Movie Review | Sicario (Lights, Camera, Action!)

Sicario (UK Rating: 15)

A quick translation: "Sicario" is Mexican for hitman, although who that title actually describes is open to interpretation. The story is told through the eyes of idealistic CIA agent, Kate (Emily Blunt). Fresh from a particularly horrific case involving corpses hidden in the wall cavities of a house, she's assigned to a task force trying to track down the biggest drugs lord on the Mexican border. Conventional law enforcement hasn't stopped the drugs war getting out of hand so, unusually, the group is headed up by an external consultant (Josh Brolin), but Kate finds his methods at odds with her principles and, as she gets increasingly involved in the mission, her concerns grow even deeper.

Villeneuve, who was also behind the 2013 nerve jangler, Prisoners, has put together another expansive, yet no less gripping, piece of cinema, choosing key members of his crew with skill. Behind the camera is cinematographer Roger Deakins, a Coen Brothers' favourite, who relishes the barren landscape in some spectacular aerial shots, but also brings the poverty of urban life in Mexico to vivid life, as well, and anybody who suffers from even the mildest claustrophobia will be on edge during the raid scene, based in a tunnel... It's all reinforced by a brooding, throbbing score from composer Johann Johannson.

Sicario comes with a cast that is nothing short of sparkling. Brolin's consultant Matt, for instance, wears a lazy grin and flip-flops as business wear, alongside an apparently laid back attitude, however, behind closed doors, he's just as unconventional but that attitude is miles away from being laid back. The much darker and enigmatic Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro) appears to be just a heavy but, as the story unfurls, it's evident there's a much more personal reason for his involvement. The film's narrative may be told through Kate's (Blunt's) eyes, but as the layers peel back one by one, it becomes obvious that it isn't her story, it's Alejandro's, and it is a masterly piece of directing. Better still, it's rewarded with a blistering, riveting performance from Del Toro, who dominates proceedings even when he's silently in the background; he's never been better.

9/10

Exceptional - Gold Award

Sicario is a seriously superior thriller on all fronts. Visually arresting, intelligently directed, superbly acted out by the likes of Emily Blunt and Josh Brolin - it's as taut as a tightrope and as exciting as that implies. It may only be two hours long, but every single moment counts, and the movie never misses a beat - or a target.