Black Mass

For more than two decades, James “Whitey” Bulger (Johnny Depp) was South Boston's criminal kingpin. His extraordinary power emanated from his friendship with FBI agent John Connolly (Joel Edgerton), who masterminded the destruction of the rival Italian Mafia, using information that was fed to him by Bulger. And it didn't hurt that Whitey's brother, Billy (Benedict Cumberbatch), was a powerful, highly respected politician, rising to the presidency of the Massachusetts State Senate. Back in 1975, Bulger was approached by his ambitious childhood friend Connolly to inform on other criminals. Instead of considering it “ratting,” he felt it was a mutually profitable “business opportunity.” “An alliance like this doesn't weaken you,” Connolly assured him. “It makes you stronger.” Indeed, after that, Bulger's tight-knit Winter Hill Gang engaged in extortion, loan-sharking, drug-dealing, murder, and even smuggling weapons to the IRA—with impunity—until Boston Globe journalists Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill revealed the truth about the corruption. Adapted from Lehr and O'Neill's 2000 titular book,, director Scott Cooper's Black Mass is structured around actual court testimony, and features a powerful performance by Depp, who is totally convincing in his portrayal of this menacing mobster. Depp is backed by superb supporting turns from Julianne Nicholson, Peter Sarsgaard, Kevin Bacon, Dakota Johnson, and Juno Temple. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include the production segment “Johnny Depp: Becoming Whitey Bulger” (13 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are the real-life subject documentary “The Manhunt for Whitey Bulger” (62 min.), the behind-the-scenes featurette “Deepest Cover, Darkest Crime” (23 min.), and bonus DVD and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package—on Blu-ray—for this true-life gangster drama.] (S. Granger)