is truly climactic and impactful, but it offers the audience a chance to meditate on the events and meaning of the piece before the credits role. It is a complete, coherent, well planned body of work that trusts the intelligence of its viewers, which makes it the rarest kind of film these days.


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