Directed by Denis Villeneuve ("Prisoners"), "Sicario" follows a by-the-books FBI agent Kate (Emily Blunt) who, eager to take out the Mexican drug cartel, volunteers to participate in an on-site mission proposed by a very casual and laid-back DOD officer Matt (Josh Brolin) who also instructs her to "watch and learn" without divulging any useful info. Joining the ride is Matt's partner Alejandro (Benecio Del Toro) who turns out to be even more enigmatic and sinister, and may harbor some kind of hidden agenda.
In short, Kate gets more than what she bargained for, and as the movie progresses, becomes increasingly frustrated and unsure about what the hell's really happening under the guise of tactical ops.
The film opens with a seemingly routine raid sequence which ends with a very gruesome revelation that also sets the tone for the rest of the flick. And to be honest, Sicario can be quite an uneasy film to watch, with the tension being frequently ratcheted to unbearable levels and the violence, unflinchingly brutal and disturbing without ever resorting to flashy stunts or over-the-top gore. Sure, there are the bad guys who run the cartel and execute numerous innocents, but they are just tiny blips in the bigger picture. The film, after all, is all about the three leads - Kate, Alejandro & Matt - with Kate serving as the audience surrogate who, like the viewer, only gradually manages to get a clear picture of the situation she's in.
Speaking of these characters, Emily Blunt is perfect as the tough idealist who also happens to be quite vulnerable underneath all that toughness, whereas Josh Brolin lives the part of Matt, the federal douchebag for whom the end, and not the means, is all that matters... which brings us to Benecio Del Toro's turn as the mystery man Alejandro. The actor's in top form here as the ruthless lawyer-turned-enforcer who also inhabits some shreds of humanity deep within, but not enough to have him give up his murderous pursuits. There are a few important supporting characters too, namely, Reggie (Daniel Kaluuya), Kate's equally idealistic partner in FBI who is as clueless as Kate is, if not more, about the specifics of the cross-border mission, and Silvio (Maximiliano Hernández), a Mexican cop who has an entire subplot running parallel to the main story and culminating at a critical juncture in it.
Technically, the film is very strong. In fact, Sicario seems to have been designed much like a neo-western with its usage of numerous sweeping aerial shots of the Mexican landscape, courtesy of the legendary lensman Roger Deakins, and the insanely tense pursuits and shootouts. The deft editing too helps the film keep a firm pace throughout, and the sound design elevates an already excellent movie to another level with Johann Johannsson's incredibly dark score contributing a lot to the already bleak atmosphere.
Technically, the film is very strong. In fact, Sicario seems to have been designed much like a neo-western with its usage of numerous sweeping aerial shots of the Mexican landscape, courtesy of the legendary lensman Roger Deakins, and the insanely tense pursuits and shootouts. The deft editing too helps the film keep a firm pace throughout, and the sound design elevates an already excellent movie to another level with Johann Johannsson's incredibly dark score contributing a lot to the already bleak atmosphere.
And I'm glad to report that Lionsgate's Blu-ray release pretty much perfectly recreates the film's dark and moody AV design, with the Dolby Atmos track often threatening to knock one off the couch. Speaking of extras, there are four short, but fairly informative featurettes. No filmmaker/cast commentary though.
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