Sicario Review

Sicario

 

"You ask how the watch is made. Keep your eye on the time."  - Alejandro

  Well I've just lost faith in humanity...or at least our government and the DEA.

  Sicario, directed by Denis Villeneuve, stars Emily Blunt as Kate Macer, Josh Brolin as Matt Graver, and Benicio Del Toro as Alejandro. This is Villeneuve's third wide released American film behind Prisoners (2013) and Enemy (2014).

^Denis Villeneuve^ 

  Kate Macer is a morally sound FBI agent recruited by a government official to join a task force, led by Matt Graver, that is trying to track down the powerful Mexican drug lord Manuel Diaz (Bernardo P. Saracino) and his boss Guillermo (Edgar Arreola). Kate is deceived one scene after another and realizes that the intention of the task force isn't what she signed up for.

^Everything's OK Emily. Nothing bad happens to you...except for a lot of mental scarring^

  Sicario gives much more than I expected. My expectations were that it was going to be really good and it will be intense at times. I was right in that it was good and intense, but the thing that I didn't expect was HOW intense Sicario was going to be.

 ^Dude...is that blood?...yup^

  What helped a lot in the department of cringe-worthiness was the cinematography by multiple award winner and Academy Award nominee Roger Deakins. The look of this whole film was out of this galaxy. Night really looked like night and dim lit rooms really looked like dim lit rooms. I was especially impressed by the end sequences of the task force stealthily breached the Mexican cartel's hiding spot. For about 5 minutes give or take a few, the film was shot in negative film and in night vision.

^Emily blunt is in the night vision picture and this photo negative isn't actually from the film. I just couldn't find one from Sicario, but it looks like this.^

  Another component of Sicario that won me over was Benicio Del Toro as Alejandro. His character, from his beginning scene, was so distraught about something in his past that he couldn't sleep or function normally. It was as if he had PTSD, which I can't say with such confidence because the film never confirmed that. The rest of the cast which also included Emily Blunt and Josh Brolin worked beautifully together to create an uncomfortable feeling (that feels weird to say).

 ^Such beautiful people^

  Like I just said, this movie made me feel extremely uncomfortable at times (in a good way though). The people who contributed to the mass amount of violence (like Alejandro) seemed to have no remorse at all for what they did. THIS IS NOT A NEGATIVE POINT ABOUT THE FILM. I'm saying that because of these scenes with violence and intensity, it made me have an uncomfortable feeling. It made me feel. For that I commend the director, the screenwriter/s, the cinematographer, the actors and actresses, the producers, and the audience who sees Sicario.

^You were waiting for the shot, weren't you Benicio? Well it's a good thing I said something nice^

  There is really no hope to look out for in the movie. No happy moments. Nothing that makes the uncomfortable feeling shrink at least a little bit. So because of this, I would say that Sicario is not for everyone. If you are Mexican, or in that case Latino, and have an extreme sensitivity towards people portraying your race in a negative way, then this film may not be for you. For kids, well...it's rated R for good reasons.

^It's OK bud. Go see Hotel Transylvania 2 instead. That should cheer you up^

 

  Denis Villeneuve has done it again. He did it with Prisoners in 2013 (which was my favorite movie of that year) and he did it with Enemy is 2014. I recommend Sicario to anyone with or (especially) without a heart. By the way, the thrilling ending will leave you speechless and wondering "Is this based on a true story? I feel like this could and is actually happening."

 

Pro

• Intensity and On-the-edge-of-your-seat levels are through the roof
• Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt, and Josh Brolin
• Excellent cinematography
• Characterization

Con

• Limited audience
• May be too intense for people
• That uncomfortable feeling

4.6/5

 

Watch the trailer here

Sicario is rated R for Strong Violence, Grisly Images, and Language

Sicario is out in limited release now and comes out in wide release October 2, 2015