Black Mass” is an elegantly made period crime film that’s all about loyalty: how important it is to Bulger and how ruthless he can be toward people who aren’t. The film doesn’t shy away from showing us the graphic, disturbing details of Bulger’s wrath.
Unlike, say, the lively, black comedic swaggering of a Martin Scorsese gangster film (“Goodfellas”), “Black Mass” is cold and unsettling; Masonobu Takayanigi’s cinematography is gloomy, almost post-apocalyptic.
Depp’s Bulger is chilling and eccentric yet also measured and understated; the character never verges into hammy territory. After playing nothing but zany cartoon characters (“Pirates of the Caribbean”) for the last few years, it’s nice to see him tackle real, compelling characters again (he’s good at it).
Joel Edgerton is also strong as FBI agent John Connolly (who forms an alliance with Bulger to take down the rival Italian Mafia). The two grew up in the same neighborhood together, so he feels a connection to the malicious criminal, causing him to define his own notions of what’s right and wrong. It’s a great character that’s in some ways more compelling than Bulger; Bulger is a bad guy and knows it, but Connolly wants to believe he’s doing good things.
“Black Mass” falters when it attempts to be a grand, ensemble gangster epic. The supporting players (like Benedict Cumberbatch as Bulger’s politician brother, or Corey Stoll as a no-nonsense district attorney) have great moments, but overall, their characters fade into the background. Bulger and Connolly arise as the only three-dimensional characters. Like a lot historical biopics, “Black Mass” bites off a little more than it can chew, trying to tell a rich epic story in two hours.
Also, those looking for a more traditional rise-and-fall gangster saga will be disappointed. The script, by Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth, glosses over the “business” side of Bulger’s outfit (how he maintains control over South Boston); his progression from small-time crook to top dog is somewhat vague.
Though, as a dark, violent gangster film about a ruthless man who takes loyalty very seriously and a vehicle for Depp and Edgerton’s heavyweight performances, “Black Mass” succeeds tremendously.
(Rated R for brutal violence, language throughout, some sexual references and brief drug use.)