Del Toro, Roger Deakins and Johann Johannsson lift up the film's quality

Rating: 7/10 (8 January 2016)

Sicario would appeal to any ethical and sensitive viewer but falls short of being a masterpiece.
Bernicio Del Toro's performance in the movie in the first appearance (shots in the aircraft) was stagey. As the movie progresses, you begin to admire him. It is definitely Del Toro's best role to date.
Villeneuve as a director is above average but never raises stuns you. But I will continue to view his films in the firm hope that he will deliver a masterpiece down the line. You admire his ability to use visuals and music to build the mood with a certain maturity that is rarely encountered in Hollywood. But then he is a Canadian filmmaker first--and in Canada they use restraint with music and camera-work. Roger Deakins (cinematographer) and Johann Johannsson (composer of the music) contribute so much to raise the quality of the product.
Made in Hollywood, on a US subject, "Sicario" for me is closer to Canadian cinema in style and production tastes. Cinephiles will note the parallels between this film and a real Canadian film, Larysa Kondracki's "The Whistleblower" (2010) that exhibit in the screenplay and development of characters.