BEST NEW FEATURE
Lionsgate's best bet for awards in a few months comes in the form of Sicario, a brutal, intense thriller that offers an often horrifying glimpse at the harsh world of the drug war.
Kate Macy (Emily Blunt) is an FBI agent in Arizona who, after a particularly horrifying day on the job, seeks to stop those responsible. To this end, she joins a task force organized to find and kill one of the major cartel leaders. However, now in the heart of the drug war, she finds herself in a world where questionable ethics reign on all sides of the conflict, and where her previous ideals hold no ground. As the conflict progresses, it becomes increasingly apparent that the rules which Kate is used to don't apply here. Just about anything goes, and while it's horrifying to behold the increasingly questionable actions taken by the task force, Sicario never states outright that what they're doing doesn't work. They torture, manipulate, and even murder, but the film is impartial. Was there another way? Was everything done here worth it? These are some of the questions that go unanswered by Sicario, as the film never displays its morality in black and white. Yes, Kate is more idealistic, but is she right to be concerned, or is she just naive? Questions like that are left to the viewer.
Kate may serve as the protagonist for much of the film, but it becomes increasingly clear that she's irrelevant to the greater scheme of things. Existing largely on the margins, she provides a counter for the cynical depravity of the other characters, even as she's increasingly used, manipulated, and made more and more aware that she's nowhere near the top of the food chain. Entering the war zone of Juarez for the first time, she soon discovers that the horrors that brought her here are only a taste of what's to come, which is communicated especially well through one brilliant scene that quietly shows off the brutality of the city. Kate is driven right by decapitated, mutilated bodies hanging upside down from the bridge, but no intense music plays to hammer in the scene, no lingering shots exist to point out that this is horrifying. Instead, it's simply shown to us, a mere appetizer as we enter a world of danger.
Benicio Del Toro delivers a striking performance as Alejandro, a former lawyer who's the partner of Matt (Josh Brolin), the leader of the strike group. Alejandro is enigmatic at first, and is increasingly shown as the most dangerous member of the team. He's the one that does much of the dirty work, especially but not exclusively the torturing, and in the final act of the film, when Kate has seen more than she should have, he takes over as the driving force of the film in an utterly incredible finale that provides a significant part of the film's lasting impact. Kate and Alejandro ultimately represent the two perspectives that are in conflict throughout Sicario: Kate brings idealism and a respect for law, while Alejandro shows a willingness to do whatever is necessary, no matter how horrifying. While the plot is driven by the fight between the task group and the cartel, the real conflict is in that ideological divide.
Sicario enlists the renowned Roger Deakins for its cinematography, and it shows: Some shots in this film are absolutely magnificent. One of them features the task group walking down a hill against the sunset, descending into the darkness and out of sight as the sky is painted with the dimming colours of sundown. Even more essential, however, are the numerous overhead shots of the setting, showing cities filled with danger sitting in the middle of the flat, dry expanses of Mexico and the Southwest United States. These shots make the land look foreign, perhaps even alien, and despite the lack of activity contained within, the combination of these shots and the tense music underscores the fact that danger lurks around every corner.
The greatest tool in Sicario's arsenal, however, is tension. When the film turns up the intensity, it makes for some of its best scenes, as the constant danger comes to the forefront and becomes very immediate very quickly. This tension is benefited the most by the characters, particularly Kate but also others, such as Alejandro and Matt. It's important that we're invested in these characters, because that's the key component of the film's tensest moments. Will they live or die? How will they come out of this? And what will they do afterwards? That last question allows for some strong interplay with the thematic conflict between sticking to ideals and going as far as necessary. Not all the danger comes from the cartels, after all, with the task force being just as willing to use extreme tactics.
There are times when a scene's purpose is unclear, or where the plot may seem unfocused, but these dissolve under the weight of all the film does incredibly well. Put simply, Sicario is one of the best films of the year. It's a highly intense thriller with gorgeous cinematography and great acting, and possesses a level of thematic strength that many films of its type struggle to attain. Films like this are what really define the last three months of the year, transitioning from the bombast of the summer to the more thoughtful fare leading up to the big awards ceremonies. Whether or not Sicario rakes in nominations will remain to be seen, but it is undoubtedly excellent, and there's few better films to be seen this year.
9/10
Or, if you prefer, you can leave a donation via PayPal!
No comments:
Post a Comment