Two Jews On Black Mass

In the 1970’s, in South Boston, FBI Agent, John Connolly (Joel Edgerton) persuades, Jimmy (Whitey} Bolger, head of the Winter Hill Gang, to collaborate with the Bureau to bring down the Italian Mob. To say this wasn’t the best of ideas is an understatement.

‘Whitey Bogler became one of the most feared crime lords in Boston, bringing drugs to the schools and streets of Bean Town.. If that’ wasn’t bad enough, Bolger just happend to be a sadistic lowlife killer who was a border line sociopath. He eluded the FBI until 2011 when he was arrested in Santa Monica. Don’t worry this is not a spoiler. Anyone who reads or watches the news knows this.

“Black Mass” directed by Scott Cooper tells Whitey’s story through a series of flashbacks, that show members of Bolger’s gang squealing to the FBI about his operation and his numerous kills.

It’s an interesting story, but only to a point. What saves the film from being totally boring are the acting performances. Benedict Cumberbatch (Billy Bolger)as always gives an outstanding performance. Billy, who was the exact opposite of his brother was a very powerful political figure for many years in the State Senate. If you wanted anything done, you went through him. He basically closed his eyes to his brother’s criminal operation. Johnny Depp, wearing killer makeup, gives what could be, one of the best performances of his career. Joel Edgerton as a FBI agent and Bolger’s BFF since they were kids, comes very close to stealing the film. Watching him become more and more corrupt is one of the more interesting moments in the film. The women including Dakota Johnson as Whitey’s former girlfriend and mother to his only child, as well as Julianne Nicholson (John Connolly’s wife) are excellent. The members of Whitey’s intimate crew including, Rory Cochrane (Argo) Jesse Plemons as Whitey’s main henchman, Kevin Weeks and Peter Sarsgaard (in a very different kind of role_ all give seemless performances…

The problem with ‘Black Mass’, written by Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth is the script. We never see Bolger’s drug operation. We just hear about it. What we do get to see is Bolger killing or scaring one person after another. At the end of two hours, you’re left feeling drained. When you think of the great mobster films, Coppola’s ”Godfather 1 and 2′ and Martin Scorsese’s ‘Goodfellas’, ‘Black Mass’ really falls short.. For that reason I only gave the film which opens Friday, September 18th, 3 1/2 Bagels out of 5.

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Joan and John Schwartz

Joan and John Schwartz are ex New Yorkers, living in Los Angeles. They are married and see a lot of films. They usually disagree but always tell it like it is. John is most famous for creating the cult classic films Faces of Death. He has also written for various prime time series and has written movies for both Showtime and HBO. In the world of reality television John has produced, written and directed over 450 segments for various magazine shows He has also written and Executive Produced several Prime-Time Specials. Joan has appeared on the New York Stage on and off Broadway…and has been in several Los Angeles theater productions as well.. Joan has been in several low budget films and at present she is busy writing screenplays with her husband, John.

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