Denis Vileunueve is one of the most talented newer directors I am aware of....I think everything he has made is worth watching, and with 'Sicario', he continues that trend, however, he also continues to make movies that are visually strong, well acted, and very well directed, with underwhelming stories, and scripts that are very lacking. 'Sicario' has so many strong elements to it, you wonder where the heart of the movie went. It makes some somewhat half hearted musings about the drug wars, and their origin, and effects on the people who live through them.....but ultimatley was a very predictable revenge thriller in the end, with a lot of over glamorized elements that hurt the movie, but don't detract from it's good qualities.
The geography and inter cartel politics is all off...and this is distracting and irritating to me, but for the average viewer, it will go unnoticed. The movies opening scene is dope as fukk, the score, the direction.....goes over the top with the discovery of 42 bodies, which to date has NEVER happened in the US, and likely never will. This is all part of a common thing in Hollywoods portrayal of the drug wars, taking a lot of headlines and kind of inserting them into a movie, whether they make complete sense or not....which I think takes away from the impact of the material.
I loved the Juarez scenes for the most part.....again, the directors ability to create tension is incredible. Juarez looked like Juarez, even if it wasn't shot there. I didn't like the very heavy handed and obvious, and also unlikely way they showed the horrors of Juarez in a quick ride through, conveniently witnessing the aftermath of a public hanging, and idling by missing posters of women....alluding to the femicides of Juarez. Felt a little cheap and easy for the subject matter. Made Juarez seem like a haunted house ride. Same with the look at Juarez in the aftermath. Looked like a video game. The shootout and rising action was dope as fukk. Very good work.
Del Toro's character....I am less impressed by the script and his role, then then acting, with his dead, haunted stare and delivery, Del Toro turns in a great performance. But, his character? A lawyer from Juarez.....turned assassin vigilante? Come on. There are enough fascinating stories in Mexico, to not invent outlandish bullshyt.....then the whole Colombian thing....felt so Hollywood and cartoonish...let me give a quick analogy, VERY few of the murders in Mexico are committed by with silenced pistols, by men with tactical gear....they are dirty, brutal executions that take place in the street, taco stands, movie theaters, playgrounds, resturaunts, by desperate men who don't live very long, and aren't paid very much......this plays too much like a cheap Vin Diesel type thriller then a serious look at drug trafficking. If you want to say thats what he wanted to make, I would say you are wrong, because he throws in all sorts of philosophy and statements about the violence. Reminds me of 'A Man Apart', with much better acting and direction, but very much the same. You cannot compare this to 'Traffic' in any way.
I could go on, and I may later, I just wanted to get some thoughts down.....very, very strong elements in a subpar movie, and cant' transcend a weak script and lacking story. It didn't have the heart and wrenching brutality it wanted to.
. But it pretty much is how the world really works, we all want it to be one way.
at being called a cac.Yeah ok
