Black Mass C+ / Depp and Makeup Artists A+

Rating: 7/10 (28 January 2016)

Black Mass could have been great. Like American Hustle, it's great true crime material. South Boston Irish mob, psychopath ultra violent gangster, brother of a senator, gang war with the Italian mob, ambitious and corrupt FBI agents. However, unlike American Hustle the screenplay just plays out like a loose documentary, with no real sense of drama or emotional character development. I kept thinking this should be great like American Hustle, but instead of getting sucked into it's world and caring about the characters like in American Hustle, I just felt like I was watching a docudrama. There were many opportunities to develop deep empathy and emotional ties to John Conley, Billy Bulger, and Steve Flemmi. But the writers or film makers just provide a superficial glimpse into their internal conflicts and flaws, and never develop them enough to build a relationship with the audience. The writers also never explore any kind of background on what made Whitey Bulger, Whitey Bulger. He's just a mean criminal thug, and that's it. And it's not for lack of circumstance. South Bronx, brother of a senator, friend of an FBI agent... This could have been so good. Johnny Depp and the make up artists on the other hand deserve Oscar nods or statues. I'd forgotten how good of an actor Johnny Depp was when he's not playing a feminized drunken pirate in every movie even when it's not Pirates of the Caribbean. I forgot this was Johnny Depp so many times, and just some unlikable middle aged Irish thug. Depp's acting and the makeup artists were amazing. Completely believable. But not enough to make this more than an interesting documentary. Oh well. Entertaining enough for streaming, but not for $11 tickets or blu-ray purchase.