Out of Darkness, Sicario Shines

Rating: 10/10 (14 October 2015)

Sicario
How far would you go to bate the seemingly inextinguishable inferno that is the Mexican drug war? Sicario raises this and many more questions about the dark reality of the American war on drugs. In a post 9/11 America, we've become comfortable with achieving moral goals through amoral means. Siciario's portrait of this shadow war doesn't attempt to preach one way or the other, but rather holds an objective mirror to this complex moral paradox that has come to define our nation. Perhaps the only way of achieving a greater favorable outcome is to allow agencies like the CIA to blur the boundaries of the law? Is the greater good for America realistically achievable without some evil? As long as we're safe, do we care how it gets done?
The movie itself is a beast of awe whose suspense and pacing grips you from the first shot to the last, methodically pounding away at your psyche. Everyone involved is running on full cylinders, from the simple yet deep story, to the immersive, weighted acting, to the remarkable score. However, what may stand out the most is Roger Deakin's incredibly intricate cinematography. The movie is shot with a shadowy filter that bleeds with the darkness woven through the narrative. Delta force silhouettes against a vibrant desert sunset. Enrapturing colors and atmosphere. Slow zoom shots twisting and turning through your mind. The warped faces of the dead manifesting themselves on the mountains and vistas.
Siciario isn't just this year's best thriller, it's a beautifully dark story of a character trying to do the right thing without losing her soul. "You're not a wolf. And this is the land of wolves now."
9/10