Fear the Gangster

Rating: 6/10 (27 October 2015)

Black Mass retells the events of James "Whitey" Bulger's association with the FBI as an informant. It is a controversial crime history that the film portrays with real gritty atmosphere. It doesn't provide much of an exact narrative, aside of just following the accounts of Whitey's involvement with this conspiracy. It often feels like it's just selling the fear of this man and not quite a personal depth. We explore his personal life and the people connected with him, but the center of the attention is just the crimes he committed. While it's still ultimately gripping, the movie doesn't lead to any satisfying core whatsoever.
The story is mostly told by Bulger's associates who were interviewed for telling the full information about the activity of the Winter Hill Gang. It's pretty much just documenting the events of what crime and conspiracy that involved Whitey. Sure, there are moments that involves his personal life, but much of the focus is his criminal and informant years. It's just digging into his career rather than his humanity. It's not bad, but we seem to concern more about what a dangerous man he is than knowing him more as a human being. It doesn't have an exact point- of-view either. Despite of being narrated by various witnesses, these spectators aren't the center, either. The FBI are also just rigorous work in narrative detail, doesn't exactly talks about the ethics, it's basically just a sideline from the crimes being committed outside. Otherwise, it's an engrossing study of a dirty plan gone wrong.
The direction is slick, in a classic gangster movie way, breathing into the darkness beneath the exteriors. And everything sure looks stunning. It pictures its gritty setting so well, that the only nitpick you may utter is how over-the-top Johnny Depp's makeup is. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't look awful, but for a movie where everything looks so convincing in its time, that transformation is the only one that takes the contrary. But again, I'm just nitpicking. The acting is also splendid; and while the makeup is a little too much (I'm sorry, I never stop,) it doesn't take away Depp's attempt of humanity towards this role. He is effectively frightening, externally, and cold-blooded, internally, and that's pretty much what we expect for a criminal like this.
Black Mass is terribly straightforward, its aim is basically just displaying what a ruthless criminal Whitey Bulger was, and although we see his personal life, it doesn't get flourish, because this movie is all about uncovering his bad deeds and the FBI letting this man slide. The movie looks beautiful, the atmosphere is, again, quite gritty, and fans might be pleased that its lead actor is not as cartoonish as his cosmetics (I never learn.) But there are crime biopics out there that have better intentions, Black Mass is just a rotten portrait of a once most wanted man. There is no denying that it's a pretty interesting story, especially in cinematic form, but it needs to be more engaging than this.