Sicario

Sicario was one of those films I had to go and watch a “things you missed” video because I was left confused based on the films structuring. .This is only my second Denis Villeneuve film I’ve watched (this and Arrival). Yes, I know I need to watch the Dune movies and Blade Runner 2049, they’ve been my watchlist for a while. I do find myself really enjoying the way Denis tells his stories because they are not always head on. In Arrival it was telling a personal story of a future mother during an Alien encounter. And for this movie it was giving you a cartel drama through the eyes of an outsider rather then the protagonist. .What Villanueve does really well is tricking the audience into thinking this is Kate’s (Emily Blunt) story but rather Alejandro’s (Benicio del Toro). The way the film is shot helps “put the audience in the drivers seat.”  Whatever the character Kate knows, is what you know and vice versa. It’s not until the last 30 minutes that Denis pulls this curtain to show that this is Alejandro’s story and it always has been. .Alejandro’s invasion into a Mexican cartel just feels like I’m thrown into a completely different movie. The music gets more tense and leaves the audience confused into what exactly he plans to do as he makes his way up the chain and meets the man behind it all. That scene had great dialogue and helped tie up the multiple plot lines we were left wondering about..But I think one of the best examples of Denis’s direction in this film was the moment the task force enters the Cartel operated tunnel. The shot of them walking into the sunset as they disappear entering uncharted territory was perfect. We’re left out of the action of what we would assume would be an epic battle. Instead of seeing the soldiers shoot at the cartel, we’re met with shots of soldiers shooting into darkness as Kate walks past them. . Overall, the film is already an entertaining action movie and gets a 3.5/5 from me because of that. But it’s the smaller things that Denis does to keep the audience guessing and watching just makes it better. It’s what keeps Sicario from just becoming another war movie you can find in the $5 Walmart Bargin Bin. The right actors were chosen as they assumed their roles perfectly. My only issue with this film was the pacing/ editing . Certain parts of this film felt rushed and others just felt out of place including the scenes with Jon Bernthal.  Congrats, Denis you’ve got a good track record for me. 4.5/5