‘Black Mass’ trailer: Depp Returns to Gangster Cinema

Johnny Depp was once regarded as one of the best actors working in Hollywood.  I say WAS because over the last 10-15 years, there haven’t been many stand-out performances.  Warner Bros. new film Black Mass looks like a return to form for Mr. Depp, and the talent involved will hopefully translate into a special picture.  Black Mass tells the true story of one of the most infamous gagsters in U.S. history, Whitey Bulger.  Whitey Bulger ruled over Boston for many years before subsequently going into hiding and becoming one of the FBI’s most wanted criminals.  The funny thing about that is, Bulger worked closely with the FBI while he was terrorizing Boston.  While the bodies were piling up, the FBI seemed to look the other way.  It’s a fascinating story, and the influence for Francis “Frank” Costello played by Jack Nicholson in Scorsese’s The Departed.

Here’s the first Black Mass trailer below:

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Now that’s a fantastic trailer.  It gave nothing away in terms of plot and character development, yet was able to establish the tone almost entirely from one scene.  Director Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart, Out of the Furnace) is an underrated director.  His last film, 2013’s Out of the Furnace was an amazing movie which received almost no attention.  Cooper has an attention to detail and storytelling capabilities that set him apart from his peers.  I’m excited to see how he attacks the “gangster genre”, as audiences have seen almost everything that it can offer.  I still believe there are fresh ways to do the genre, and the talent involved should make for a classic.

The official synopsis:

BLACK MASS tells the true story of Whitey Bulger, the brother of a state senator and the most infamous violent criminal in the history of South Boston, who became an FBI informant to take down a Mafia family invading his turf.  However, after the Feds closed in on their targets, they double crossed Bulger and ultimately prosecuted him, along with his partner in crime and the original FBI agent working with him.

Black Mass stars Johnny Depp, Kevin Bacon, Benedict Cumberbatch, Joel Edgerton, Dakota Johnson, Juno Temple, and Jesse Plemons.  The film opens in theaters September 18th.