“Sicario” is near-flawless in its technical aspects, and definitely worth a watch, but, at times, there are shadings of artificiality that keep it from being truly one for the ages.
What Works: Almost from the very first frame, “Sicario” finds a way to pull (or drag) you into its world with sharp cinematography, an excellently dread-filled score, and an atmosphere of razor-wire suspense. Terrific sequences are scattered throughout like a potential hijacking at a border checkpoint and a night-vision chase through a drug tunnel.
Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro are stellar as shady defense contractors. In the last third, Del Toro practically walks away with the movie and it’s no surprise that Lionsgate has greenlit a sequel revolving around his character instead of the lead in this one. “Sicario” even sneaks in a nice subplot involving a low-level cartel thug who is also a cop and dedicated father, and the human cost that results from even his death. By humanizing some of the “scum” caught up in the drug war–however briefly–the movie avoids oversimplifying things.
What Doesn’t: I know almost all other critics have praised Emily Blunt’s performance, but I found it naggingly inauthentic. Blunt was a great, believable action heroine in “Edge of Tomorrow” but she’s less convincing here, and although it’s exciting to see Hollywood’s trend of female action heroes, it may not work for every actress the same way Eddie Redmayne may not be ideal for a “Dirty Harry” remake. Charlize Theron and Jennifer Lawrence seem like they could genuinely hold their own as government agents caught up in the drug war, but Blunt never really finds the right footing.
What I Would Have Done Differently: There are too many scenes of Blunt and her partner standing up to Brolin or demanding to be in the loop, and perhaps too few of Del Toro calmly murdering his way through Juarez. The sequel should rectify that.