A Sheep in Wolves' Clothing

Rating: 9/10 (27 September 2015)

I read somewhere that Emily Blunt's part was originally written for a man. After seeing this film, it's something that doesn't make any sense at all for all the heart and sensibility she brings to the role would not exist. It's not about innocent but of complexity and a driven sense of dedication and commitment that have no place in our world anymore.
She plays a government agent that through her achievements manages to stand out and catch another agency's eyes. Soon, she's asked to volunteer a take part of a task which might satisfy both, her thirst for justice, and the others' needs. Gradually, she discovers she might have made an unwise move, but the option to back out becomes more and more complicated as the case unfolds.
From the ultra violent opening scene to the emotional conclusion, Blunt shows her full potential as a woman who is navigating a truly difficult journey. She's shocked when she "discovers" the nature of her involvement, but this doesn't prepare it for the surprises that keep coming her way. Clarisse from "Silence of the Lambs" had a relatively easy time because she was facing her own demons and a monster she admire. She has no devotion to any of the people she's chasing or even worse, the rather muddled plan she's become a part of and which she wants to stop at any costs, just to find out she might even lose her life if she continues her way of thinking.
We know from the trailer, she will be facing some despicable people involved in the drug/cartel world. What she doesn't understand is how intertwined good and evil are, and though we know one doesn't exist without the other, the film shows that the lines have become more blurred as we get to learn throughout the film.
Blunt is exceptional as the reactor to the unfolding events, and Del Toro is perfect as the mysterious and devious "Medellin". Brolin and the rest of the cast do very nicely in minor roles. There are hints at the private lives of these soldiers, yet it's interesting how the only families we get to see are those who are in the "bad side". This is important in the end, as we hear that families are key to the heart of the story, and one of them tries to rationalize that anything done has definitely not a personal angle in this dark business world.
It's not an easy film to watch because people do get hurt, and it's rare to see any goodness at all. Children aren't shielded from evil, and they're damaged goods no matter which side they belong to. Look at the last scene. Still, there's good in here, and Blunt is part of the little there is, but it's her counterpart that surprises us the most because even in this world of darkness there's a little bit of hope among the wolves for a little lost lamb.