Pawn Sacrifice

... made me think a lot about mental illness. The movie implies that Bobby Fisher may have been mentally ill, but also that maybe some of his episodes were strategic ways to distract his opponents. Either way, like a lot of depictions of successful, money-making schizophrenics, the people around them seem to ignore the symptoms just to make more money. Toby McGuire’s strong portrayal of Bobby Fisher isn’t a cute and cuddly version of mental illness; he’s kind of a dick and he’s almost dangerous. It’s a worthwhile biopic about an interesting subject. It’s well-acted, well-directed, perfectly paced, and a strong think-piece about exploiting the mentally-ill. Kudos to McGuire, Knight, Zwick, et al.

Sicario

Another cop fable with lots of morally ambiguous characters. Cops in bed with criminals and cops breaking the law, but only to cut off the head of the snake. Lots of law enforcement clichés. It’s well-shot, and there are several really exciting sequences. Emily Blunt is like a new action hero, bringing a fully-formed character to the table; confused by the grey areas she’s been pulled into. Unfortunately, the story steers away from her for a while, and there’s a noticeable shift of who is the protagonist and what is the tone. It’s worth seeing for Blunt and the photography, but there’s no real resolution at the end, which is like being in the shower and running out of hot water, but still being covered in shampoo.

Black Mass

This movie wants so badly to be a Scorsese movie. Every frame feels lifted from Goodfellas or The Departed. But just copying Scorsese’s style may not be enough, despite of the best efforts of all involved. Turns out, the story may also be a factor. The story feels hacked-up, episodic, and never builds or crescendos into any kind of emotional climax. So what if the acting is good and the accents seem authentic? If there isn’t a satisfying ending, you’re going to feel… meh.