Fighting fire with much more fire.

Rating: 8/10 (20 November 2015)

While I was underwhelmed with Denis Villeneuve's Prisoners, I found his followup Enemy to be a much stronger and focused piece of work. Sicario may be the best of the trio, though it doesn't have the same intricate character work, opting to deliberately keep us in the dark. Instead, it's a fascinating morality study on how the U.S. fights fire with too much fire in the war against Mexican drug lords and criminals. It's more effective and thoughtful than the sloppy Zero Dark Thirty with the way it follows these ethical lines between the U.S. being just as bad as what they're fighting against. I'm not sure if its ultimate revelation works as well for me, and it can be a bit on the nose at times which breaks its expert subtlety, but it's no less thematically valid.
Unlike moments in Prisoners and Enemy, it demonstrates a great level of restraint that keeps a consistent level of tension aided by Johann Johannsson's ominous score and Roger Deakins reliable and crisp cinematography. That unease is often disarmed by Josh Brolin's breezy performance, who tackles this interesting balance between the lines of necessity and cruelty. Emily Blunt is the highlight of the film however, even if the film isn't interested in extensive character development, and gives a committed sense of vulnerability that drives the stakes. It's not all gloom fortunately, as writer Taylor Sheridan gives the ensemble plenty of wit without overdoing it. This is controlled and impressive work from Villeneuve, though it doesn't necessarily soar when it can.
8/10