Sicario (2015) - dir. Denis VilleneuveSicario offers itself up as a violent-with-a-purpose film

Sicario (2015) - dir. Denis Villeneuve

Sicario offers itself up as a violent-with-a-purpose film that will make you think about the reality of the Mexican drug cartels and how they interact with the American government. With Emily Blunt standing in for the hyper-masculine-male-drifter character, the film has a hook, and with Roger Deakins behind the camera you know it’s going to be pretty. You only need wait three or four minutes between some beautiful set piece matched with even better cinematography. Villeneuve is a young but already accomplished director, and it’s clear he has great faith in his material.

Maybe someone should have been there to tone down his faith a little. Taylor Sheridan’s script is a laughable clunker, and instead of a violent movie that forces us to think, we end up forced to think Sicario is just another violent film, and if it really had a point, apparently Villeneuve was too afraid to just come out and say it outright. It’s too bad, because Josh Brolin was absolutely terrific here.

5.4