Time to see Johnny Depp's still got it, or if his theatrical masks have consumed him.
You're watching Beyond The Trailer's review of Black Mass...
When people complain about what's become of cult-favorite actor turned blockbuster movie
star Johnny Depp, the focus is often on his get-ups. Sort of Lon Chaney meets Bozo the
Clown, with Depp buried under mountains of make-up, prosthetics and wigs. But when you
really look back at his career, he's always been partial to such masks. From Edward Scissorhands
to Ed Wood to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas! And those are some of his most celebrated
roles! But perhaps because he also appeared in films like Benny and Joon, What's Eating
Gilbert Grape and Donnie Brasco sans the get-ups, they were a little more palatable. And to
be fair, Depp tried to stick to the same routine recently with films like Public Enemies, The
Tourist and The Rum Diary, but, well, the clown had won out - at least at the box office.
Or at least it had, as what burns brightly also fades quickly, with Depp suddenly finding
himself suffering the same fate as other bigger than life, manic comedians Robin Williams
and Jim Carrey. Audiences have simply grown tired of his shtick, and that's why Black
Mass is so important. It's a perfect role for Depp to showcase his acting talent, yet
because of Whitey Bulger's advanced age and just overall different look from Depp, it
also allows Depp to transform himself theatrically. And it's certainly not at the expense of Bulger's
reputation, as Depp has created a grey-eyed, demonic tactical genius that could finally
make Bulger a pop culture legend! Yes, despite being on the FBI's most wanted list for twelve
years - second only to Osama bin Laden - most people have never heard of Whitey Bulger,
which is exactly the way he wanted it. That anonymity is partially what made Bulger such
a successful crime boss, well, that and having a brother in the Massachusetts Senate and
a childhood friend in the FBI. That's a pretty fascinating story, one that would seem to
be a home run. Yet Depp and Michael Mann's telling of John Dillinger's story didn't get
a lot of attention, and here Depp has taken a similar risk with another director who doesn't
bat a hundred. Scott Cooper got a lot of attention for his debut film Crazy Heart - and won Jeff
Bridges an Oscar - yet his recent follow-up Out of the Furnace hardly made a dent, much
less a splash. Yet Cooper started out as an actor, and perhaps he'll really be able to
score with an actors' film like Black Mass, which boasts an incredible ensemble cast.
Benedict Cumberbatch, Joel Edgerton, Kevin Bacon, Jesse Plemons, Peter Sarsgaard, Corey
Stoll - and even Fifty Shades of Grey's Dakota Johnson. Still, while it's nice to see Depp
has so much support, at the end of the day make no mistake about it - Black Mass will
be a verdict on whether or not he's still got any Lon Chaney left in him...