WASHINGTON — What is our fascination with Boston gangster stories in the 21st century?
Television may have taken us into the Jersey crime syndicates of “The Sopranos” (1999) and “Boardwalk Empire” (2010), but the silver screen is obsessed with Bean Town, churning out a Best Picture nominee in Clint Eastwood’s “Mystic River” (2003), a Best Picture winner in Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed” (2006) and an AFI Award recipient in Ben Affleck’s “The Town” (2010).
Now, add another worthy contender to the mix in Scott Cooper’s “Black Mass” (2015), charting the rise and fall of notorious Boston kingpin James “Whitey” Bulger. Adapted by Mark Mallouk (“Rush”) and Jez Butterworth (“Get On Up”) from the eponymous book by Dick Lerh and Gerard O’Neill, the film distinguishes itself in the genre by charting the unique pact between a criminal mastermind like Bulger (Johnny Depp) and an ambitious FBI agent like John Connolly (Joel Edgerton).
Rather than commit the cardinal sin of becoming a rat, Bulger rationalizes becoming an FBI informant for his childhood friend Connolly — so long as his tips decimate the rival Italian gangsters on the North Side, while ensuring the safety of his fellow Irish gangsters on the South Side. To him, it’s not ratting; it’s strictly business — only the business becomes dangerously personal for Connolly.
The biggest treat of “Black Mass” is the reminder of just how great an actor we have in Depp, whose Oscar drought should end after eight long years. Before that, he bagged three nominations — “Pirates of the Caribbean” (2003), “Finding Neverland” (2004) and “Sweeney Todd” (2007) — but considering his body of work, it’s hard to believe there weren’t more after “Edward Scissorhands” (1990), “Ed Wood” (1994), “Donnie Brasco” (1997) and “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” (1998).
Let the doubters be silenced, buried beneath a bridge with their teeth removed so the coroners can’t identify them. At least, that’s what Bulger would do. Depp’s performance is chilling.
Not only does he undergo a physical transformation — packing on a few pounds, combing back a receding hairline and flashing rotten teeth — there’s a lot bubbling beneath the surface.
His acting prowess is on full display in three scenes in particular:
1) A family tragedy causes a freakout to rival James Cagney’s prison cafeteria outburst upon hearing his mother has passed away in “White Heat” (1949).
2) An innocent dinner convo about secret family recipes escalates from jokes to paranoia and back again, like so many of Robert DeNiro’s slow-mo stares in “Goodfellas” (1990).
3) And a doorway encounter between Depp and Julianne Nicholson rivals Cagney’s grapefruit smash of Mae Clark in “Public Enemy” (1931) in terms of sheer gender tension. It’s truly terrifying.
But this is no one-man show. The rest of the ensemble is stellar: Benedict Cumberbatch (“The Imitation Game”) as Bulger’s politician brother; Julianne Nicholson (“Masters of Sex”) as Connolly’s concerned wife; Dakota Johnson (“Fifty Shades of Gray”) as the mother of Bulger’s son; Kevin Bacon (“Apollo 13”) and Corey Stoll (“House of Cards”) as strict FBI chiefs; David Harbor (“End of Watch”) and Adam Scott (“Parks and Recreation”) as Connolly’s increasingly suspicious FBI colleagues; and Rory Cochran (“Argo”) and Jesse Plemons (“Breaking Bad”) as Bulger’s street-tough henchmen.
Still, the best support comes from Edgerton, who has quietly become a Hollywood force after power performances in Gavin O’Connor’s “Warrior” (2011), Kathryn Bigelow’s “Zero Dark Thirty” (2012), Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby” (2013) and Ridley Scott’s “Exodus: Gods and Kings” (2014). If Depp earns an Oscar nomination, then surely Edgerton deserves one too, forsaking his wife by grilling steaks with Bulger and forsaking his job by granting Bulger a warped criminal immunity.
This is the type of movie that, like “American Hustle” (2013), could earn multiple nominations across various acting categories. A win for Depp or Edgerton wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility, as Cooper has directed overdue stars to Oscars before — see Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart” (2013).
In addition to his eye for casting, Cooper’s biggest strength here is pacing, rolling out his story with a refreshing slow-burn momentum punctuated by spurts of violence. Cooper picks his battles when it comes to the bloodshed, occasionally shocking us with whacks, but more often backing his camera away into a hallway to leave the violence to our imagination. Numerous shots deserve repeat viewings, as vertical FBI office blinds create jailbars foreshadowing the demise of corrupt agents.
In this fatalistic world, hubris-filled deal making will doom your soul. Bulger and Connolly may have made an unholy alliance, but Depp and Edgerton just made a similar alliance come award season.
As Bulger says in the film: “Take your shot, but make it your best. I get up, I’ll eat you.”
Depp just took his best shot — and knocked us out.
★ ★ ★ 1/2
The above rating is based on a 4-star scale. See where this film ranks in Jason’s Fraley Film Guide. Follow WTOP Film Critic Jason Fraley on Twitter @JFrayWTOP.
