For two-thirds of its runtime, Sicario (2015) is a well-conceived thriller. Denis Villeneuve's thriller is dramatically terse and beautifully shot; no cops-and-robbers movie since Badlands has been more beautifully shot. Then it ruins everything.FBI Agent Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) is assigned to a multiagency task force fighting Mexican drug cartels. Arriving in El Paso, she finds her commander, CIA operative Matt Graver (James Brolin), has little regard for law or human decency. Graver's men wage war rather than law enforcement, especially esoteric mercenary Alejandro Gillick (Benico Del Torro). Macer reluctantly consents until she uncovers Graver and Alejandro's true motivations.
More than anything, Sicario's an exercise in style. Villeneuve plays action scenes for docudrama authenticity, especially a tense bridge stand-off lasting an eternity before an explosive payoff. Roger Deakins' gorgeous compositions befit David Lean or Terrence Malick more than a crime thriller, from helicopter shots of the desert to Juarez's hellish, corpse-strewn streets. If a shot seems too ostentatious (Graver's team silhouetted against a sunset) it's redeemed shortly afterwards (an infrared raid matching Zero Dark Thirty).
Sicario's thematic material is straightforward : American operatives using dirty tactics against foreign gangsters, Mexican authorities' corruption. Taylor Sheridan scores no points for originality, but benefits by grounding the story in Kate's actions. She's a straight-arrow in over her head, driven initially by revenge for colleagues killed by cartel bombs. Her insistence on legality lands her in hot water more than once. Even if Alejandro treats Kate as naïve, the movie doesn't, and we sympathize with her principles in the face of government-sanctioned amorality.
Pity that Sicario fumbles the ending. The revelation about Garver's mission (and Macer's role in it) is just cynical enough to work. Less acceptable is Alejandro revealing that his mission is "personal." Sicario's last half-hour features Alejandro going Paul Kersey on a kingpin's family and associates, jettisoning suspense for banality. This bloodbath is followed by a conclusion whose resigned cynicism doesn't feel remotely earned.
Emily Blunt reinvented herself as an action girl for Edge of Tomorrow, but is more convincing playing a half-human character. Blunt's terse characterization and restrained toughness make Kate compelling, with enough hang-ups to engage our sympathy. Benicio Del Torro is amusing enough as the resident wildcard, but James Brolin's performance is crude and lazy. Daniel Kaluuya plays Kate's straight man partner.
It's a pity that Sicario's last act doesn't deliver on the excellent build-up. A thriller with a dud twist is common and often forgivable, unless we're talking The Game. A film that starts as Traffic and turns into Death Wish is another matter.
