When Arizona FBI agent and kidnap-response-team leader Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) uncovers a Mexican cartel’s house littered with dead bodies, it leads to profound consequences on both a personal and global level. Kate is recruited to join a covert black-ops mission headed by a mysterious Colombian operative known only as Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro) along with special agent Matt Graver (Josh Brolin). Even as Kate tries to convince herself she’s on a hunt for justice, she is thrust into the dark heart of a secret battleground that has swept up ruthless cartels, kill-crazy assassins, clandestine American spies and thousands of innocents. SICARIO explores the journey of an intelligence operation that pushes the rules to engage with those who don’t play by any.
This is a strongly written film full of outstanding performances by the lead actors. Emily Blunt portrays Kate, a stickler for order and a workaholic who prides herself on running a tight, by-the-book operation, but suddenly she is exposed to a world where operatives take on an anything-goes mentality. Kate is clearly over her head and her life is in jeopardy throughout every second of the film. Because of Blunt’s performance we get an understanding of her emotional vulnerability and bewilderment of the situation she is in. Kate is essentially the moral compass of the film. Josh Brolin, an actor who I always like to see on the silver screen plays easygoing but secretive Department of Defense operative Matt, Brolin provides his character with a laid back attitude and justifies everything with an “any means necessary” philosophy. It’s `us or them’ to him. Though they have the same goal he is the opposite of Alejandro. While Alejandro is quiet Matt is constantly talking yet you never know if Matt is telling the truth, whether he’s manipulating people, or whether he’s using humor as a passive aggressive tool. Rounding out the main cast is Benicio Del Toro. He has always been a favorite actor of mine and here he show just why. He plays hit man Alejandro with equal parts vengefulness and tenderness. He has moments of compassion and heroism and can go from caring to remorseless at the drop of a hat. Though Kate is the main character Alejandro is the heart and soul of the film. Hopefully his performance will be remembered this award season.
Another “character” in the film is Juarez, Mexico lies just across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas. But for many who live there, it is a world away. The once booming border town became known as “the murder capital of the world,” many living in fear and often in extreme poverty. At one point so many people disappeared daily and so many dead bodies appeared suddenly out of nowhere that such events no longer made headlines. While it was too dangerous to shoot there, they are many overhead shots of the borderland terrain, setting out to capture the harsh, bone-dry landscape of the town. Something I rarely mention but here is of note is the outstanding cinematography done by 11-time Academy Award nominated cinematographer Roger Deakins. Based on his work here nomination number 12 can be expected. His work utilizes wide shots which lets the action happen without a great deal of cuts or edits and gives the film a documentary-like feel.
Although this is one of the best films of the year it is likely to fly under the radar of most filmgoers. Director Denis Villeneuve who also helmed PRISONERS and ENEMY has done it again with an exception film that explores intrigue and moral mayhem. What set this film apart for those films is that it features the higher stakes of the borderland drug wars. This is not an explosion filled action film but more of a character study. Despite the presence of name actors it is not a star vehicle for any of them. First time screenplay writer Taylor Sheridan has crafted a raw an unflinching look at the attempt by the intelligence operation to push the envelope to capture those that do not play by any rules. The film does not offer any quick solutions to the ongoing issue and the last moment of the film, which I will not reveal, leaves a feeling of incompleteness which once contemplated maybe the real moral of the story.
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