REVIEW: SICARIO

4/5

‎Increíble.

121 Minutes. Starring: Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro & Josh Brolin. Director: Denis Villeneuve.

'Traffic' comes to a standstill here on the border of dynamite director Denis Villeneuve's epic career explosion and a set-piece as C-4 executing with this cinematic creep through the tunnels and the layers of the cartels of South America and beyond. Influential international actor of Academy acclaim Benicio Del Toro won an Oscar for Best Actor in the similar substance of the narcotic classic 'Traffic' and Villeneuve may have driven at criminally least a supporting nomination out of him here as this out of this galaxy Marvel becomes The Collector of real gold that shines brighter than any Infinity Stone. We haven't even begun to get to the Blunt and Brolin gems here either for a film that might just sweep award season across the board with a classic cast all the way down to the supporting chess pieces (an accomplished Daniel Kaluuya, Victor Garber, Jeffrey Donovan and Maximiliano Hernández (you know that guy they threw off the roof in Cap 2)). After the French/Canadian director brought us the arresting 'Prisoners' arguably the best, albeit most underrated film of 2013 and in turn the best work of double-leads Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal who deserved their just awards (which they where never even declared for even in nomination), he gave Gyllenhaal the multiplicity treatment for 'Enemy', festival favourite, not just for the fact that it was set in the web of Toronto, Canada, home of Villeneuve and the second only to Cannes Film Festival. This double-act being a chiller confusion thriller of the subconscious that stays with you like the raw revelation of discovering your own doppelganger. Now two classics, deserve a third and this time with even more Hollywood movie-making experience, budget and stars its time for the podium. Villeneuve is in pole position too with this tense thriller of 'Zero Dark Thirty' political dialogue and the clock and the accomplished action all this talk walks with this new-age, real-time force of a film of Michael Mann making sublime standards, set to a terminating-ly sinister and sublime score. This story needs to be heard as clear as it is loud.

Like the hands of a Punisher perfect, classic cameo we won't straight-up spoil round Emily Blunt's neck, Villeneuve won't let up. From the terrifying sound of "fireworks" in the distance to what looks like the madness of a morgue on puerile public display this will have you almost have you throwing up and gagging your mouth with your handkerchief like the stars on screen. Tenser than Terry Crews' arms, everyone is expendable in an unsettling movie of more than just graphic violence that will pull either side of your nerve to the taught snapping point of your crawling skin. Sounds like an ideal date movie hey? The Devil is wearing something other then Prada here to be Blunt. "Welcome to Juarez" Del Toro tells Emily (after we thought he had scared her enough on 'The Wolfman'). Yeah, right! There will never never more rude awakened uninvited entrance across state lines than this. You bet! But Emily Blunt handles it all like a pro. You better believe it. Fighting for her right and by the book code in a place where the chapters change just like director Denis fought to keep her character female in a hypocrite Hollywood that wants to see its "femme fatales" in a different kind of uniform. One that usually comes in leather. No wonder Blunt passed on the Black Widow, she's got more bite here with Avengance and just like Scarlett has more shades to her status as an amazing actress. Even a shower scene is only used for the gratuitous effect of showing us what some of the world that lies beneath is really like. Blood running off her like she was Carrie in a 'Blade' vampire party, but the effect far more real and raw. Emily showed she could go to battle with action 'Live.Die.Repeat' alongside, not behind the all-action 'Mission Impossible' of Tom Cruise and now going to combat in a rogue nation Blunt shows the other side of the knife in a dramatic devastating and bullet brutal performance that cuts, heals and cuts again. Its bound to leave a scar over the engraving of an award, but more importantly the cerebellum of those trying to ignore or forget how the world really works in its darkest corners. But from these shadows Emily Blunt shines as one of the worlds best.

Just like the hands of Texan quick-draw, gun-slinger Josh Brolin who may as well also have his hands round Blunt's neck too in a more flip-flop passive/lives for the clean-kill shootout aggressive way. The man with 'True Grit' in no countries or sin cities for old men who has already played a cocky lone star character you can't help but like in this Summers epic 'Everest' blockbuster climb does it again. This time "dramatically overeacting" to a whole new mountain of trouble whose peak you can't even see for the clouds of corruption and judgement. In this big-three he may be the third-tier, but he's no string along, making his stated point in this drugs triangle. Thanos may have to take a throne backseat again to The Collector however as Benicio Del Toro inspires the iconic hands together shaking of a fan who can't hide their fandom at their favourite finally getting and acting up to the role he deserves. This 'Usual Suspect' is no longer stuck in the 'Traffic' of an old trophy cabinet win or the legendary legacy making of playing the iconic 'Che' over two perfect parts. "What the f###"?! Del Toro tells you what with a revolutionary career redemption raw off the right and wrong of trying to find redemption in revenge. Its a hairpin trigger of a complex emotion to deal with but Benicio bears with it all brilliantly from the weathered emotion on his face all the way to the tortured soul of his character and the suppression of what you don't see...or wouldn't ever wish your worst enemy to even witness. This stone cold killer with a silencer twisted around his real pain is still slick amongst all that's sick. Just like he says in the movie this "won't make sense to some American ears" but don't doubt him. Soon you'll understand. 'Sicario' in Spanish means "hitman" but Benicio Del Toro brings much more definition to the word in his redefining role. 'Sicario' es brilliante! TIM DAVID HARVEY.