Thursday, October 15, 2015

The 'Not-So-Critical' Critic: SICARIO



The 'Not-So-Critical' Critic: 
on SICARIO (2015, 121 minutes, R)

The Quick of It -
Director Denis Villeneuve just might be making some waves before his possible involvement in the upcoming BLADE RUNNER project.  SICARIO is an intense action-thriller centering on the 'War Against Drugs'... or sorta.  I would say more about the plot but I think it would be better to experience it for yourself.  The bigger surprise to me is the writer behind the project, Taylor Sheridan.  You might recognize, but doubtful, the name as the deputy chief from 'Sons of Anarchy', Deputy Chief David Hale.  Sheridan did have one hiccup that didn't making sense and probably should have been corrected to make the story more realistic, but hey... whatever.  His crafting of the story with an acute sense of plot building and Villeneuve's incorporation of visual tension through the use of intermittent shots showing motion within stillness, or the reverse, made this film work far beyond the typical 'drug raid' extravaganza.  Another nifty set of shots was the idea of individuals being introduced into the story as almost faceless apparitions, the concept that there are people out there like these representations but you only hear about them.  The muddled reflections in glass, the silhouette with back turned, or blocked angled shots to the speaker added to the continued theme of being in the dark on what exactly is happening to our FBI agent, Kate Macer (Emily Blunt), while holding on to this rollercoaster ride of bullets and blow.  Each character in the film, large and small, came to life with great acting, and a chance to show their talent within intense exchanges and awkward situations.  Josh Brolin may have been at the forefront but it was Benicio Del Toro who ends up stealing the show by the closing credits.  For a movie that falls into a flooded genre, it stands out as one of the must sees.

Grade: A-

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