Movie Review: "Black Mass"

Black Mass (2014)

R

4 Stars out of 5

Director                                Scott Cooper
Writer                                   Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth (screenplay)
                                               Dick Lehr and Gerard O’Neill (book)

Johnny Depp                       James “Whitey” Bulger 
Joel Edgerton                      John Connolly, FBI
Benedict Cumberbatch     Billy Bulger
Kevin Bacon                        Charles McGuire, FBI
Dakota Johnson                  Lindsey Cyr
David Harbour                    John Morris, FBI
Julianne Nicholson            Marianne Connolly
Corey Stoll                          Fred Wyshak, U.S. Attorney

 

It is so nice to see Johnny Depp play a real person again, and to play the character so well that it is his performance that is the primary reason to see the movie in which he plays that character, James “Whitey” Bulger. This is the second time Depp has had an outing as a gangster; the last time was in 2009’s “Public Enemies” where he played John Dillinger. In each movie, he disappears into the role, not a trace of Depp is to be seen. This is in stark contrast to his “comic” portrayals as the fey Captain Jack Sparrow; a role that was amusing in the first version of the series, but quickly degenerated into little more than a cash machine for Depp and Disney. Depp had a distinguished career in the 90’s but once the new millennium began and with the exception of his two gangster movies and 2007’s “Sweeny Todd…” there is precious little to praise about his roles or performances. This time in “Black Mass” he has redeemed himself and given substantial heft to the movie’s overall effect on the viewer.

In 1975 rising FBI star John Connolly (Joel Edgerton) returns to his South Boston hometown in order to bring down the regional Italian mob locally led by the Angiulo Brothers. Connolly goes to great lengths to convince his highly skeptical boss, Charles McGuire (Kevin Bacon) and contemporary, John Morris (David Harbour) that he, Connolly can get Whitey Bulger to act as an informant to the FBI and thus bring the Angiulos to justice. Meanwhile, the film depicts Whitey as a part-time father and husband to Linda Cyr (Dakota Johnson) and their young son. Bulger’s real life is that of a small time mobster, one who is losing ground to the far more successful Italian mobsters, the Angiulos. Whitey’s politician brother, Billy (Benedict Cumberbatch) sets up a meeting between the former childhood friends Connolly and Whitey where Connolly presents his plan to Whitey. Whitey initially refuses in typical gangster fashion, but as the Angiulos increase their pressure on him, he eventually changes his mind.

The movie then begins a multi-year examination of the manipulation by Whitey over Connolly, not the intended contrary. Connolly infatuated with his “success” via the Whitey Bulger connection gains prestige within the FBI but slowly and sickeningly in fact becomes one of Whitey’s pawns. Connolly starts to dress in a more flashy style, ignores the worried advice of his wife, Marianne (Julianne Nicholson), and even drags fellow FBI agent, John Morris into Whitey’s web. Connolly’s subornation by Whitey goes so far that not only does Connolly dismiss information linking Whitey to the murder of two competitors, but he also feeds Whitey information regarding a betrayal of Whitey by one of his own men; that man losing his life in the process at Whitey’s hands. The height of irony is revealed later in the movie when it is shown that almost all of the “intel” supplied by Whitey to Connolly was information already supplied to the FBI by other informants. Thus, the only real “intel” being exchanged was from Connolly to Whitey, and not the other way around.

The story is an excellent one beyond the powers of Depp to become Bulger. We see with increasing dismay as the once moral and capable Connolly ignores the worries and concerns of his non-South Boston wife and the continued reluctance of his boss McGuire, and is instead slowly seduced by the power of Whitey’s personality. He tells his wife and co-workers because of their shared childhood history he knows Whitey and trusts him. And he continues to trusts him even as more and more evidence of Whitey’s criminal brutality slowly comes to light. A good but flawed man is taken down the road of corruption. Equally insightful is the portrayal of Whitey’s brother, Billy by Cumberbatch. Billy a very successful and influential Boston politician would like so many that knew the true nature of Whitey, greatly prefer to merely turn his gaze away from what he did not want to see. Billy was in many cases as much an enabler of Whitey’s crimes as the confused Connolly. Connolly’s wife Marianne could see the truth about Whitey; she would in time leave Connolly in an emotional stew of fear and frustration over Connolly’s behavior. Whitey’s common law wife, Lindsey would also clearly see the truth. But she like Billy would turn away her gaze. She would eventually leave as well, but only after the death of their son left her with nothing. When it was convenient to avoid the truth as both Connolly and Billy did, Lindsey would ride the gravy train just as surely as Connolly. The lack of any moral compunction is rampant in the people surrounding Whitey Bulger.

This rosy set-up for Whitey comes to a crashing halt when a new US attorney comes to Boston, Fred Wyshak (Corey Stoll). This one comes with a backbone. Here is a man that would not be coerced, diverted or controlled. He could see clearly the incongruity of Whitey’s crimes and the failure by the FBI to follow up on them. He would not stop digging until the whole sordid affair was brought into the light. This kind of the story is not told for the first time by this movie, but it was refreshing nonetheless to witness. This film’s depiction of how Whitey raised himself and his gang through the misguided, but active participation of the FBI is a clear lesson in how fuzzy the lines can become between the criminals and the undercover means used to bring those felons to justice. This movie also emphasizes how childhood connections can create stronger alliances, stronger even than the marital, legal or moral equivalents in the later adults. A man might very well as Connolly does in this story throw away his wife, job and reputation as he almost blindly falls into patterns of dominance and submission that were set up in childhood. It is interesting to note the ones that seem to see the problem most clearly do not have an intimate connection to South Boston: FBI agent McGuire, wife Marianne, and US Attorney Wyshak.

 The individual childhood cases from South Boston aside, this movie’s story of corruption is primarily significant because it tells the story of how power corrupts. For their corruption and their resulting crimes of cover up and worse, Connolly will go to jail, as will Whitey’s brother, Billy. Not surprisingly, many of Whitey’s criminal crew will go to prison as well. What is surprising is that even several of the crew will be so repulsed by the moral depths that Whitey will go to and require his crew to go to, they will be self-driven to become State Witnesses. All of these friends, cohorts, and allies would eventually be caught up in the web enclosing about them set by Wyshak; all but Whitey himself. He would escape and remain in hiding for over two decades before he too would be finally caught and sentenced to life in prison.

This is an excellent movie in terms of acting, directing, and story content. It carries a truly meaningful message about the corrupting influence of Power. It is not an easy movie to watch, and should certainly only be seen by mature adults. But it is both entertaining and informative; a movie well worth seeing.