Johnny Depp looks set to get an Oscar nod following his portrayal of Boston gangster James “Whitey” Bulger in Black Mass, out in cinemas from today.
Depp has been fascinated with the tale of Whitey for years according to various interviews he’s done in the build up to this film’s release, taking the part for the sheer joy of playing this fascinating character. If you’re not familiar with the name James “Whitey” Bulger, he was an Irish mobster from downtown Boston who was two parts family man and local hero and eight parts violent criminal, psychopath and drug dealer.
But what makes his story even more interesting is that he formed an alliance with the FBI to take down rivals that he felt were encroaching on his expanding turf. Based on the non-fiction book Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance between the FBI and the Irish Mob, released back in 2001, this film covers the scandalous relationship between Bulger and his FBI handlers and the madness that their alliance facilitated during the 1970s and 80s.
Depp, is joined by Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays his brother, Billy Bulger who was an elected Boston politician at the time, as well as an all-star cast including Kevin Bacon; Joel Edgerton; Dakota Johnson; Peter Sarsgaard; Adam Scott and others.
If you love crime movies based on real life, you should definitely give Black Mass a shout. It’s brilliantly acted and slickly shot by Scott Cooper, who captures the grit and glamour of the time.
