Merits to become a classic

Rating: 9/10 (20 October 2015)

I have read quite a few underwhelming reviews which I think do not do justice to this captivating film. First of all, forget about "The godfather" or "The departed". It's different, less flashy and maybe also less entertaining, especially for people not used to "slow" movies. However I also find it more realistic and thought-provoking. Some of the more critical opinions point out the "lack of depth of the characters", however we should not forget that real-life carrier criminals are often in fact, less than complicated and certainly aren't the uber cool guys often depicted on screen. They might be intelligent in some cases, but they are greedy, violent and don't have moral boundaries. Frequently they also show sadistic tendencies, as the protagonist does. I consider it exhilarating that there's no glorification of organized crime and those involved in it, just a quite faithful, as far as I know, adaptation of true events.
The stellar cast is top-notch, even secondary characters give a convincing performance. Depp's acting is certainly Oscar-worthy, he is unrecognizable and really frightening. Edgerton is just perfect as the sleazy, yet loyal in his own twisted way, cop. Cumberbatch is solid as always, I 'd have loved to see more of Kevin Bacon, one of my all- time favorite actors. Furthermore, I was absolutely stunned by Sarsgaard's performance, he really shines in his small part.
I definitively recommend you watch it in the cinema, in order to fully appreciate the style, the musical score and the gloomy atmosphere. I didn't give it a 10/10 rating, because imho the editing should have been slightly tighter, especially during the first third of the film. Otherwise I hope time treats it kindly and puts it among the classics of its genre, as it deserves.