Great material delegated to an engaging but generic execution.

Rating: 7/10 (17 October 2015)

Announced as Johnny Depp's comeback venture en route to Oscar glory, it's a such a shame how underwhelming Depp is in Black Mass. In the past decade since his last best turn in Sweeney Todd, he's often overcooked roles catering to his arsenal of tics. Here he's more restrained, but while the material offers a clear and enticing character arc, Scott Cooper's approach regrettably blunts that down. Black Mass is simply aiming to be a boilerplate Boston crime drama, as carved by Scorsese's The Departed. It's solidly made, but it's more or less a series of neat murders. Makes it hard to really invest in any character. It's otherwise engaging just to watch it unfold despite clichés, though it's littered with missed opportunities for how taunt it could have wound things. Depp's Whitey Bulger is often sitting with the enemy, yet it treats it as any other scene.
Perhaps that's just part of the point, as the film operates on the macho code of loyalty, and how fragile that truly can be when crossed. It should just be like any other scene. While that theme comes through, the characters don't. At least it has an interesting structure with how it's framed through men informing on Bulger while the main narrative is Bulger informing for the FBI. Meanwhile, the supporting players far outshine both Depp and Joel Edgerton, who unfortunately overplays his hand while Depp stays relatively reserved. Peter Sarsgaard, Rory Cochrane, Juno Temple and the underused Jesse Plemons all make larger marks, leaving Benedict Cumberbatch and Kevin Bacon wishing they tried something else. The production is solid, though the wigs and makeup can be distracting at times, especially when it comes to Depp. Engaging enough, but I'm definitely not visiting Boston anytime soon.
7/10