Sicario (2015)

☆ ☆ ☆

Sicario (2015) – D. Villaneuve

Grim-as-all-hell look at the drug wars, as FBI agent Emily Blunt gets co-opted into Josh Brolin’s operation in Mexico.  It’s not quite clear who Brolin works for but he’s accompanied by brooding Benicio del Toro who we come to understand represents the title character, a veteran of the brutal and sickening war between the cartels.  Canadian director Denis Villaneuve handles action well and the bloody violence here feels less gratuitous than just a matter-of-course for this plot and probably the real thing.  But there is a lot of violence and the dusty desert locations and forboding soundtrack don’t brighten things up at all.  The intrigue lies in trying to understand what is going on but there is little cheerful pay-off in finding out.  Blunt is solid in her role but mostly left clueless and frustrated.  Viewers may feel similarly but the film does move quickly and hits that sad cynical spot.