Eenie meenie miney moe, catch a gangster by his toe, if he hollers let him go and let him lead you to your foe. The Sicar-i-o"¦
Officer Barbrady tells us how it is "drugs are bad mmmmkay"¦" and they haven't looked any worse than the ones in Denis Villeneuve's Sicario. The war on drugs is a bad place to play when you're in over your head, just ask FBI agent Kate Macer ( Emily Blunt) her naïve, G.I. Jane, ready-for-anything attitude is a nice contrast to the shadiness of her new employers. Both Matt (Josh Brolin) and his mysterious friend-ish Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro) leave everyone in the dark when a trip to El Paso turns into a trip across the border. Rules are broken and alliances are tested.
Sicario is as much of an action movie as it is a psychological thriller. It has some of the most intense cat and mouse action scenes since No Country for Old Men. Villeneuve does a good job of suffocating the viewer into a dark corner with many extreme close ups that will leave just about anyone claustrophobic and coming up for air. This is no coincidence when the great cinematographer Roger Deakins is behind the lens. Not since Silence of the Lambs has there been a wonderfully crafted night vision goggle scene. Leave it to Deakins to bring it to life. The dark and brooding colors evoke the moodiness of the film so well that it was like watching a documentary about cartel's in Mexico.
Villeneuve would be wise to continue working with Deakins, if it worked for the Coen Brothers for all these years, it can work for him.
Not enough can be said about the cast. Del Toro delivers his best work in over a decade, with one of the darker characters ever portrayed on screen. His character feels larger than life when he walks into the room. Brolin continues to pick great roles and he does a marvelous job as the cheeky but business-like operative, who may or may not be playing all his cards and last, but not least, Emily Blunt continues to break stereotype by excelling in another action film this year.
The main reason Sicario soars is because of the pinpoint direction. Villeneuve is a cross between Michael Mann and the Coen Brothers. He is a director on the rise and continues to select challenging works that really resonate with audiences across the board.
Sicario is the most innovate action film of the year. Go see it!
