Makeup overpowers Depp in ‘Black Mass’

Published 9:00 am Friday, September 25, 2015

“Black Mass” (Biography/Drama: 2 hours, 2 minutes)

Starring: Johnny Depp, Benedict Cumberbatch, Joel Edgerton, Adam Scott and Kevin Bacon

Director: Scott Cooper

Rated: R (Strong violence, sexual references, drug use and gore)

 Movie Review:  This biographical tale of James “Whitey” Bulger is an intriguing one and well-acted. However, Johnny Depp’s make-up is distracting. 

Bulger (Depp) was violent and notorious enough to be on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s most wanted list. Despite being the brother of state Sen. William Bulger (Cumberbatch), Bulger and his associates were successful mobsters in South Boston. In order to take a major mafia turf competitor, Bulger, through contact and family friend Agent John Connolly (Edgerton), became an FBI informant during the 1970s to take down a Mafia family invading his turf. While under the watchful eye of the FBI, Bulger commits numerous atrocities.

Depp plays Bulger with zeal. He relishes the role, but Depp playing characters under heavy makeup is becoming typical. In this case, his makeup gets in the way of his performance.

Those blue contacts covering Depp’s darker eyes appear alien in most scenes. His skin appears odd too in few scenes, like sandpaper. The makeup is just too much. Most people probably do not know what Bulger appearance is, so the need to go through drastic facial and hair modifications is unnecessary. Depp relies too heavily on the appearances of his roles often when he is an excellent actor and does not need such facades to make his characters genuine.

The plus side is Depp, Edgerton, Cumberbatch and other talents give exceptional performances. They make their roles engaging. Their manner is intriguing and one wants to know more about the story of Bulger. Writers Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth craft onscreen personas worthy of attention. They and director Cooper (“Crazy Heart,” 2009; “Get Low,” 2010) adapt Dick Lehr and Gerard O’Neill’s book for a story worth retelling.

Each character is tangible through this screenplay’s ability to allow audiences a chance to know the characters. Viewers may not agree with the actions of Bulger and others, yet one obtains an understanding of each person. Far too often, the portrayal of bad people is just that, their bad attributes. “Black Mass” also tries to show that some good is in the worst people. After all, someone likes the worst person. 

Bulger’s capture in 2011 was a big media magnet. Despite Depp’s overdone makeup, “Black Mass” is interesting, too. 

Grade: B (Movie should have massive audiences.)

“Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials” (Action/Science Fiction: 2 hours, 11 minutes)

Starring: Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Ki Hong Lee

Director: Wes Ball

Rated: PG-13 (Profanity, drug usage, and thematic elements)

 Movie Review: “The Maze Runner” (2014), also directed by Wes Ball, presented a good story with a mystery at its core. It made one feel as if one was with the characters, surviving a labyrinth. 

“Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials” is just all about running from continuous perilous moments and action sequences that make a weak story.

After escaping the Maze, Thomas (O’Brien) and the other Gladers from the Maze face life outside of a protective environment. They must survive desert conditions, mercenaries and the soldiers and doctors of WICKED, a corporation using young people to find a cure for humanity. Thomas and the others must also survive Cranks, humans infected with a contagion known only as The Flare.

“The Scorch Trials” is an adaptation of James Dashner’s dystopian novel. As a movie sequel, the story is messy because of a surplus of actions sequences, mostly involving the characters running from something. Audiences should wear tennis shoes, so one can get a workout also. These characters do nothing but run.

A major problem is some of the characters do that wrong, too. 

People stop too far often to see what is chasing them although they know it is coming. Several scenes have characters standing still, although other characters are screaming for them to run while zombie-like aliens are easily seeable in the background. This happens far too often. After all these players have been through, the act of running should come easy. This negates the realness of their situation.

Good thing, moviegoers had a chance to get to know them from the prequel, “The Maze Runner.” 

“The Scorch Trials” introduces new characters continuously. They help facilitate the story but add nothing toward expediting a means for an adequate result.

Producers stretch out a story for profit rather than good moviemaking. Because of this, it lacks the mystery presented in its prequel that that made it riveting, and it appears to be a drawn-out chapter connecting to the next film in “The Maze Sage.”

Grade: C+ (An energetic trial that so-so tests its participants)

“Captive” (Drama/Crime: 1 hour, 37 minutes)

Starring: Kate Mara, David Oyelowo, and Michael Kenneth Williams

Director: Jerry Jameson

Rated: PG-13 (Violence and thematic elements)

 Movie Review: Two people struggling to manage real-world problems are the basis of this film. They rescue each other through unintended consequences. The story is noble, although the movie makes this an action-crime film rather than the good faith-based drama it could be.

Ashley Smith (Mara) is a single mother struggling with drug addiction. She is having a usual day until escaped convict Brian Nichols (Oyelowo) holds Smith hostage in her apartment. Nichols killed a judge and several others before holding Smith hostage. She has every reason to fear him. Instead, she starts reading him “The Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren, which details God’s plans for everyone. 

Brian Bird’s screenplay is an adaptation of Ashley Smith’s book. Bird attempts to retell this rich story, but he makes it about the cops tracking Nichols as much as what happens between Smith and Nichols.

The best part of this story is the awkwardly forced relationship that develops between Smith and Nichols. Bird and director Jameson concentrate too much on the more energetic parts of this story than crafting a good drama.

That is shameful since the Oyelowo and Mara give it their best. Oyelowo, who played Martin Luther King Jr. in “Selma” (2014), is especially cunning as Nichols. Too bad, the rest of the moving is not as captivating. 

Grade: C (It will only hold some audiences captive.)