'Sicario' Amazingly Shows How The Border Between Good And Evil Is Consistently Being Crossed
Even if Emily Blunt isn't exactly in "Full Metal B*tch" mode like in Edge of Tomorrow, she continues to prove a strong case as to why she should get that superhero movie which continues to elude her.
Story:
Sicario follows the story of an FBI agent named Kate (Emily Blunt) who is asked to help take down the leader of a Mexican drug cartel, with the help of loose cannon agent Matt (Josh Brolin) and mysterious Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro). But it turns out that it isn't just the U.S.-Mexico line being crossed as the three characters reveal their own motives to taking down the cartel ruler, blurring the line between right and wrong.
Ups:
I'll start off with the acting. Emily Blunt gives the best performance of her already impressive career as Kate. The beauty of her performance is that even if the movie was silent or she was mute, Blunt still wouldn't need dialogue to let the audience in on her rampant emotions. It's all in her eyes. I also thought Josh Brolin was great and brought both mild comic relief and enigma to the role of Matt. But as impressive as those two are, I'll say two words: Del. Toro.. Del Toro is SO amazing as the elusive Alejandro that he makes you wish his character had his own movie. While he mostly faces down and talks low, it really fits the character as you are never sure where his true loyalties lie.
Next, I'll get into the screenplay by Taylor Sheridan. Without giving anything away, I'll just say that it was interesting that even though a villain is given, it is more of a morality tale, delving into themes such as the balance of good and evil as well as power. So, it doesn't just focus on who the characters are chasing, but how they're chasing it. Also, even though the Mexican drug cartel story is something we've seen before, here, it is done quite differently in my opinion. Thanks to the directorial efforts of Denis Villeneuve, the grayness amongst the characters is able to shine through and he is able to let the camera roll on his actors so they can let the audience in on their feelings without the heavy use of dialogue.
I also loved the cinematography by Roger Deakins. The man is a master at his craft and here, it is no different. What I loved about the way he shot it is how the scenes set on night and day actually feel like night and day without the use of special lighting hovering the actors. Despite the film not having much action sequences, the editing by Joe Walker is put together so tightly that it not only is still filled with tension, but you're not staring at your phone. Lastly, I loved the score by Johann Johansson. Even as we hear it in the beginning, we are still given an idea of what kind of film we are in for.
Downs:
NIL.
Consensus:
Overall, Sicario is a slightly familiar yet incredibly tense thriller done with unique stylization and storytelling to help it stand out from other films in its realm.
Grade: A+
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