Sicario (Review) - 'Sicario' Means 'Amazing Movie' in English

It's a concept we've seen a million times before: Good cop witnesses atrocities; good cop joins shady group to put an end to said atrocities; good cop discovers they might not be on the right side of the law; good cop tries to stop misdoings. That's the funny thing about Sicario, really. If you pull all of its pieces apart one-by-one, then it's not exactly unique or imaginative. But that doesn't matter. Every actor and every shot is so incredibly engrossing, that you completely forget the formula - you're totally drawn in. 

The film opens with Emily Blunt's character Kate Mercer performing a ram-raid on a known property with ties to the Mexican cartel. Things don't quite end up as expected, however, and she begins to see with blinding clarity that kicking in doors won't reach the guys on the top. So, when her actions are noticed by government higher-ups, she's enlisted to join a specialist task force that give her the assurance they'll get a chance at "the real guys behind this". After a particularly bloody trip to Juárez, Kate begins to see that maybe the people she's with aren't necessarily the good guys, and that she might be entering a world which she's far from familiar with. 

The first thing you'll notice about this unexpectedly brilliant movie is how beautiful it looks. Yes: rotting corpses hidden in walls might not be a pretty sight, but you'd be forgiven for thinking so when it's delivered in such a stylised and enthralling way. There are a few shots in particular that manage to tell far more than pages of dialogue ever could, and they're intensely impressive to even the most passive of viewers. A single frame is never wasted in Sicario, and that's precisely how it should be. 

But, as I mentioned, the acting is just as sharp. Emily Blunt in the lead role is a perfect fit, as she manages to portray exactly what the viewer is feeling; we don't honestly know who these people are, or if they're even within the law, and neither does she. The absolute star of the show has to be Benicio Del Toro as the sinister and enigmatic Alejandro, however. From the very first time we see him, Del Toro leaves you full of questions that might not even get resolved. Not only does he add to the disconcertingly mysterious tone of the entire movie, but his guarded motives are one of the things that keep you watching so intently. Josh Brolin also delivers a strong performance as Kate's polar opposite with the character of Matt Graver; a gung-ho fighter who never fails to see the funny side amongst the mangled corpses. 

Kate (Emily Blunt)

And if we're going to cover all of our bases, then I ought to point out just how perfectly the movie is scored. Before we even catch a glimpse of Juárez, we already know how dangerous it is from a long, panning shot of the mountains accompanied by music that wouldn't seem out of place in any horror flick. You genuinely fear for Kate's life as she's violently thrown into a world she neither understands, nor can put an end to. The film ends on a similarly bleak note that'll leave you with plenty to think about. 

If you're going in to Sicario for an out-an-out popcorn flick, then you're better off looking elsewhere. This is heavy content, and it's delivered in a style that perfectly suits just that; violence is visceral and destructive, not glamorous. If you think you can stomach it, though, then it's well worth your time. 

The Martian (Review) - Super Starman

Rarely do films based off of books stick so closely to their source material. I'm not one of these people who endlessly laments when movie adaptations stray from the work that they're based upon, but I was genuinely surprised by how accurate The Martian was at depicting the tone and events of the popular book by Andy Weir. 

The film opens to Matt Damon very nearly dying. Well, we as the audience know he survives, but to everybody else concerned (and believe me: that concerns plenty of people), Mark Watney dies while the crew are leaving the iconic red planet. And so, as the crew of six becomes five, we discover that Mark is holding on to his dwindling life by a delicate thread. Soon after waking up, Mark comes to the realisation that he will most likely die on Mars; unless he can somehow survive for literally years and inform NASA of his existence. 

It's a pretty brilliant premise, and one which feels relatively similar to something like 127 Hours or Castaway in its execution. Here we have a survivalist who, against all apparent odds, must survive long enough to escape his natural prison - and what a prison it is. Ridley Scott presents the Martian planet in beautiful, desolate wide-shots that really give a sense of just how isolated a man would feel when he is literally the only human being on an entire planet. Surprisingly, there's also a vast amount of comedy based around this premise, which was hinted at in the trailers: "I don't want to come off as arrogant here, but I'm the best botanist on the entire planet." This is appropriate, as the book also depicted Watney as a very charismatic individual; perhaps more so than the movie manages to achieve. Regardless, Matt Damon is fairly excellent in the role, and adds hugely to the overall entertainment that the film provides.

But he's far from alone in the stellar acting department. It would take too long to name every famous actor present in The Martian, so here's just a few familiar names: Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Sean Bean, Kate Mara, Donald Glover, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. It's a star-studded cast to say the least, and nobody is particularly wasted throughout the movie. Sure, because of the sheer amount of talent present, it's understandable that some characters receive less limelight than others, but everybody gets their chance to shine. Saying that, I was a tad disappointed that Michael Peňa had little chance to flex his comedic muscles, but only because he was probably one of the funniest parts of the recent Ant Man. 

There's a fair amount of contention over one aspect of the movie, however: the run-time. It may only be 2 hours and 20 minutes long, but certain segments do seem to drag a little, and there's a scene added at the end (that wasn't in the book) which feels inconsequential to the overall story. I won't spoil anything, but the film's ending wouldn't have been worsened at all if this scene had simply been removed. 

I'd also like to make a particular mention for the soundtrack - both original score, as well as existing songs incorporated into the movie. Though David Bowie's Life on Mars? might have been too obvious, there's still his equally iconic Starman featured, as well as other 80s classics from ABBA and, going even further back, The O'Jays. Similar to Guardians of the Galaxy, the juxtaposition of futuristic space travel with memorable songs made the film feel a little more grounded in reality. Additionally, the score composed by Harry Gregson-Williams (who played a large role in the Metal Gear Solid games) is just as mesmerising, and really evokes a sense of films like Alien - also by Ridley Scott. 

Verdict

While not quite as incredible as I'd hoped it would be, The Martian is still well worth your time. If not for the catchy soundtrack full of disco, then you ought to see it for Matt Damon's pretty spot-on portrayal of Mark Watney in his isolated home. You might be yawning towards the end, but it's still a movie that's not going to be a waste of your time. 

"I'm gonna have to science the shit out of this."