Sicario (2015)

User Review

• 

  Barneyonmovies

  7 / 10

  WHAT I LIKED: 'Sicario,' first and foremost broadcasts director Denis Villenueve's incredible ability to build atmosphere and tension, and what he does with that here is to create a grounded and all-consuming picture of the chaos and potential for corruption involved in the drug cartel wars. Yes by expertly utilising a narrative that simply involves Emily Blunt's character slowly discovering the horrors along with the audience, Villenueve builds an experience where you're properly immersed into the world and gripped by its horrors. The focus then isn't on the plot, but on the landscape of the battle itself, and that's only made successful by how well that landscape is portrayed with typically excellent cinematography from Roger Deakins, gritty and realistic depictions of places, and a set of characters that embody the corruption perfectly. Couple that with great performances across the board to keep you hooked and a score from the late Jóhann Jóhannsson that brilliantly keeps everything driving forward, in the end you get an excellent depiction of a world that you slowly discover with the central character as the horrors are shockingly revealed.
  WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: The problem with this narrative is that the plot largely keeps its audience out of the know as you discover things along with Emily Blunt, so the set-pieces are often hard to invest in as you're rarely sure what the aim is. That may add to the bewildering sense of corruption, but it also creates an occasionally bewildering viewing experience that can leave the slow pace feeling a little empty.
  VERDICT: A well-built and atmospheric picture of the corruption in the drug cartel wars, 'Sicario,' broadcasts Denis Villenueve's directing talents, even if it's not as perfect a film as many would have you believe.

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