First Take: Sicario- esta película es absolutamente brutal

SYNOPSIS:

An idealistic FBI agent is enlisted by a government task force to aid in the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the U.S. and Mexico.

With the sequel currently playing in cinemas (and the obligatory review coming this weekend as part of the ‘big birthday blow-out’ marathon), the time was right to finally review Denis Villeneuve’s action piece from 2015. And good god, this is how you make a high stakes thriller just work on every level imaginable. Hot off the heels of his previous film Prisoners, this one was arguably the film that helped this director secure his incredible reputation.

Villeneuve’s direction is tight as ever, creating an incredibly sharp 2 hour 1 minute film that plays to the strengths of everyone involved, and working to a very timely, gritty and raw script from Taylor Sheridan, this incredible pairing ar able to push the boundaries of what can be shown in a 15 certificate film, because the violence is quite the focal point in this narrative. The late Jóhann Jóhannsson provides the fantastic score on this film, showcasing what was one of the most promising combinations of composer/director partnerships, and with the mighty Roger Deakins behind the camera (years before he would finally win the Oscar working with Villenueve on Blade Runner 2049), there is not much I can fault with the technical crewing.

Performance wise, we’re talking absolute masterclasses here. Emily Blunt and Benicio del Toro lead the film incredibly well, with Blunt making it look effortless for someone who literally had a baby 4 months before shooting began, and working with Josh Brolin and Daniel Kaluuya, it’s hard to argue that this film isn’t one designed for just watching at home, it’s a true big screen experience; a real slow burner of a thriller with its twists at every aspect- whether Soldado can live up to the hype is another question, but damn, this film quite rightly made a lot of waves when it came out, even with an ending that some may see as a little too ambiguous.

THE VERDICT

Sicario is one of the rarest things around- a thriller that has the right amount of tension compared to plot progression, and even after that incredible first 20 minutes, it just keeps a high standard throughout, ultimately making character morals the one thing we’re talking about as the credits roll.

RATING: 5/5

Sicario 2: Soldado will be reviewed right here later this week.