Tag Archives: Dakota Johnson

Black Mass (2015)

Black Mass review.

written by Souranath Banerjee

My Ratings: 4/5.

Comparison with Scorsese’s epic gangster film Goodfellas is inevitable. I think the director is just asking for it.

Black Mass is a true story based on the most notorious American gangster James ‘Whitey’ Bulger.

black-mass-poster2For 12 years he had been on the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) top-ten Most Wanted Fugitives list with a $2 million reward for information about his whereabouts – an amount larger than any other fugitive on the FBI list except for Osama bin Laden!

And Johnny Depp IS the mean and merciless James Bulger. 

I totally agree when the Johnny-Depp-fans claim that this is his best performance; even Depp himself chooses this one to be his favorite film among all his previous works. 

Well, he has not only drastically changed his looks but also his body language, his laugh, his cold and menacing stare are very effective – ‘strictly criminal’ indeed.

black-mass-posterDirector Scott Cooper, known for his earlier films Crazy Heart (2009) and Out of the Furnace (2013), have done a great job in slowly unfolding the drama with a proper balance of thrill and violence.

Joel Edgerton expertly plays the role of the blemished FBI officer who made an infamous deal with Bulger that allowed the ruthless gangster to freely indulge in crime and in exchange he should provide confidential informations about his competitors in South Boston (especially the Italian mafia).

A deal that gave Bulger the license to commit unlimited drug deals and murders. He was ultimately prosecuted for 19 murders based on grand jury testimony though it is said that the actual number of murders he committed were much higher that that.

Then there are a series of most talented supporting actors like black-mass-poster3Benedict CumberbatchDakota JohnsonKevin BaconJulianne NicholsonPeter Sarsgaard whose presence uplifted the overall experience of the film to a different level.

Cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi needs a mention for his measured camera movements which makes most of the extreme violence in the film not too gory yet effectively disturbing.

A psychopath of highest degree, the blue eyed leader of the Irish-American Winter Hill Gang and interestingly enough a perfect family man too. 

Black Mass, the story of James Bulger is surely worth a watch.

poster curtsey: www.impawards.com

Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)

My Ratings: 1.5/5.

Written by E. L. James, an erotic fiction Fifty Shades of Grey and it’s two sequels have sold over 100 million copies worldwide and been translated into 52 languages – one of the best selling trilogy ever!

Fifty-shades-of-grey-poster6Unfortunately i missed out the experience of reading this unique novel but i was keen to watch the much hyped film based on the book (by the same name) produced by Universal Pictures and Focus Features.

And after watching the film my first reaction was ‘thank God i didn’t waste my time on the book in the first place’.

Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson Fifty shades of grey is a love story based on the ideas of a sadomasochistic relationship.

A twisted billionaire Mr.Grey (Jamie Dornan) who falls for an innocent romantic virgin Anastasia (Dakota Johnson) and eventually teaches her the rules of bondage and discipline, the secrets of sexual role-play involving dominance and submission, sadism and masochism.

But sadly enough the film failed to spank me the right way and thus there was absolutely no pleasure in the pain of watching it.

Fifty-shades-of-grey-poster5Twisted sex but no twists in the storyline, stupid casting, ordinary acting performances and a few oddly edited sex scenes combined with heavy dozes of trying-to-create-a-sensual-mood kinda music.

The film is a mixed breed of soft-porn and regular romantic drama which ultimately doesn’t qualify for neither of the genres.

But importantly, ignoring a few dumb critics (including me) the film Fifty Shades of Grey is a huge commercial success grossing over 500 million worldwide, it is currently the highest-grossing film of 2015

Though I won’t suggest this film to anyone but the box office records prove that the recommendations of critics hardly make any difference in this case.