Not the comeback of Johnny Depp, but he's not solely to blame

Rating: 6/10 (18 November 2015)

Ever since it was announced Johnny Depp would be playing hardened criminal James "Whitey" Bulger in Black Mass, there's been some debate on the merits of Depp's career. One camp thinks that Depp's been wasting his time (and talents) with all those Pirates and Burton films while the other camp is occupied by those who feel that even in those films his acting skills were on display. Nevertheless, Black Mass was intended to be a return to form for Depp.
We start in the present, in a police station where a former 'associate' of Bulger states he's willing to provide information against him. He says, however, he doesn't consider it to be snitching. (We will see other like-minded individuals testify against him as well as their reasons for doing so as the film continues.) We flashback to Boston in the 70's when Bulger was still small-time. We get a sense of his violent ways and how little things can set him off, particularly if he suspects betrayal. We also meet his brother, state senator Billy Bulger, and FBI agent John Connolly who grew up with Whitey. Connolly meets up with the reluctant Whitey and proposes a deal: Whitey will provide information on his competition (the Italian mob) and the FBI will use that to build a case against them. It'll make the FBI look good and Whitey will be rid of his competitors. Connolly manages to convince his superior, McGuire, to try out this idea for a while and Whitey agrees as well, though he (also) emphasizes the 'fact' that what he's doing is not snitching. Things escalate however as Whitey realizes he's got some leeway with the FBI due to his 'informant' status while Connolly gets in way over his head, hanging out with Whitey, covering for him, all the while rationalizing his behavior by emphasizing the long-term advantages of his 'deal' with Whitey.
So, the million dollar question: is this the return of Johnny Depp, the actor? Mostly no, I'd say. While he's not bad, Depp just isn't all that threatening a presence. Compare that to, say, Pesci's performance in Goodfellas or Mikkelsen's turn as Hannibal in the eponymous series. Sure, the makeup is good, but makeup does not a great performance make. Decent? Sure. The Oscar-worthy turn we've been expecting? No.
Depp isn't solely to blame, however. Black Mass, in the end, just isn't about Bulger. He adorns the poster, but the real drama ultimately lies in how the film depicts the controversy around the FBI. The film tries to add some character development to Bulger, but since he's a violent criminal both at the film's opening and closing, it isn't very effective. The film appears more interested in the goings-on at the FBI. Connolly becomes a real sleezebag when he's constantly having to convince a colleague and his superior they're doing the right thing. When McGuire and particularly his next-in-line, Wyshak, call him on his bullshit, it's incredibly satisfying. The moral conundrum of making the deal with Whitey to capture other mobsters despite the controversy it raises. The following protocol versus getting great results question is interesting. Meanwhile, whenever Depp appears (particularly in the film's second half), nothing really happens. Sure, he has someone killed or does the killing himself, makes threats and so on, but the real drama in the end takes place in FBI HQ.
Speaking of drama, whenever the film tries to paint a picture of family life, it falls flat on its ass. This is the kind of film that opens the relationship between Connolly and his wife by having them get ready for a little of the ol' in-out, in-out on the kitchen counter. Yeah, because why spend time showing the bond they share, thus laying the foundation for future tensions, when you can show them getting ready to have sex? It really makes me care for them... The same applies to Whitey and his wife. It feels like these underwritten scenes should counterbalance his tough-guy persona, to show how his family tragedies only made him a better crime boss, but in terms of drama, it's thin.
In the end, Black Mass is a very run-of-the-mill crime drama. It feels like the end result should have been infinitely more compelling than it is. Definitely less than the sum of its parts.