Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Review of SICARIO: Revenge and Retribution

November 3, 2015



Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) is an FBI operative who was invited by the CIA agent Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) to join his mission by to close down the operations of a major Mexican drug cartel doing business in the US. She felt disturbed that she had to work with a mysterious "agent" Alejandro Gillick (Benicio del Toro), who seemed to have total carte blanche to crack this case however which way, legally or not.

Emily Blunt's character Kate volunteered for this mission with the intention of getting back at the man responsible for the death of her men. However, for the whole film, I could not get over the impression that she was not ever the right person for this job. The way Blunt plays her, Kate always looked like a fish out of water -- nervous, clueless, reckless. Was that intentional? Alejandro himself mentions this, "You look like a little girl when you are scared." She had that look for the whole film it seemed.

That was my one major problem with the story of this film. I take it that Kate is the person we are supposed to identify with, the outsider among men who were well-aware of the crooked system. She was supposed to be the main character, yet somehow it felt like she was not even supposed to be there at all. Why was she even chosen to join this mission in the first place, when it was obvious that she did not fit in and may cause problems? 

Emily Blunt has gone a long way since she first captured my attention in "The Devil Wears Prada". We know from "Edge of Tomorrow" that she can play an all-out action hero.  She further shows her versatility here with a sensitive portrayal of a flawed character. The character of Kate is my problem, not the actress. Here we have an action film with a female star in the top billing, yet her naive character was never the action hero we would expect.

Benicio del Toro, with his squinty eyes and languid aura, is known for playing cool unruffled characters, and he plays another one here. The title word "Sicario" is the Spanish word for "hitman," and del Toro sure looks like formidable one. The last thirty minutes or so were totally del Toro's. That climactic scene around the dinner table may be one of the most chilling I have seen. Del Toro killed that scene with his ice cold performance, and we the audience would be breathless when it's over. Word is there is going to be a sequel and it will all be about del Toro's character Alejandro. Kate will not even be in the sequel it seems.

The technical aspects of the film are by no means unimaginative or dull, as the generic-looking poster might make you suspect. The cinematography by Roger Deakins was spectacular even if the subject was bleak, like deserts of Texas or the mean streets of Juarez. The music of Johann Johannson was eerie and unsettling, perfectly complementing the dark yet dynamic theme of the film. The sound effects mixing was an essential feature of this film and it was done very well to vivify the violence of events even as they happen offscreen. This was certainly an action film of a higher order as put together by director Denis Villeneuve. 8/10.

17 comments:

  1. I can't imagine Emily in a film like this, but I guess there's a reason she was picked for the role. This definitely makes me more interested in the film.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Haven't heard of this movie yet. I guess because it's been a while since I last went to a movie theater. T_T

    ReplyDelete
  3. Emily BLunt is really making her way in the movie industry. I need to see a preview of this!

    ReplyDelete
  4. The movie still rates high despite some flaws in the characters. It looks like a nice action packed movie with a female touch to follow.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Maybe Emily Blunt is miscast here as well? her character should have been adjusted more to not look too much of the fish out of water, after all she is still an FBI agent. It would have been better if she had a totally bad ass but law abiding demeanor.

    ReplyDelete
  6. nice review - i just love Emily BLunt - i think she will really come into some big roles in the next 2-3 years - great actress !

    ReplyDelete
  7. The actor at the back looks like pepe smith... promise!! Hahaha. Anyway... this film is a must see for me. I like action films and investigation plot

    ReplyDelete
  8. It is somehow odd yet interesting to be watching actors and actresses in several movies in a year. It seems like they have a career change! Hahaha... Will go for Emily Blunt!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oooh oooh I saw the poster to this film when we passed through Gateway Mall in Cubao on the way to the Blogapalooza event. I was drawn to it! And you gave it an 8 out of 10 rating! Definitely going to watch Sicario!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hmmm, interesting movie! Although I am not sure if this is out on big screen here now though. But a good one. 8/10 eh? :) I'll check this out.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oohh, Emily Blunt is in this show! Then I shall keep a lookout for this title, thanks for the recommendation Fred :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. I already watched this film but have some question about the sequence and the deliberation of characters. I read other reviews for clarification.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Maybe the director wants her to look flimsy and clumsy??? Anyway, I like her in Devil Wears Prada. Totally funny!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thanks for sharing this movie review, it sounds exciting but this movie is not showing in my country. Perhaps I can watch online.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Find this really surprising. Can't imagine Emily Blunt doing this kind of movie.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Did u mean that Emily Blunt had only 1 expression throughout the movie? Haha. But I love her in Devil wears Prada!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Emily blunt in this role is quite different to see and must be interesting to watch.Look forward to catch this movie.

    ReplyDelete