Monday, May 25, 2015

New 'Black Mass' Trailer Is Surprisingly Funny, But Does It Glorify Whitey Bulger?

The first trailer for "Black Mass" revealed the danger of sharing family recipes, and the second trailer -- released over Memorial Day weekend -- showcases Johnny Depp's Whitey Bulger making more speeches, killing more people, and charming at least one old lady.

This time, Bulger shares some not-so-wise advice for his son: "It's not what you do, it's when and where you do it, and who you do it to or with. If nobody sees it, it didn't happen." Dakota Johnson's Lindsey Cyr responds, "Jimmy, he's 6. You really think that's the best thing to be telling a kid?" Bulger's response: "Yeah."

Yeah, best to learn early not to get caught. The rest of the trailer is mostly filled with action shots, typical gangster stuff -- guns, money, club scene -- set to the song "The Devil Is a Lie" by Rick Ross featuring Jay Z, and punctuated by the reminder that this is about "The. Most. Feared. The. Most. Wanted. The. Most. Notorious. Gangster in U.S. History." Check it out:

They're definitely going out of their way to make sure we know it's cool and badass to be a gangster, even beyond casting Johnny Depp -- made less attractive by hair and makeup, but still Johnny Depp -- as the real-life South Boston criminal. The objective may not be to glorify Bulger, but it's hard to argue that the trailer doesn't sell him as a fascinating character while selling Depp as an Oscar contender.

The quip with the kid, and the scene at the end with the old lady, hint to a good amount of humor in the movie. (More shades of Jack Nicholson in "The Departed.") So far we're still only getting quick flashes of the supporting cast, including Benedict Cumberbatch, Peter Sasgaard, Joel Edgerton, etc. The trailers focus on Depp, who may indeed get himself awards for this, if he can convincingly portray Bulger and not just distract viewers with his jarring transformation. Those eyes!

"Black Mass" is scheduled for release on September 18.

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