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| Emily Blunt |
The term sicario means hitman in Spanish, though in the drug cartel wars, its hard to often tell who's hitting who. That's the premise of the tense, well-acted new drug cartel drama "Sicario," featuring an especially memorable performance from the always watchable Benicio del Toro, in fine form with shades of his Oscar-winning role from "Traffic." At the border between the United States and Mexico, idealistic FBI agent Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) is enlisted by a government official (Josh Brolin) to aid in a joint task force tracking down an anonymous drug lord. Directed by Denis Villenueve of "Prisoners" and "Incendies" fame and written by Taylor Sheridan, the taut, brooding thriller "Sicario" is a complex, powerful tale that's part psychological drama and part chilling revenge tale. Filmed on location in New Mexico, the dusty story is told from two perspectives: from Blunt's FBI agent, who's unsure of what exactly she's volunteered to help with, and from del Toro's, as a mysterious "advisor," a former drug cartel member seeking revenge. Acclaimed actor del Toro, his weathered, unusual look and beady eyes serving him well here, broods quietly on the sidelines in one of his more memorable turns, while Brolin chews scenery as an unconventional FBI agent heading the charge. The top-notch production has a few decent action set pieces and plenty of blood, particularly in the final, intense climax with a shocking end to it; the film's final exchange between del Toro and Blunt is one of the few false notes in the film, and I wish that ending had a little more shape to it. "Sicario" isn't perfectly executed and goes on a tad too long, but it's still a worthy, satisfying ride with solid turns from everyone, especially del Toro's memorable tough guy.
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