Sicario

Watch Movies TV -***DISCLAIMER*** The following review is entirely my opinion. If you comment (which I encourage you to do) be respectful. If you don't agree with my opinion (or other commenters), that's fine. To each their own. These reviews are not meant to be statements of facts or endorsements, I am just sharing my opinions and my perspective when watching the film and is not meant to reflect how these films should be viewed. Finally, the reviews are given on a scale of 0-5. 0, of course, being unwatchable. 1, being terrible. 2, being not great. 3, being okay. 4, being great and 5, being epic! And if you enjoy these reviews feel free to share them and follow the blog or follow me on Twitter (@RevRonster) for links to my reviews and the occasional live-Tweet session of the movie I'm watching!  I'm not going to bother putting a dumb joke here because Benicio's performance in this film is so intimidating that I worry he'll come kick my ass--also, I'm incapable of separating Benicio from this role because he was that good.

Sicario – 4 out of 5

Sicario is one of those films that, when I first saw the trailer, I was sold.  I really wanted to see it but, for various reasons (most of which include a busy schedule—and most of that includes fighting aliens on a faraway world), I never got to check it out.  When the sequel came out and hit the theaters, I was quickly reminded that I never made the time to see the movie and decided that I finally need to sit down and give this one a go.  I wish I would have watched it sooner because it is damn intense and a fantastic movie.

*Insert my obligatory comment where I connect these actors to their MCU roles.*

After FBI Agent Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) is involved with a cartel raid that results in a trap that kills several police officers, her boss recommends that she join up with a special task force overseen by the Department of Justice.  Running the task force is a man named Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) and a very mysterious man named Alejandro Gillick (Benicio del Toro).  The mission is to apprehend a high ranking member of a drug cartel but Macer soon starts to learn that she is in over her head and that she’s being kept in the dark over the details of the operation and who exactly is Alejandro.  

Damn, his stare somehow caused a bullet wound to magically appear in my stomach.

Sicario is a very intense, brooding film delivered by director Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners, Arrival).  The story moves at a pace that never rushes but never feels slow either.  Add in the dull color palate of the visuals, the mood-enhancing score and some truly fantastic performances and this is just another example of a very talented director who knows how to tell and showcase a story.  My favorite part of the experience is how Villeneuve never divulges too much and, by doing so, puts us in the same place that Agent Macer is in.  She has a rough idea about what is going on but is light on the details and that is exactly what the director is doing to us.  We learn as she learns and are never privy to information that her character isn’t experiencing first hand and it results in a very griping tale and one that is very easy to become engrossed with.  This is expertly showcased when she first heads out with Alejandro and the team when they crossover the border to Juárez, Mexico in order to get some henchmen from the cartel.  The whole experience is new to her, she barely has any idea of what is happening or what could happen and the viewer is right there in her place along for the ride.  It provides amazing amounts of tension and suspense—two things Villeneuve excels at crafting.

Did I mention that Benicio is crazy intimidating in this film?
I did?  Okay, well, it deserves to be mentioned again because he was
crazy intimidating.

Concerning casting, Emily Blunt does a tremendous job of being the protagonist that the viewer is sitting with on her wild and frightening ride.  Blunt is pretty much always amazing but what makes her so captivating in this one is just how her frustrations, confusions, fear and annoyance comes off.  These emotions and irritants feel palpable and make her sympathetic and someone who is easy to understand.  On the opposite end, we are treated to a very quiet but intense performance from Benicio del Toro.  His character, by nature, is mysterious and quiet so he doesn’t say much but del Toro is able to bring so much with doing so little.  He conveys this man who is on a mission and has such laser focus on it that he barely regards everything else around him.  These two were simply amazing to watch.

I love watching Blunt work.  She's a ridiculously talented actress.

Sicario is an incredibly engrossing, hardcore crime drama that is heavy in tone and amazingly intense.  Everything about the story, from its visual look to its pacing, is crafted exceptionally well and the performances are just astounding.  The replay value on this might be a tad low because, like many of Villeneuve’s films, the same kick that comes with the initial viewing is greatly reduced when viewed again.  His films are still great, captivating, and emotionally heavy on repeat viewings but their weight does make them an exercise to experience and not something that can just be thrown on in the background.  Overall, however, Sicario is an incredible movie.