Writer: Cinnamon Lion

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Watch this if you liked: “What Doesn’t Kill You”, “Snitch”, “Bugsy”

The Good, the Bad and the "Whitey" Bulger:

• Johnny Depp started out the year poorly with a box office bomb but it seems that the actor has redeemed himself with his portrayal of Irish mobster, and FBI informant, James "Whitey" Bulger in this autobiographical drama.

• Unfortunately, the movie is only praise-worthy because of Depp's performance but not so much for the story. Scott Cooper seems to have a knack for choosing the right actors but not the right story to tell under his direction.

• Audiences looking for something different may be disappointed that the movie is just another gangster film cliche. The story does not delve deep into Bulger's character, only presenting him in montages showing off his mobster skills. The story could've gone further but it gets cut off too soon, giving off too little to satisfy audiences' interest in the main character, which is supposed to be the movie's highlight.

Trivia:

• While almost everyone applauds Depp's acting in the movie, Bulger's lawyer is not one of them. He calls it pure fantasy and says it was all wrong in portraying his client.

• This could be because Depp never met Bulger in real life as the latter refused his every attempt to do so prior to filming the movie.


Cinema Online, 22 September 2015