The most engaging thing about Denis Villeneuve‘s Sicario is the sheer vehemence of its ferocity. It is a portrayal of what the American Dream has arguably become; the lack of liberty, freedom or rights, and how it has overflowed into the heartbreaking reality of Mexico’s harsh streets. Sicario is content with sprawling the graphic, and at times what might be considered unnecessary, violence across the screen but ultimately, is a perfectly reasonable reflection of the core themes that it so brashly explores; a thoughtful social commentary on that which is so infrequently discussed.
We follow Kate (Emily Blunt), a hard-boiled, and even harder working, FBI Agent as she and her partner Reggie (Daniel Kaluuya) get unequivocally dragged into the cut-throat world of the lucrative, albeit deadly, Mexican Cartel. It becomes quickly apparent that the richest, most rewarding part of the film is Blunt in her entirety. She is absolutely unflinching, a triumph who provides a mesmerising performance as a woman on the cusp of finding out whether she’ll sink or swim in the heat of war. Here, Kate is gasping for breath as the realities of the covert begin to fill her lungs. But in all honesty, the true beauty of the film lies in it’s unrelenting, philosophical, morally-questionable darkness. We watch Blunt intently, curious and terrified of what she might uncover as she treads carefully into the hellish war on drugs, and what we discover is not disappointing at all.
Similarly, Benicio Del Toro‘s performance is frankly, remarkable. It is a refreshing role for him no doubt, which would place him upon many a radar were he not already present. His voracious, blood-thirsty sense of vengeance is subtly undermined by shreds of sincerity that delicately thread together to culminate in a driven machine of a man. Both Blunt and Del Toro are the real stars of the show, but it is great to see Josh Brolin on screen again, whose nonchalance and sociopathic tendencies in this film make him a strong supporting character. Likewise, a pleasure to see Victor Garber get more work, though disappointing in that it is essentially a rehash of his role within J.J. Abrams’ Alias many moons ago.
At its core, what really makes Sicario shine brighter than the rest is the certainty of edge-of-your-seat tension, the absolutely gorgeous cinematography that so aptly explores the notion of whether there is beauty in war, the answer? If it’s framed and shot as it is here, then yes. Let us not forget how the film is complimented by a bewildering and often startling soundtrack. Jóhann Jóhannsson goes above and beyond in escalating the integral concerns of the characters wonderfully, and emphasises the tension and drama in a way that I haven’t felt since first watching Jaws. It is a welcome take on the civil-war-esque relationship between America and Mexico, though frightening is the ingrained self-reflexivity of our own corrupt systems, even in the places that we must trust the most – the police, the government. An interesting observation is that Sicario plays ball – hard and fast – blurring the line between the necessity for the outright power-show of the United States as they seemingly crush the Mexican forces with hardly a casualty, and the glamourisation of its military. The audience will find themselves asking – does this really happen? Most likely, yes.
Overall, Sicario is a triumphant, scalding film of sweat-inducing drama that stands among the likes of The Hurt Locker; a beautifully shot, cinematic masterpiece. Audiences will be glad to see a thought-provoking show of brutish relentlessness as Villeneuve and writer Taylor Sheridan unite to provide a powerhouse of war-thrillers, and their take on the increasingly common trope of a woman dealing with life in a man’s world.
Sicario review by Matthew Ceo, September 2015.
Sicario is released in UK and US cinemas on 2nd October, 2015.
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