Sicario **** (2015, Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, Benicio Del Toro) – Movie Review

New US citizen Emily Blunt stars as idealistic FBI agent Kate Macer, who heads an FBI team on an pounding opening assault on an Arizona drug cartel hideaway, revealing a pile of bodies.

Then Macer is sent by the US government on a mission to eradicate the drug cartel network of Manuel Diaz (Bernardo P Saracino), who responsible for the bombing that killed the members of her team. Benicio Del Toro also stars as Alejandro, the hit man (Sicario in Spanish) who can help her. And Josh Brolin is on powerful form as Macer’s rule-bending CIA team leader. Victor Garber lands a good role – and makes the most of it – as the FBI boss Dave Jennings.

Director Denis Villeneuve’s movie is a sturdy, pounding, edgy thriller that throbs with sweaty personnel, life and death struggles, violent action, grisly scenes and vibrant reality. Villeneuve’s intense direction and the three star performances are the making of a fine movie. Blunt and Brolin are very impressive, but Del Toro is even better. Blunt is convincingly tough, with a hint of underlying vulnerability.

The actress puts her finger on a credibility problem, though. ‘She can throw a punch and would be tasty in a fight, but the reality is that she would inevitably be overpowered by these men around her who a lot bigger.’

Watch out for Sicario 2 some time along the line.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Movie Review

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