Black Mass - 3 smiles

Occasionally (although not recently) Johnny Depp is challenged to do more than play Johnny Depp playing a part. In "Black Mass," the actor's portrayal of Whitely Bulger reminds us that Depp can do impressive work. By inhabiting the character, Depp deepens an otherwise generic gangster story. As a cohesive dramatic thriller, the movie has trouble. There are some effective scenes, but as a whole, it feels more like a fast chronology of criminal dealings than the epic tale of a master criminal's rise and fall. There's no real character development that would have made "Black Mass" a richer, more disturbing experience. We catch glimpses of complex, conflicted relationships, but they are never allowed to grow beyond the basic story. Director Scott Cooper's goal seems to be a straight bio-pic of Whitey Bulger's life between 1975 and 1995. In 1975, Bulger,  a small-time leader of a South Boston Irish criminal gang,  has angered the larger, far more dangerous Italian mob and is targeted for elimination. Enter John Connolly (Joel Egerton), a South Boston native who has come home to spearhead a task force assigned with cleaning up the city. A childhood friend of Whitely's younger brother (a state senator), Bill (Benedict Cumberbatch), John reaches a deal with Whitey: if he will provide the FBI with actionable intelligence that leads to the decimation of the Mafia, the FBI will allow Whitely to act unmolested. This results in a mutually beneficial relationship that sours when Whitey becomes the biggest boss in all of Boston and openly defies law enforcement with brazen criminal acts.

Central to "Black Mass" is the relationship between Bulger and Connolly although Connolly's character is not developed enough. We're never sure what Connolly's motivations are - is he out for personal gain? Is he is awe of Bulger? Why does he allow himself to be manipulated? He seems to be okay with walking a fine line between being the good guy and joining the bad. Although Depp will get a lot of attention for this role, Joel Edgerton also deserves recognition for his cocky, self-assured Connelly, which is opposite of the damaged, twisted character he played in the recent The Gift (which Egerton also wrote and directed.) What makes "Black Mass" worth seeing is two outstanding performances, performances that transcend the film's weaknesses.