Boring, uninspired crime drama

Rating: 2/10 (20 September 2015)

I don't usually write reviews but I felt compelled to inform others about how awful this film was. And I want to prefice this by saying I love crime films and have seen the greats such as Goodfellas, the Godfather, and The Departed but this was just drivel.
Let's start with the acting: Johnny Depp plays Boston crime lord James "Whitey" Bulger and reveals virtually nothing about the character he plays aside from the violent actions he portrays. The supporting cast does nothing to make this a compelling story either with the exception of Joel Edgerton's John Connolly as a street-wise kid turned FBI agent loyal to Bulger's cause.
The pacing and dialogue are also the biggest culprits here. The film develops slowly leaving the watcher wondering if it will ever pick up to an emotional crescendo with only to find out the ride is as monotonous as your daily drive. Moreover, the dialogue feels like students taking turns reading out of a textbook. I know that the film is a biographic one but there's no need to have it feel as though you're reading a Wikipedia article.
Likewise, the musical score tries to underpin the uneasy feel of the movie but only works to put the viewer to sleep with its two tone rise and fall. None of the cinematography and shots of the scenes work to create anything worth capturing attention. There are shots of Southie that do convey the bleak outlook of Bulger's turf but they are few and far between as the film mostly focuses on the boring and uninspired dialogue and setting the actors are captured in such as living rooms, offices, dark bars, and car interiors.
If I was to summarize watching this film with an analogy I would describe it as eating and tasting a cardboard box.