Sicario Review

     For decades the US government has waged a losing war on drugs, with most of the drugs making their way into the US by going through our border with Mexico. Obviously drug smuggling is illegal, but if there is a demand there will always be a supply. Cartels have popped up all over Mexico, and made it their business to supply. And with such big business, these cartels will defend their turf. Since 2006, over 100 thousand civilians, police officers, soldiers, federales, and cartel members have been killed. And there doesn't seem to be any signs of the violence slowing down. Some say the solution would be to legalize more drugs in the US, some say we need tighter border security and take military action against the cartels; but that's an argument above my pay grade. All I know is this war still has years left. One thing I've noticed is that this subject hasn't been touched very much by the film industry. While it's often a plot point crime shows, I can't think of a lot of Mexican drug war movies. So when I heard that a new movie involving this subject matter called "Sicario" was in the works, and was being directed by one of the best in the game Denis Villeneuve, I was immediately interested; especially after hearing reviews during its run at this year's Cannes film festival. 

     Kate Macer is an FBI agent working kidnappings in the southern United States. One day on a routine operation looking for some kidnapped victims, her and her team come upon a particularly grizzly scene. Shortly after she is approached by a DOD contractor named Matt Graver, who asks if she would like to be part of his team; whose job it is to take down high ranking cartel members. While unsure she ultimately agrees. The team's first mission involves heading south of the border, where they pick up a cartel member from a prison and bring him back to the states. They come into some trouble along the way, and deal with the situation using questionable methods. Macer soon realizes that Graver might not be who he says he is. Wrapped up in a bad situation, Macer searches for the truth while trying her best not to be killed in the crossfire. 

     At the start of every year I basically start the countdown until Oscar season which usually starts in late September, in my opinion "Sicario" is the first movie of Oscar season. From the pulse pounding opening scene to the heartfelt finale, this is simply one of the best movies of the year; and most the credit has to go to the director Denis Villeneuve. With 2013's "Prisoners" and last year's "Enemy," he has really established himself as one of the best directors currently working; and I would say "Sicario" is his crown jewel. He directed this movie with a gritty realism that gets under your skin. And the way he did the action scenes felt believable, and kept you on the edge of your seat. And the way he told the story was top notch. On paper it seems like a cut and dry drug-revenge film, but there are twists and turns at every stop. The story always keeps you guessing, you're never really sure what the characters are planning or what they'll do next. Almost every scene is intense and suspenseful, which brings me to the biggest and most blatant problem. There are a few scenes that are rather uninteresting. One particular scene when the main character goes to the bar, as well as a side story involving a Mexican cop, pale in comparison to the rest of the movie. While they have important story elements, you're just waiting until the suspense picks back up. A lot of credit for how this movie came together would also have to go to the cinematographer Roger Deakins. Known for his work on "No Country for Old Men" and "Skyfall," he really made sure every shot in this movie was perfect. I wouldn't be surprised if he won the Oscar for best cinematography. The movie also features a very fitting soundtrack, which complements every shot and scene and adds to the intensity. What most movie goers will remember from this movie would have to be the acting. Every single actor gives a great performance, with stars Emily Blunt and Josh Brolin both give some of the best performances of the career; but the real stand out would have to be Benicio del Toro. This movie features his best performance in years, and will for sure get him an Oscar nomination and maybe even a win for best supporting actor. I had high hopes for this movie from the first time I heard the premise. I wanted to believe with this director and this cast that "Sicario" would be one of 2015's best, and it is. It's one of the most intense movies I've seen in years, and it is a must watch for anyone planning on heading out to the theater anytime soon. 

Pros: Great performance from the entire cast, Oscar worthy performance from del Toro, Oscar worthy cinematography, several impressive action scenes, fantastic directing, fitting soundtrack, gritty realism, incredibly intense and suspenseful, keeps you guessing until the very end.

Cons: A few uninteresting scenes. 

4.5/5 Stars

Mr. Robot Season One Review

     Networks and entertainment providers are really defined by their original content, and some providers are more revered than others. Channels like HBO, AMC, and FX have produced some of the greatest shows to ever air on television; and online providers like Netflix and Amazon Instant Video have released several widely popular and critically acclaimed shows over the past few years. Some channels on the other hand have produced content that hasn't been as beloved. USA, also known as that channel that plays "Law & Order: SVU" re-runs, has had a lot of original shows over the past half a decade or so; most of which aren't very good, and a few being down right bad. The only show of theirs released in that time frame that I would actually call good would be "Suits." If you judge a channel off its past shows, USA would not be one worth remembering; fortunately for them, their luck might be changing. A few months ago I saw the first trailer for "Mr. Robot," at the time I didn't pay it much attention. It just looked like USA was making a show in order to cash in on all the news of hackers and whistle blowers we've seen lately. But when the show premiered I was surprised by what people were saying it was nothing but good. So I decided to give it a try and watched the first two episodes back to back. And what I got wasn't just the best show USA has ever made, but one of the all around best new shows of the year.

     "Mr. Robot" revolves around the Eliot Alderson, a computer genius working as a security engineer at a cyber security company. Eliot suffers from severe social anxiety disorder and clinical depression and is heavily influenced by his paranoia and delusions, and has to do morphine regularly just to get through the day. Having very few friends, the only way he knows how to connect to people is by hacking them. Despite his personal troubles, Eliot has a strong moral compass believing that the wealthiest 1% of the wealthiest 1% to be ruining the lives of average people; causing him to become a cyber-vigilante. One day he is approached by a man known only as Mr. Robot, a cyber-terrorist and member of a group called fsociety. Knowing that Eliot works for the security company of multi conglomeration nicknamed Evil Corp, he asks Eliot to infiltrate the company and erase all the debt the company has over millions of Americans. The idea behind the group is to bring about a new world order where the 1% doesn't control everything. While Eliot is apprehensive about joining the group, he believes what fsociety is doing would benefit society as a whole; the only problem is that if the group gets caught, he and them would spend the rest of their natural born lives in prison.

     TV watchers have been treated to a lot of great new shows this year, "Daredevil," "Better Call Saul," and "The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst" have all made a splash in 2015; and "Mr. Robot" ranks right alongside them. If I were to describe this show in the simplest way possible, "Mr. Robot" is the TV equivalent of "Fight Club." On more than a few occasions the show actually directly references the movie. It even uses some of the same themes regarding society, capitalism, and a person's self worth. But the show doesn't only reference "Fight Club," it takes inspirations from a variety movies. "Mr. Robot" does a great job in paying homage to those that inspired it. The one thing that a show needs above all else is a good plot, and fortunately this show certainly has that. From the first episode to the finale, the story grabs your attention. Filled with a wide array of memorable and interesting characters (with each one performed perfectly by their actors), the story alone is enough to keep you interested. The show is also very well written; having a dark sense of humor along with many serious and dire elements, the writing is always on point and says a lot about modern society. It also pays justice to what hacking is really like. So often in shows and movies hacking is romanticized and features animations of laughing skulls. But "Mr. Robot" features some of the most realistic hacking I've ever seen. One thing that surprised me about a show revolving around computers is how exciting it is, the show is never boring. "Mr. Robot" really was a pleasant surprise; I expected very little from this series and it turned out to be one of my favorite of the year, and I am very glad that USA has already renewed the show for a second season. Hopefully in season two they can fix the biggest problem with season one, closure. There were several questions that were left unanswered in the season finale, I'm sure they did that on purpose to help season two but I would have liked some answers. All I know is that this show is great and has a promising future. And if it keeps up this level of quality, it will certainly be one of the best shows on TV.