Great film with some flaws that hold it back

Rating: 8/10 (18 September 2015)

I just saw this movie at the 1130PM showing at the Arc Light in Hollywood. There were previous screenings tonight but there was a decent turnout at this time. I believe it will stay in the 7.5-8 rating range after the full release. I give it a solid 8. I know that there is a lot of fear on this board about whitewashing and American exceptionalism ruining the film, but that is not the case. This is a movie about a lot of dangerous people battling for control. The US government and Mexican Cartels are both implicated in carrying out nefarious deeds. This was a huge relief, especially after seeing the trailer for new Michael Bay propaganda film before the movie.
The movie is paced better than Denis's previous work. I had read the script prior to the filming and I was worried most about that. I was fully immersed the whole film and was wide awake/alert despite seeing it after a 12 hour workday. He has a gift for creating tension and it is in full effect in this movie. There were several tense set pieces that were well executed. The opening set piece was great and set the tone for the entire film.
The cinematography was beautiful while also being restrained at the same time. Roger Deakins is an absolute maestro, a complete savant with lighting, framing, and camera placement. I have worked as a DP on projects that were outside in a desert landscape and it can be absolute hell to deal with. He and Denis know when to keep it simple and when to really accentuate the scene with more stylistic lighting. The golden hour scenes in the desert were beautiful and made me nostalgic for my home state of Arizona.
The acting was top notch especially Del Toro. He is comfortable with this sort of material and it really shows. When I read the script, I pictured this exact characterization for the character. Emotionless and relentless. It is his best performance to date. Brolin has a smaller role, but plays it well. Ruthless, determined, yet calm under pressure.
Emily Blunt nailed the archetypal cop just trying to do good role. I know the studio executives wanted a male to play the role, but it would have taken away from the movie. Her strength as well as her vulnerability gave more credibility to her character. Her physicality and emotional acting skills were on display at a high level.
The movie has flaws. Emily is not given enough depth or development. Her character is just not written very well. Her actions are predictable and her reactions were clichéd. I wanted to know more about her. The plot is very familiar in terms of a crime drama/thriller and does not really do anything special or unique. I also wasn't a fan of the score, but that is just personal preference. It doesn't take away from the film at all. It had the potential to be something more special and it drops the ball. It is still a great film and I recommend you all to see it.