'Blu-ray or Bust'
SICARIO (2015, R, 121 minutes, BLACK LABEL MEDIA/LIONSGATE)
When it comes to Oscar worthy films, this last year was kind
of slow. There were a butt-ton of
movies that came out in 2015—no less than three hundred Hollywood films were
released—but when it comes to standouts, or “Oscar favorites”, there were only
a few that come to mind.
SICARIO is one of those few. Starring Emily Blunt (EDGE OF TOMORROW, LOOPER) as a young FBI
agent who finds herself recruited for a hands-on role in the war on the Mexican
drug cartels, this film thrusts you into the passenger seat with her driving. It is her perspective we witness the chaos,
and hers is the only conscious morality you can rely on. She is recruited to the battle by shady
Government spook Matt Graver (Josh Brolin), whose right-hand-man is an even
more mysterious figure. His side is
never clear until the very end—and even then, you kind of knew it all along. That right hand is none other than Benicio
Del Toro, and he shines.
Honestly, they all do.
This film has “Oscar-bait” written all over it. The acting is great; Brolin is a wonderful,
barely controlled bundle of mayhem, and Del Toro is his exact opposite: smooth,
calculating…there is almost a hidden poetry to his violence that makes you want
to see him work. They make a formidable
pair, and the life they breathe into their characters is a sight to behold.
Blunt, fresh off her last stint with action-God-wannabe Tom
Cruise, gives what is easily the best performance of her career. Thoughtful, honest, and desperate to not let
everything that happens around her change her moral stance; hers is the
struggle that defines the film, and keeps the story grounded.
But even if all three of them deserve an Oscar, so does
writer Taylor Sheridan for his tight script, Denis Villeneuve for his efficient
direction, and, most importantly, Roger Deakins for his brilliant
eyeballs. The cinematographer has a
total of seventy-four films under his belt, and you have probably seen every
one of them. He captures not only the
New Mexico landscape and the great big sky above it in a majestic way, his
interiors of the cities and streets of Mexico itself is amazing. From the moment he takes you on a car-ride
through the volatile streets of Juarez, up until you are running through the
night with infrared cameras alongside Blunt and the gang, down into a dark
tunnel, he creates an atmosphere that is both claustrophobic and
provocative. But it is the way he and
director Villeneuve make you a participant in this film that seals the
deal. From Blunt’s thoughtful and
loaded silence to the revving of engines and the distant popping of gunfire,
you see it all, feel it all, and will more than likely feel just as lost as her
character does. You are swept up into a
giant wave, and you have no choice but to ride it out.
This is a must on Blu-ray.
From the gunfights to the quite somberness of sneaking into a tunnel,
the visuals and sounds are best witnessed in the high quality format. Also, this release has what could be some of
the best docs released on a disc this year.
The first one, “Stepping Into Darkness”, gives you an immersive look
into how the film was made. From the
production design to the cinematography, you get a taste of everything. The second focuses on the three main
characters, and offers insight into how the visual art is used to create a character.
While the Oscar nominations will be released on the 14th, I
have hopes that this film will lead the race.
I count at least six people involved with this production that deserve a
nice, shiny statuette. You put a
production like this together, you figure someone in Hollywood might notice…
Film Grade: A
Special Features: A
Blu-ray Necessary: Abso-freakin’-lutely
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