8.3/10
Sicario (2015) Reviews
A technically immaculate, haunting action-thriller
Posted : 2 months ago on 26 January 2024 12:200 comments, Reply to this entry
Sicario
Posted : 7 years, 4 months ago on 21 November 2016 04:38The 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. Itās 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 Villeneuveās 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.
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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 Bluntās character is an improbable creation on the page, seemingly too naĆÆve for the work sheās 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 itās quietly lurking in the shadows is Benicio del Toroās supporting work. Heās 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. Heās starred in several movies about cartels and the drug wars before, so heās clearly in familiar terrain but he never repeats his work inĀ TrafficĀ orĀ SavagesĀ here. The final scenes, which transition from Bluntās 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 Toroās 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 isnāt about moral complexity, itās about Roger Deakinās gorgeously twisted cinematography lingering over Emily Bluntās facial reactions and exquisitely photographed gun battles between undercover agents and the cartelās soldiers.Ā
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A very good movie
Posted : 7 years, 10 months ago on 18 May 2016 09:120 comments, Reply to this entry
Sicario (2015) review
Posted : 7 years, 10 months ago on 18 May 2016 06:180 comments, Reply to this entry
Sicario (2015) review
Posted : 7 years, 10 months ago on 11 May 2016 02:220 comments, Reply to this entry
The Worse Demons Of Our Nature
Posted : 8 years, 1 month ago on 17 February 2016 09:55The 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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