Good, but far from it's potential

Rating: 6/10 (30 January 2016)

Sicario starts with slow pace, giving promises of possibly developing into excellent movie but is all of the sudden rushed to it's conclusion. And the conclusion of the movie is so, so mediocre. Yes, I definitely didn't see what was coming, but what it actually was were far from the potential that it could have realized. Minute by minute I'm getting more annoyed how lame the climax of the story was. Plot was actually created in a way that didn't a single clue what really was going on, but that just makes it harder to accept, that things were revealed too fast and the plot line is not very innovative. Yes, this movie is in someways really good, but it's story is not consistent, and won't offer anything special that requires to be seen. Acting isn't good or bad, so also it won't be worth to mention (well, maybe Josh Brolin and his cocky part is something worth mentioning and what I enjoyed). All in all, if you prepare to see a movie about drug wars, don't raise your expectations too high. It really won't dig deep into the issue, and no one does anything more than what is needed in terms of quality, and that annoys me much because this film has the visible potential to raise above it's mediocrity.
I admit, I am being very provocative with my grade, because world is full of movies worse than this. But this one's problem is it's lack of ambition. There were possibilities to film far greater movie, but none of them were used and that's why this movie left me with great frustration. I thought I was going to get a movie about Mexican drug wars, but all I got was a special operation to murder some drug-lord, although interestingly the main assassin is actually person from other side of the law, which is nice twist revealed pretty late in story. But the way of revealing the background is so boring, that whole thing feels very lame. One perfect example how good idea is ruined with one bad. If done better the movie would have definitely given more chances to think it views afterwards, but boringly they wrote to plot that accidentally one main character finds herself somewhere she shouldn't:t be and reveals crucial and unpleasant truth. Unpleasant for her and unpleasant for them who enjoy plot twists to really surprise. Laziness in coming up with some original turn in story makes it once again very hard to have warm thoughts about this movie. My opinion is that they had potential to write a movie that would have left impact for a long time after credits. We already make movies that shows life is often far from the straightforward battle of good and evil, mostly different scales of gray and because everyone of us has opinion about that, so well written movie without straight answers can be excellent way to see life in light not seen before, and that is one of the important ways to understand ourself and each other more and maybe make this planet better place to be. I am not demanding from any film to be larger than life or be discussion-opener, but artist is making something very important and honorable if trying so.
I advocate art that raise inspiration in light or deep questions about life and art itself. There would have been enough of philosophical dilemma just showing legal police forces helping drug criminal to get him his vengeance which include very cold-blooded assassination of his target's family under the eyes of their father. That was brutal but honest, that was something that wasn't underlined and that actually made it one of the most memorable things this movie has. That shocked and moved me, not the faith of the cop who lost his job and dignity, that story has been told millions of times, and in millions of ways. And this wasn't much after seeing how two sons and wife were killed in front of their family head. Have to say that the last act where she pointed gun at him, makes me now wonder why she didn't do it. By the reaction to the signing of that paper bit earlier you could guess, that her days as police, at least as some detective in larger bureau were history and realistic option would be officer in little town. And next second she had possibility to end that mans life. Though I remember her expression weren't any positive, maybe there was something high in moral that told him not to kill him or that killing him won't make anything easier. Why, that will be a mystery but one final example of what movies are capable in best.
Subject is interesting, but this movie has too many flaws to be very recommendable. Life there from the view of anybody whose life is touched by drugs in one way or another should easily inspire whole bunch of movies. Sicario brings up very important issue, but unfortunately it lacks consistency and quality in story, won't leave feeling that exceptional movie usually does and neither actors nor their roles have potential to be memorable. It's somehow bipolar because of the slow and long start but then without warning starts to reveal the action and I'm not saying that it is a bad thing, but definitely a noticeable feature.
I clearly didn't enjoy Sicario as much than average viewer here, but it's definitely not a bad movie. It could have been way, way better but as it's only few hours long and any particular phase of boringness even I think it won't be hours spent badly. If you are interested about drug wars in real life as watching recommend documentary of Miami's raise as cocaine state called Cocaine Cowboys and if you like reading, than Roberto Savianos pretty new book Zero Zero Zero is excellent book about cocaine, it's history and how it effect our society's.