Sicario (2015 film)

Sicario

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Denis Villeneuve
Produced by
  • Basil Iwanyk
  • Thad Luckinbill
  • Trent Luckinbill
  • Edward McDonnell
  • Molly Smith
Written by Taylor Sheridan
Starring
Music by Jóhann Jóhannsson
Cinematography Roger Deakins
Edited by Joe Walker
Production
company
Distributed by Lionsgate
Release dates
  • May 19, 2015 (2015-05-19) (Cannes)
  • September 18, 2015 (2015-09-18) (United States)
Running time
 121 minutes[1]
Country United States
Language
  • English
  • Spanish
Budget $30 million[2]
Box office $85 million[3]

Sicario is a 2015 American crime-thriller drama film directed by Denis Villeneuve and starring Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro, and Josh Brolin. Written by Taylor Sheridan, the film is about a principled FBI agent who is enlisted by a government task force to bring down the leader of a powerful and brutal Mexican drug cartel. Sicario was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. Distributed by Lionsgate, the film began a limited release in the United States on September 18, 2015, prior to a nationwide release on October 2, 2015.

The film received three Academy Award nominations for Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, and Best Sound Editing and three BAFTA nominations for Best Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography and Best Film Music. It was criticized in Mexico for the negative depiction of the city of Juarez, where part of the plot takes place.[4][5]

Plot

In Chandler, Arizona, FBI Agents Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) and Reggie Wayne (Daniel Kaluuya) lead a SWAT raid of a suspected Mexican cartel safe house. Inside, the team discovers dozens of decaying corpses and a booby trap, which explodes and kills two police officers. Following the raid, Kate's boss, Dave Jennings (Victor Garber), recommends her for a joint DoD-CIA task force, overseen by CIA officer Matt Graver (Josh Brolin), to apprehend the Sonora Cartel lieutenant Manuel Díaz, the man responsible for the bombing.

On a plane to El Paso, Kate meets Matt's partner, Alejandro Gillick (Benicio del Toro). Joined by U.S. Marshals and DEA agents as well as Delta Force operators, the team travels to Juárez, Mexico to extradite one of Diaz's top men: Guillermo (Edgar Arreola). As the team returns to El Paso over the Bridge of the Americas, they are ambushed by cartel gunmen. The team swiftly kills the gunmen and returns safely to El Paso, where Matt and Alejandro torture Guillermo, learning of a cartel tunnel used by Díaz to smuggle drugs into the U.S. Guillermo refers to the operation as "Medellin".

The team travels to an Arizona Border Patrol station to question detained illegal immigrants for information. Reggie and Kate confront Matt about their plan. Matt's objective is to disrupt Díaz's drug operations to such a degree that Diaz will be summoned back to Mexico by his boss, elusive Sonora Cartel drug lord Fausto Alarcón (Julio Cedillo). The team finds the tunnel and raids a bank used by Díaz's money launderers. Kate gathers enough probable cause evidence to obtain arrest warrants, but Jennings overrules her.

At a bar, Reggie introduces Kate to Ted (Jon Bernthal), a friend and local Arizona police officer. As Kate and Ted become intimate in her apartment, Kate discovers a rubber wristband in Ted's possession identical to the ones used to bundle Díaz's laundered money. Realizing he has been made, Ted begins to strangle Kate, but is stopped by Alejandro, who knew the cartel would send someone after Kate. Alejandro and Matt torture Ted into revealing the names of other law enforcement officers working for Diaz.

The next morning, Díaz is called back to Mexico to meet with Alarcón. As the team follows, Kate argues that the FBI has no jurisdiction in Mexico. Matt dismisses her and Reggie, admitting that he used them only to grant the CIA legal permission to operate within the U.S. Kate insists on staying on the team. She and Reggie join the raid on the smuggling tunnel. In the organized chaos, Alejandro sneaks undetected into Mexico, where he kidnaps one of Díaz's mules, a corrupt Mexican police officer named Silvio (Maximiliano Hernández). Kate attempts to arrest Alejandro, who disables her by shooting into her bulletproof vest before driving off with Silvio in his police cruiser.

Kate confronts Matt about the entire operation, including the name "Medellin". Matt explains it is a reference to the Medellín Cartel, which at its height, dominated the drug trade; the presence of just a single cartel in control provided some level of order to the drug trade which the authorities could more easily control. The purpose of the operation is to restore such a single cartel to dominance over the drug trade, with Matt explaining that the stability this affords being the best level of control over the drug trade that can be realistically achieved. He also explains that Alejandro has been hired to assassinate Alarcón, which Alejandro sees as an opportunity to exact revenge for the murder of his wife and daughter by the Sonora Cartel.

In Mexico, Alejandro and Silvio stop Díaz's Mercedes. Alejandro kills Silvio, then, holding Diaz at gunpoint, forces him to drive to Alarcón's estate. Once there, Alejandro kills Díaz and all of Alarcón's guards. He then corners Alarcón and his family at their dinner table. After announcing his motive, Alejandro murders Alarcón's family in front of him before executing Alarcón himself.

The next morning, Alejandro appears in Kate's apartment and orders her to sign a waiver legitimizing the entire operation. When she refuses, Alejandro threatens her at gunpoint. Kate signs the waiver, then, as Alejandro leaves, exits onto her balcony, aiming her pistol at him as he walks away. Unable to shoot, she watches him disappear.

The movie concludes in Juarez. Silvio's wife bring their only son to a soccer game. As the boys play and the parents cheer, a short burst of gunfire erupts in the distant. The game stops as everyone looks at the direction of the gunfire. After a moment of silent tension, the referee blows the whistle, continuing the game.

Cast

Themes and analysis

According to the director Denis Villeneuve, the movie was conceived at the height of the violence in Juárez in 2010.[4] According to Sebastian Rotella, Sicario examined many aspects of the war on drugs engaged in by the United States against, most generally, drug cartels in Mexico, Central, and South America.[11] Taking a perspective as an American, he notes that the illegal drug trafficking situation in Mexico has remained largely stagnant in the two decades prior to the film's release, and that the film asserts that the American War on Drugs is "turning us into the very monsters we are trying to defeat."[11] Rotella asserts that progress has been made in Mexico, and expresses qualms over the depiction of the movie's "black ops campaign," relative to his experience that most U.S. operations resulted in the arrest and prosecution of drug lords.[11]

Production

In December 2013, it was announced that Denis Villeneuve would direct a Mexican border drama, Sicario (the Spanish word for 'hitman'), as scripted by Taylor Sheridan.[12] Black Label Media financed and co-produced with Thunder Road Pictures.[13] Basil Iwanyk produced the film along with Molly Smith, Trent Luckinbill, and Thad Luckinbill.[13]

Emily Blunt became involved with the film in April 2014,[14][6] shortly followed by Benicio del Toro.[6] Jon Bernthal and Josh Brolin joined the film in May, and cinematographer Roger Deakins was also hired.[15][7][16] Daniel Kaluuya, Maximiliano Hernández, and Jeffrey Donovan were then cast,[8][9][10] and Jóhann Jóhannsson was hired to compose the music for the film in August 2014.[17]

Principal photography began on June 30, 2014 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.[18][19]

Release

In May 2014, Lionsgate acquired the U.S. rights to the film, while Lionsgate International will handle the foreign sales.[20] On February 23, 2015, Lionsgate set the film for a limited release in the United States on September 18, 2015 and a wide release on October 2, 2015.[21] The film had its world premiere at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival on May 19, 2015.[22][23] It was then selected to be shown in the Special Presentations section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2015.[24][25]

Reception

Box office

Sicario grossed $46.9 million in the United States & Canada and $38 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $84.9 million, against a budget of $30 million, making it a financial success.[3]

In the opening weekend of its wide release, the film was projected to earn $8–10 million. On its first day, it grossed $4.3 million, coming in third behind The Martian and Hotel Transylvania 2. In its opening weekend, it grossed $12.1 million, exceeding expectations, finishing behind The Martian and Hotel Transylvania 2.[26]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website, Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 94%, based on 231 reviews, with an average rating of 8/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Led by outstanding work from Emily Blunt and Benicio del Toro, Sicario is a taut, tightly wound thriller with much more on its mind than attention-getting set pieces."[27] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 82 out of 100, based on 48 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[28] On CinemaScore, audiences gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.[26]

Richard Roeper gave the film an A, calling it one of the year's best, and applauded del Toro's performance, saying, "...then there's del Toro, who lurks about the fringes of the action for most of the story, and then springs into action in a handful of scenes in a variety of ways that will leave you shaken—and grateful to have seen such beautifully dark work."[29] Likewise, Dan Jolin from Empire gave the film 5 stars, calling it "a beautifully murky, hard-edged thriller. Quite simply, one of the best films of the year."[30]

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian praised the acting of Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro, and Josh Brolin. He stated that although her character Kate Macer was implausible, Emily Blunt "brazens out any possible absurdity with great acting focus and front".[31] Chris Ryan of Grantland compared Sicario to the film Apocalypse Now directed by Francis Ford Coppola, noting an analogy between the former's themes with respect to the Mexican Drug War and the latter's with respect to the Vietnam War. He also stated that the characters Alejandro Gillick and Matt Graver in Sicario resemble those of Colonel Kurtz and William Kilgore, respectively in Apocalypse Now.[32]

Controversy

Before the film's release, Juarez mayor Enrique Serrano Escobar urged citizens to boycott it,[4] believing the film presented a false and negative image of the city. He said the violence depicted in the film was accurate through about 2010, and that the city had made progress in restoring peace.[5]

Accolades

Among other accolades, the film received three Academy Award nominations—for Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, and Best Sound Editing.[33]

Sequel

Main article: Soldado (film)

Lionsgate has commissioned a sequel centering on del Toro's character, titled Soldado.[34] The project is being overseen by writer Taylor Sheridan with Villeneuve also involved.[35] In April 2016, producers Molly Smith and Trent Luckinbill said del Toro and Brolin would return.[36] In June 2016, Stefano Sollima was hired to direct, with Villeneuve no longer available due to scheduling conflicts.[34][37]

References and notes

  1. ↑ "Sicario (15)". British Board of Film Classification. July 27, 2015. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Denis Villeneuve returns to morality's shifting line with 'Sicario". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Sicario (2015)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 Burnett, Victoria (October 11, 2015). "Portrayal of Juárez in 'Sicario' Vexes Residents Trying to Move Past Dark Times". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 4, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2016. The turnaround for Juárez began in 2012 and has been significant. Kidnappings have plummeted — officially there have been none in 20 months — and the murder rate has fallen from as many as eight a day during the worst times in 2010 to 20 to 30 per month now.
  5. 1 2 Nájar, Alberto (October 7, 2015). "¿Por qué la película "Sicario" enoja tanto a Ciudad Juárez?" (in Spanish). BBC. BBC Mundo. Archived from the original on November 14, 2015. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Kroll, Justin (April 4, 2014). "Benicio del Toro Teams Up with Emily Blunt in 'Sicario'". Variety. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  7. 1 2 Fleming Jr, Mike (May 30, 2014). "Josh Brolin Joins 'Sicario'". Deadline.com. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  8. 1 2 Siegel, Tatiana. "'Skins' Star Daniel Kaluuya to Co-Star in Denis Villenueve's 'Sicario'". The Hollywood Reporter (June 6, 2014). Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  9. 1 2 Yamato, Jen (June 24, 2014). "'Sicario' Adds 'Captain America 2′s Maximiliano Hernandez". Deadline.com. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  10. 1 2 Yamato, Jen (July 21, 2014). "Jeffrey Donovan Joins 'Sicario'". Deadline.com. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
  11. 1 2 3 Rotella, Sebastian (2015). "Sicario's Dirty War on Mexican Cartels is Not Yet Reality". ProPublica. Retrieved October 30, 2015.
  12. ↑ Travers, Peter (September 17, 2015). "Sicario Movie Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
  13. 1 2 Fleming Jr, Mike (December 6, 2013). "'Prisoners' Helmer Eyeing Tense Mexican Border Crime Drama 'Sicario' For Black Label". Deadline.com. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  14. ↑ Kroll, Justin (April 2, 2014). "Emily Blunt to Star in 'Prisoners' Director's Next Pic 'Sicario'". Variety. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  15. ↑ Ford, Rebecca (May 29, 2014). "'Walking Dead' Star Jon Bernthal Joins Denis Villeneuve's 'Sicario'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  16. ↑ Raup, Jordan (May 23, 2014). "Roger Deakins to Reteam With the Coens and Denis Villeneuve This Year". TheFilmStage.com. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Jóhann Jóhannsson to Score Denis Villeneuve's 'Sicario'". FilmMusicReporter.com. August 27, 2014. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
  18. ↑ Mayfield, Dan (June 18, 2014). "'Sicario' starts filming in ABQ at end of June". bizjournals.com. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  19. ↑ "On the Set for 6/30/14: Point Break Starts, Kevin James Wraps Up PPaul Blart: Mall Cop 2". SSNInsider.com Insider. June 30, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  20. ↑ McClintock, Pamela (May 6, 2014). "Cannes: Lionsgate Snaps Up U.S. Rights to 'Sicario'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  21. ↑ "'Sicario' Gets Fall Release Date; Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin Star". Deadline.com. February 23, 2015. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  22. ↑ "SICARIO". Festival de Cannes.
  23. ↑ "Screenings Guide". Festival de Cannes. 6 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  24. ↑ "Toronto to open with 'Demolition'; world premieres for 'Trumbo', 'The Program'". ScreenDaily.com. 28 July 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  25. ↑ "Special Presentations: Sicario". Toronto International Film Festival. Archived from the original on October 2, 2015.
  26. 1 2 "'The Martian' Defies 'Gravity' On Friday; 'Everest' & 'The Walk' Largely Earthbound". Deadline.com.
  27. ↑ "Sicario (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  28. ↑ "Sicario reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
  29. ↑ Roeper, Richard (September 21, 2015). "'Sicario': The dark reality of the war on drugs". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
  30. ↑ "Empire's Sicario Review". Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  31. ↑ Bradshaw, Peter. "Sicario review – Emily Blunt at the sharp end in war on drugs". the Guardian. Retrieved 2015-10-30.
  32. ↑ Ryan, Chris. "Are My Methods Unsound? Why 'Sicario' Is the 'Apocalypse Now' of the Drug War". Grantland. Retrieved 2015-10-30.
  33. ↑ "Oscar Nominations: The Complete List". The Hollywood Reporter. January 14, 2016.
  34. 1 2 Fleming, Mike, Jr. (June 1, 2016). "Gomorra's Stefano Sollima To Helm Benicio Del Toro & Josh Brolin In 'Sicario' Sequel 'Soldado'". Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  35. ↑ Lang, Brent (September 21, 2015). "'Sicario' Sequel in the Works at Lionsgate". Variety. Retrieved October 12, 2015.
  36. ↑ Siegel, Tatiana (March 31, 2016). "Demolition' Producers Talk Indie Film Strategy, 'Sicario 2' Plans and Move to TV". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
  37. ↑ Siegel, Tatiana (June 1, 2016). "'Sicario' Sequel Lands Its Director". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 3, 2016. Retrieved June 4, 2016.

External links

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