Sicario (9/10): VIlleneuve delivers a brilliant atmospheric thriller

“You will not survive here. You are not a wolf, and this is a land of wolves now.”

It’s been over a month now since I’ve seen this film and it has stuck with me in a way few films have this year. Denis Villeneuve is a talented director who knows how to build the right atmosphere for his movies. Sicario is all about tone and atmosphere. We’ve seen the premise of this film done to death, but somehow Villeneuve and screenwriter Taylor Sheridan manage to tell a familiar story in a very unique way. The success of Sicario isn’t that it has a unique premise or a fantastic twist, but that it manages to tell a familiar story in such a captivating way with some of the best performances of the year. Sicario will be included in my list of the best films of 2015 without a doubt, and it is a must see for movie fans around the globe. Emily Blunt continues to expand her acting career with another brilliant performance although its Benicio de Toro who will get all the accolades for getting the stronger dramatic material to work with.

The film has the best opening sequence by far in a movie released this year as we are introduced to Emily Blunt’s character, Kate Macer, who is leading a SWAT team across an Arizona desert and into a house where they suspect to find one of the Mexican cartel leaders, but end up finding much more than what they bargained for. Kate is a tough DEA agent who is determined to bring down the Mexican cartel. Once they arrive back at the station she is introduced to Josh Brolin’s Matt Graver, a superior who wants her assistance in catching the cartel leader who was responsible for the events that unfolded at the house. Graver has a suave persona, he may be in charge of the operation but he seems laid back with his flip flops and cargo pants. His right hand man is much more silent and mysterious. It’s Benicio del Toro’s Alejandro, who certainly seems menacing and is hiding something underneath his calmed demeanor. He is evidently a man who has seen and experienced a lot of things in life. Kate accepts the mission despite not being fully informed of what she must do and she becomes a surrogate for the audience as she tries to understand what these men are up to just as we do. Villeneuve keeps the audience hooked and engaged while taking us through the Mexican border an back again with some magnificent cinematography from Roger Deakins. Sicario is a brilliant film that maintains the tension throughout its entire runtime. My only complaint is that the second half isn’t as strong as the first.

Sicario is a film that should receive several nominations come Award time and I can’t see how Del Toro won’t be nominated for his superb supporting performance here. Although I must say that Brolin and Blunt are equally deserving for their work. Blunt is much more subtle in her approach as she has to adapt to this masculine dominated world and is constantly left in the loop of things. Brolin plays a character that he could play in his sleep with his suave and cool exterior, but he does it so well that it’s hard not to sympathize with him. Del Toro is menacing and his turn as Alejandro will be one of the most memorable characters of the year. He has some great scenes. It’s hard to avoid some comparisons with Zero Dark Thirty, especially the way some of the scenes were shot and how it focuses (although in a very different way) on two strong motivated female characters who are determined to accomplish their goal in a masculine run world. It also happens to be a very intelligent thriller that manages to tell a familiar story in a fresh way. Sometimes it’s not what you say, but how you say it that makes the difference and in Sicario Villeneuve manages to craft an engaging work of art. This is the Zero Dark Thirty of war on drug films. 

My Review: Enemy (8/10)

"Chaos is order yet undeciphered."

Denis Villeneuve's latest film, Enemy, opens with this very interesting quote about chaos and I can't think of a better one to explain  this intense and intriguing film. Enemy is a movie that requires your full attention and it is definitely not for the casual viewer. At first glance the story may seem chaotic, but Villeneuve is reminding us to pay close attention because there is an order to this surreal film if you decipher the symbolisms and meanings behind each scene. There have been many different interpretations as to what this film is trying to say, but I believe Villeneuve has made it possible for the viewers to put the clues together and understand the true meaning of his film. He has stated that it is a film about Jake's subconscious and the poster also points to that so I am not entering into spoiler territory when I make these claims. Enemy will be a divisive film because it doesn't follow a classical narrative structure and many people might find that misleading, but others will absolutely love trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together and solving this intriguing thriller. I think that the most important element for the audience is what they interpret the spiders to be since they play an important role in this film. However, even if you don't understand the chaos at first (which I didn't) Villeneuve sets such an eerie and creepy atmosphere with the cinematography and score that the film can still be enjoyed. The mystery completely sucked me in and I loved all the twists. I never saw the ending coming either and it left me completely perplexed, but after thinking about the story and reading some interpretations I was fascinated by the resolution. Enemy will either make you want to go back and rewatch it immediately to pick up on the clues, or it will turn you off completely and make you want to wipe out your memory. Enemy in my opinion is a great film and Villeneuve continues to show his versatility as a director.

The screenplay was adapted by Javier Gullon from Jose Saramago's novel (The Double) although he included some clever surrealist elements like the addition of spiders which aren't part of the novel. We are introduced to Adam (Jake Gyllenhaal) giving one of his lectures as a history professor. He gives a speech about totalitarian governments and how events repeat themselves over the course of time. His life is pretty dull as is his relationship with his girlfriend, Mary (Melanie Laurent), but things take an interesting turn when he watches a movie that a friend has recommended. After watching the film, he realizes that there was an actor in the background that looks exactly like him. He looks the actor up on the internet and decides to call his number. A woman answers the phone and believes it is her husband that is on the other line. Not only does Adam resemble this other actor, but they have the same voice as well. Adam tries to explain who he is, but the woman named Helen (Sarah Gadon) seems to be deeply disturbed. Her husband, Anthony (Jake Gyllenhaal) arrives and finds Helen troubled so he asks what's going on. After she explains to him the situation Anthony decides to meet with Adam in a hotel room and that is where the psychological thriller picks up and the mystery thickens. 

I've been a huge fan of Villeneuve ever since I saw his Canadian film, Incendies. It still remains my favorite film of his, but he has shown an impressive range with his latest films. Prisoners sort of felt like a conventional thriller with a straightforward narrative although the cinematography and the performances made it stand out. Enemy on the other hand is very different and audiences expecting a similar thriller will be disappointed because it is more of a psychological surreal thriller resembling some of the films from David Lynch. Enemy succeeds in most part thanks to Jake Gyllenhaal's brilliant performance as he plays two distinct characters giving each one different depth. It also benefits from an ending that some have called the scariest they've seen on film. I wouldn't go that far, but I thought it was shocking and unique. Villeneuve has really messed with his audience, but he did it in a positive way because it makes you want to go back and watch what you missed (unless you hated it and thought it was silly which is also a possibility with films like this). The tone of the film completely captured me and I was engaged once I got past those disturbing opening minutes. The entire film has a lot to do with the lecture Adam gives and whether you liked this film or not it does have order once you decipher all the chaos. Enemy is a clever film that will stick with you and it is so unique that it's hard to compare it to other films.

My Review: Prisoners (8/10)

"Pray for the best, but prepare for the worst."

Prisoners is a dark thriller that will have you at the edge of your seat during almost the entirety of the film. It was a very intense experience. It is hard not to compare this film to Mystic River or Gone Baby Gone because those two movies set the landmark for modern thrillers dealing with abduction. Prisoners almost lives up to the standards that those two films set. Canadian director, Denis Villeneuve, follows up his Oscar nominated film, Incendies, with this intense thriller that manages to capture the audiences attention once again. Incendies was one of my favorite films of 2011, and despite Prisoners not living up to the perfection that film achieved, I still thought this film was highly entertaining and satisfying. There were a few minor plot points that didn't work for me, but that didn't take anything away from this great film. It is a more mainstream film, but it manages to follow a similar approach as Fincher reminding us of Se7en or Zodiac thanks to its dark and haunting atmosphere. I am a huge fan of this genre and really had a fun time trying to solve the mystery through the small clues that Villeneuve masterfully presented in the story. Prisoners was without a doubt one of the most gripping and intense experiences I had all year. Unfortunately it is a little too intense and at times I felt the film could have used some moments to release such tension. Anyways Prisoners is a highly recommended film and a must-see. 

Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) is a family man who is always prepared for the worst. He is a survivalist with a basement full of provisions and is teaching his older son, Ralph (Dylan Minnette), how to hunt. He's married to Grace (Maria Bello) and they have a daughter named Anna (Erin Gerasimovich). One afternoon, Keller's worst nightmare comes true while they are hanging out with their friendly neighbors the Birches. Franklin (Terrence Howard) and Nancy Birch (Viola Davis) have two kids about the same age as Ralph and Grace, Eliza (Zoe Borde) and Joy (Kyla Drew Simmons). While the two families are having a lovely time together, Joy and Anna decide to go back to Anna's house, but when the Dover's come back home they are horrified to discover that the kids never made it back. Ralph remembers that they were playing next to a strange RV that was parked up front which is now gone. Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) is appointed as the lead investigator in the case and the first thing he does is locate the RV. The driver is a disturbed young man named Alex Jones (Paul Dano) who has the IQ of a 10 year old and with no evidence to incriminate him Detective Loki has to let him free. His Aunt (Melissa Leo) comes to pick him up and explains how naive and innocent he is. As hours pass, Keller begins to get more desperate and convinced that Alex was involved he decides to take matters into his own hands. From here on the tension begins to escalate as they try to solve the mystery.

Prisoners succeeds as a neo-noir thriller building up a lot of tension with a very dark atmosphere which is perfectly captured by cinematographer Roger Deakins. It adds to the mysterious mood of the story which on its own is already pretty intense. The screenplay, written be Aaron Guzikowski (Contraband), is very well written with a very interesting premise and some great twists. My only complaint with this film has to do with the lack of a strong female character. With such a strong cast, I thought that Maria Bello or Viola Davis could have been given a stronger role, but the film focuses mostly on Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal. They both give very strong and convincing performances, and Gyllenhaal has surprised me over the last three years with very good films (Source Code, End of Watch, and now this one). I guess he has been choosing his roles very wisely lately because his next film also looks interesting (Enemy which is also directed by Denis Villeneuve). Paul Dano also gave a strong performance as his character's motivations were very hard to decipher. The strong cast and the interesting story make this a very entertaining film despite some minor flaws involving character motivations. It is one of the best recent thrillers coming out of Hollywood and I doubt you will be disappointed.