Movie Review-Black Mass

Black Mass is the new gangster film based on the 2001 book Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob by Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill. The movie stars an unrecognizable Johnny Depp as one of the most notorious criminals in American history, James "Whitey" Bulger. The movie is based on actual events that took place during the 1970's through the 1990's in South Boston. Events which landed Bulger on the FBI's 10 most wanted list. Which was ironic because during that period of time Bulger was an actual informant for the FBI.

The story centers on three friends who grew up playing cops and robbers in the Irish neighborhood of South Boston. Two were brothers; "Whitey" and his brother Billy, who grew up to be a corrupt state senator (Benedict Cumberpatch) and John Connolly (Joel Edgerton), a friend from the neighborhood who grew up to be an FBI agent. Connolly recruits "Whitey" as an FBI informant, but the head of the Irish mob instead uses the FBI to do his dirty work in bringing down the Italian mob in South Boston.

Depp is pure evil in his portrayal as the gangster "Whitey" Bulger. At first I thought the movie needed more of Depp's character, because he is so good in the movie, but after chewing on it I realized the parallel stories about the FBI and agent his brother, the corrupt government official were also needed to tell the whole story of the events which occurred during that time. Still, it's Johnny Depp's performance in this movie that send chills down your spine. 

Black Mass is full of graphic violence and it contains strong language. It's rated "R" and has a run time of 122 minutes, but I swear if felt longer. It's a compelling story, but the movie just seems to jump off the track at times. Overall though I enjoyed Black Mass and on my "Hollywood Popcorn Scale" I rate it a LARGE.

Hollywood Hernandez