"Sicario" by Denny Villeneuve - movie review

Perhaps there is light at the end of the tunnel, but Denny Villeneuve does not look at her often. Instead, the Canadian director turns the camera inward - towards the tunnels that run under the surface of the normal. Whether they will be religious psychopaths, labyrinths and spiders, or "simple" history of the Mexican drug cartel, the dark tone and the pessimistic message follow the characters, reminding them of the watchful eye of the black mower. The word "sicarius" comes from the Latin, which means a man with a dag and refers to Jewish groups at the time of Jesus of Nazareth, trying to expel the Romans from Judea. These murderers made quick and deadly blows with their sicae (small knives), then disappeared without success in the crowd. That's why some of the first quiet murderers who have appeared for centuries before the so-well-known assassins. The word was transferred to Mexico, where it almost retained its meaning. The only difference is that the murderer is already hired and it is unknown for whom and for what purpose he works. Dreams of freedom and justice are a myth, and every man seeks his own salvation.

Kate Meiser (Emily Blunt) works hard as an FBI agent while conducting minor actions against drug dealers in Arizona. In one of the houses she cleans, her team finds buried corpses. A little trace of horror, you've made your way out of the Mexican border. No one is prepared for what is happening. Kate gains the attention of Matt (Josh Brolin), who often smiles, wears flip flops and makes the impression of a man with a ready-made look. And the plan is ... to dramatically overreact. The shadow that follows them, the silent man without a past, is Alejandro (Benicio del Toro). He serves as a liaison ... that is, doing the black job. Kate is attracted to the mysterious man, who conveys both security and threats. Alejandro knows suspiciously a lot about the situation beyond the border. Even if you have not seen the work of Roger Deakins operator in the films of the Coen brothers and Sam Mendes have to throw only one look at the footage from above, revealing the desert landscapes of Mexico, while the shadow of the helicopter slowly crawling on them. Another example is the action in the tunnel, where, like the "Enemy number one," the night vision and the heat sensors are the only way we see the development of the action. Cameras hooked on cars and dozens of other creative ideas create Sicario's uninterrupted tension and lack even a dull shot. Dickins does not like being easy. Another main culprit for the atmosphere is Johan Johansson, who creates the suggestion of descending the stairs to the underworld, commensurate with that of ancient myths and legends. The theme in one of the most spectacular scenes - the entrance to Juarez, is called The Beast. Listen to her. There is no need to know all the horrifying stories that often appear on the news - the hundreds of missing women and children, and the scarred bodies hanging on gallows. Music and cinematic work do all the work. We are witnessing the slow descent into the unknown, where humanity is only a distant memory and no rules can save the victim from the trap of the silent murderer.

Above all, Sicario is a film about impotence. Kate does not change anything. All the time she is a simple observer who can watch how the clocks move, but is unable to understand the mechanism itself. The revelation that will reach the end of the film does not offer a solution to the problem, but only a resignation. The resignation that in this world of wolves there is no room for idealism or any progress. The film is another proof of why Denny Villeneuve is one of the best directors currently working (and his Blade Runner is masterpiece). After a steady build up to a car race, the episode unexpectedly ends in a jam. Surveying for Mexicans with vans, while nerve-wheel drivers drift around, creates a far more intense atmosphere than the chased persecution. The main word that can characterize a successful approach to the material is a "limitation". Alejandro tortured a captured man who hid valuable information. We do not see the torture itself, but we are horrified by the preludes. Alejandro enters with a tube of water and stands in the immediate vicinity of the captured. Or in another such scene - how he tortures a man by putting his swollen finger in his ear. Shootings and driving on the highway convoy of black SUVs immediately arouse associations with Michael Mann, but here no climactic scene with alien amount of bullets and explosives. The way Villeneuve finishes his film is surprising and far more interesting. From the general chaos, a new personal story emerges, slowly taking shape and finally blooming in the heat of revenge.

Sicario, due to his slower second action, is unlikely to like fans of criminal action. Because he is much more. Precise criticism of the unstable (like the border) relations between Mexico and the United States, dressed in a murderous atmosphere and strong images. Maybe it's one of the best movies before two years. If not the best, then definitely the most effective.

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