Why is Sicario one of the greatest films of the last decade?
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- Опубліковано 21 чер 2024
- In this video I explain why I think that Sicario is such a great movie, what it has to do with the movies Heat and The Silence of the Lambs, and why it is a film that doesn't treat you like an idiot. SPOILERS
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Benicio del toro was born for this role, idk why he wasn’t nominated for an oscar
Because he already won a Oscar for playing a similar role in the movie "Traffic" for some reason , the Academy doesn't like to give a Oscar for playing the same type of character twice no matter how different they may be especially when you have other nominees doing roles that have never been seen before & are new never before seen performances!!! yes his character is quite different in Traffic & the movie is a whole alot different but hes still playing a protagonist against the war on drugs when it comes down to it & you never get a oscar for playing the same type of role twice!!! Honestly i think his greatest ever performance was in " Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas " & he definitely deserved a Oscar for that film & the unique character he portrayed which is brilliant & never before seen. His character in Sicario is not completely new its kind of like if his character in "Traffic" & his character in "Savages" if they had a baby it would be "Sicario", both films of which are about the Cartel & war on drugs so Sicario makes his 3rd film playing in a movie like that!!!!
he wipes out an entire family during their last supper but you felt sorry for him.
@@SIKE01 Because that guy wiped out his family first?
@@navybluee128 exactly!
yess!
My heart still beats at the border crossing scene even after watching it 6-7 times.
The dog barking added an element of impending chaos to the tense border scene.
@@MrClayblasdel My anxiety went through the roof.Kudos to the director.You could cut the tention with a knife
If your heart doesn't beat you'll die
Hope it beats all the time. lol
The prisoner retrieval convoy into and out of of Mexico captures the my experienced feelings of driving patrols and security escorts around Iraq better then any film to date.
Benicio Del Toro was excellent in this film. His portrayal of Alejandro as a very calm, professional, stoic man was very powerful. Alejandro had a predatory coolness and detached essence about him.
Lead male characters like this are far superior to the over the top, obnoxious, clownish one's we see in far to many movies today. It set the movie apart and gave it a more intense edge.
Wonderful depiction of Alejandro.
Yeah exactly. Well said. This UA-cam video is mainly talking utter bullshit. The film isn't an approbation of the female lead. Agent Macer is a fuckwit. She's a saboteur. This film is a salute to real men with a deep sense of duty and humility who get shit DONE.
From a lawyer to a trained killer..
I like to think the character is related to the same guys he played in Traffic and Way of the Gun 😊
@@mayatiita1 lol people always trying to make shit deeper than what it really is
I agree wholeheartedly. This film and Hell or High Water are the best films by pure performance and script. Tyler Sheridan wrote the script for both movies. If you haven't seen Hell or Highwater you are missing out.
Vegabomber I'm a Commanche
Danny Reyna great line. What a great scene.
Vegabomber "What don't you want"
I would throw in Wind River, also penned by Sheridan and directed by him as well. It is profoundly human in its portrayal of heroism and vulnerability. Elizabeth Olsen is another great female lead.
and don't forget his new mini-seires on paramount called yellowstone with kevin costner starring.
sheridan is becoming the best western screenwriter of his time (all three of these mentioned films are westerns at their heart)
You expressed exactly why I thought this movie was a rare gem. Thank you.
John talks Star Wars the movie is shit...it was made for dummies
I'm black So I'm slow your an dumb dumb
@@imblacksoimslow5731 you definitely are slow
Yo what are you doing here lol. Anyway, fan
I can echo what you said absolutely. Rewatch quality at a 10 out of 10
The last scene "sign this paper" is a master piece, and explain the problem on the entire system.
The system not being effective enough to handle these monstrous cartels
It's not really underrated though. Anyone that knows anything about movies and moviemaking recognized it for what it was. An amazing piece of cinema.
@Ellie I disagree, the movie needed a character like her because it needed to contrast the idea of the grey zone mentality of Alejandro (a cold character that would do anything for the mission) to a idealistic and "black & white" type of person like Kate. Its an oximoronic relationship that makes it work
@@alinhatnean5545 100% agree with this
Str8
Yea that “underrated” label was a reach.
True if people know about the film and seen it they like it but I have met a criminally high number of people who have never heard of it
"Battle not with monsters, lest ye become a monster, and if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you."
Where is that from?
@@markr.p9639 Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche
Don't blink then
This movie deserved an Oscar, such a great film
This movie was extremely unsettling once you finish it. I love this movie so damn much. The opening was insanely cool and set the tone immediately.
Best movie EVER. Absolute perfection: casting, script, score, cinematography, editing, camera work. Denis Villeneuve is a master of his craft and I feel blessed to be alive as he continues to make films of this quality. This and Incendies are truly amazing films that I could watch over and over. It’s unfortunate that we don’t see more films with this level of quality. I suppose the silver lining is it makes them all the more special.
Could it be that Alejandro killed Silvio because he saw Kate's face? Silvio's death could be justified by Alejandro's desire to protect Kate from future repercussions by the cartel.
I had genuinely not considered that before, and with a bit of thought its almost certainly correct, at least in part. Silvio ended up seeing both their faces, which, even if Alejandro had not planned on killing him before (he may very well have), may have sealed his fate.
Silvio was a loose end and could interfere with the objective of eliminating the boss
That's not entirely implausible, but I think it's really a matter of Alejandro basically having lost all regard for human life with the death of his wife and daughter, to the point that he casually kills children and is apparently willing to kill Kate, who reminds him of his daughter, if he feels he has to. Additionally, I would think that Silvio's family would be much more likely to be targeted by the cartels in revenge if he was left alive. Killing him makes him, in the eyes of the cartels, more of a victim than a traitor, and therefore they don't feel the need to kill his family.
This is literally one of my theory and another theory the cartel will accused sylvio of being a snitch and ended up like alenjandro's family. Phew.
Gavin men i thought Im the only one thinking this finally im not the only one hahaha
Was one of the best films I've ever seen. I accidentally saw it at the movie theater, thought it was a different movie... Was pleasantly surprised. Bought it when it came out to make sure everybody I know watched it.
This movie has no heroes, it presents you with different points of view leaving the viewer to decide on which form of procedure they agree with that is why they present the story from three different points of view. The characters are not rogue badasses who make cliche decisions like Jason Bourne or James Bond they are relatable and flushed out just people doing their job the way they personally know how.
Flushed out...did you mean 'fleshed out'...??
akshay satish ok that’s a massive exaggeration
To put a stop to the selling of children into sexual slavery would be the act of a hero. I would like to see the cartels go the way of cannibals. We put a stop to cannibalism because we couldn't tolerate folks who stalked and killed us for food so how can we tolerate the abduction and selling of our children? It may be time to go Neanderthal on the cartels.
Exactly. I've seen a few reviews and breakdowns where some people say that Alejandro is a protagonist, then there are others who say Kate is a protagonist. It's actually neither - that's the beauty of this film. No one is a hero. Everyone does what they believe is right. Everyone is showed as flawed.
Contrary to the content creator's last few comments about Kate's perception of Alejandro and Matt, I don't think Alejandro and Matt are the bad people here. If you think killing bad people makes you bad, then that's 2 dimensional thinking. The cop who got killed is just part of the process. And let's not forget he did that to himself by putting himself in that kind of business. We kinda see how the mother and son reacted at the end of the movie. They were sad but had already expected it to happen and knew at some point it was bound to happen. I truly believe that the movie is demonstrating the idea that in order to achieve peace, there needs to be people like them who have to make the harsh calls. The ones who have to take the first step forward and do the things that no one else can do to achieve that peace. Otherwise we will never have it. They are the only ones who can do what their enemies do, to create peace. In order to beat your enemies you must become like them. Or in others, use their own methods. Let them have a taste of their own medicine, so to speak.
It definitely wasn't Silvio's first time being a drug mule. Throughout his small story arc, Villenueve visually tells you that there's a lot of tension between him and his wife: the mutualistic hostile expressions towards each other, residing in completely separate rooms/beds despite likely being a lower income family, the look of dread in one of the scenes as the wife look stares into space as she awaits her husband's long day at "work." Whether Silvio is being forced to be a mule/doing it to pay the bills is up to interpretation (I like to think that he's being forced to by the cartel so that he doesn't put his family in danger. Like you say in the video, he doesn't seem to be reaping much in financial compensation). Awesome storytelling tool. So much being said through Silvio and his family despite minimal screen time.
My heart broke for silvios son. He loved his father and thought he was a hero. I love everything about this movie.
He would have had to respond to, "Plata y plomo?"
Silvio may have been recruited by the stick and carrot method. "Work for us and we'll pay you well. If not we'll kill you and your family."
I would have no mercy for Silvio. And his dead was necessary for Alejandro to success on his mission.
“Authentic female strength”
Yes 🙌 you put into words what I couldn’t
Many people forget there’s got to be mistakes, problems, high stakes
The film is certainly a work for thinkers, which is what makes it so good. It's one of those movies you can watch over and over and glean more depth each time you see it. Blade Runner is one of those films. Great analysis. Thanks!
Couldn't agree more, 2 other good gems in the same vein is "Hell or High Water" and "Wind River"
Yes
Same writer. And he directed wind river
It's actually a trilogy, The New American Frontier. Sheridan ponders over the now and the future of post-recession America.
Just watched Hell or High Water and Sicario on one night, great movies!
Wind river was a great movie
I just realized something, Alejandro was probably once idealistic like Agent Macer.
Agent Macer didn’t just remind him of his daughter, but indirectly reminded him of the man he once was before his family was murdered.
I hope we see Agent Macer again in Sicario 3.
His idealism probably died with his family. Now he's a licensed killer whom the CIA quietly points in the right direction.
I'm surprised this movie didn't win many award's. This is one of the best movies I've seen in a very long time!! Emily Blunt is wonderful and thescreenplay and music is awesome!!
"a lesser film would have instead treated this as a moment for her to display unrealistic physical strength and to defeat Ted with a burst of patriarchy smashing feminist super powers." instant fan, instant sub! love the review. one of my favorite movies and i couldn't quite put into context why i loved it so much. you did that for me, thank you.
Sounds like something Disney or CW would come up with. Thank goodness they didn't do that.
@@derekprospero missing the point im afraid
The reason he’s in flip flops is because he’s a spec ops guy and those guys do whatever they want lol.
James J that’s all I got bro. Sorry.
Lol same for millionaires who dress in casual attire
Kinda like how Delta is the only military unit allowed to have whatever facial hair they want.
Benicio del Toro is one of the greatest actors to have ever lived, not only for his performance as Allejandro in Sicario and Sicario 2: Day of the Soldado, but also from his performances as Augusto "Che" Guevara in Che, Seargeant Aaron Hallam in The Hunted, and Franky Four Fingers in Snatch. And the Sicario movies (plus their two counterparts of the Neo-western film series) are indeed a breath of fresh air within the current American film industry climate, as were the films No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood when they came out.
Hard to call it underrated when everybody had good reviews for it.
I think he’s speaking to lack of awards for the film. I agree everyone holds it in high regard.
@@icebergdl757 I think it's more he's fallen under the trend to arbitrarily call things underrated that you like. It's so tiresome.
For me that I actually live in Juarez, Sicario is one of my all time favorites. I hope the "day of the Soldado" keep the same formula.
Javier Fernández stay safe bro and the sequel is pretty good
What is we in america just on our own and by our selves started killing narco leaders exactly like we did terrorists...right in mexico, like with drone attacks. How would Mexican people react?
@@dhardy6654 if we killed civilians like we did in the war on terror they'd be pissed
@@imacaryay7628 there has been like 30k killing in mexico...i have no idea, its a huge number. Then we are flooded with refugees from mexico. If you are 20 yards away from a narco-leader it should be dangerous ground. Some innocents might....targets could be mistaken...but in the end its a right thing to do.
@@dhardy6654 I believe that mexicans wold react just like you would if another country does something similar in you own background. The issue is of course more complex than just killing the King Pings, both our governments are complicit in their own side. As a single dad of two teens, I've tried to set a moral based to do the right things no matter what and is difficult when you live in a city that for one side people have the culture of narcos as a way out of poverty and for the other side (in the US side) they see us (mexicans) as people who only want to get across the border and this is far from the truth.
For the most part we are families that we're only trying to live as peaceful a we can in a violent city, paying our taxes and educating our children to live and learn just like you would in any US suburb.
Excellent analysis. You never disappoint.
One of the best breakdowns and analysis of any movie review iv'e ever seen. Please keep this up!
The cinematography... the suspense build up..... the fantastic characters and actors... the plot and plot twist... the music score...... the shootout..... the intellectual conundrum
presented...... the director...... the story....all of it culminating in the one of the best movie of our time!!!
If you liked the Sicario, I truly suggest you watching "Traffic" and "Way of a gun" both starring Benicio Del Toro. Does anyone know them? 😎
Amazing film. Perfectly captures the ambiguities associated with the topic. It has a message but, as you said, it comes in the form of questions left unanswered. Blew me away the first time I saw it. It's a tough film to "enjoy" though. I can understand why people may not respond to it.
I think your take on Secario is quite brilliant. I enjoyed the performances of the actors, they did a great job. I liked the script, because like you said, it was written to let me think instead of just beating me up with exposition and telling me how I need to think. I did like the score, and hadn't noticed it's use till you pointed it out...reminded me of his work in Blade Runner.
I really liked the balance of Kate and Benicio's character (can't recall it atm) and how they are at divergent paths along a road...a road the cast is all traveling. Her partner is also a subtle, yet pivotal part of her arch as he seems to be where she was before her journey...and a reminder or look back at how far she has traveled along her road (arch). I know Secario II won't involve her, but it would be interesting to see how she has developed as a character in the same world. If there was a Netflix/Amazon/HBO spin-off series about her and her efforts moving forward in the same struggle, in the same cinematic universe, I would love to see it.
lostsoldier212 solid reply, respect LS212. I think if Kate's character were to develop further she'd be a prescription junkie, too proud to become what she despises but too messed up by her loss of innocence and tainted self righteousness to not be neck deep into a vice
my only issue with Sicario is Kate's naivety. An FBI agent, especially a seasoned door-kicker in Metro Phoenix, would not be surprised or shocked at the cartel tactics or the Govts response. She would not show her face in a Cartel bank & would not freak out about the border crossing shooting.
Now she could definitely be blind to her being manipulated by the CIA & disagree with the terms of engagement/doing it by the book, but the rest no. It definitely made it more cinematic to have her contrast the rest of the characters so harshly in ideals & methodology, but I just don't buy it that someone in Kate's position would be at all shocked by the violence, grey areas & blurred lines.
All that said, it's still one of my favorite movies from the 2010s & shout out to Taylor Sheridan, Emily Blunt, & Benicio Del Toro for absolutely crushing it.
Emily Blunt gets a lot of shyte roles, but she is actually a legendary actress when given the space in the script to be.
My issues are with the plot itself, such a complicated plan with so many variables and conveniences when there a lot easier options, for instance:
-hoping to find a tunnel at the same time the cartel guy is traveling to his boss, ok but then what, they hoped there would be a car in the warehouse, a cop car even, so he can catch up with the guy, what if there were no car there, hitchhiking, grand theft auto?
Without anything else but a convenient cop car how is he going to stop him so he can get to the house, also why would the guy even stop they supposedly own the police he just needs to step on the gas of his mercedes and theres no catching him, and also losing the surprise element coz then he can call in and have everyone ready or just dont go to the house, and then the plan falls apart.
I just dont understand it, they are tracking the guy by drone already without any problems, just have him followed to the house and go commando then, but i guess they sacrificed realism for dramatic effect.
Also other small nitpicks, a cartel that has been so well organized that for 20 years or so no one even knows the name of the boss(cia, fbi) and then have them be stupid enough to not see through whats going and not suspect anything after killing several fbi agents and after seeing Blunt and the fbi on their business still decide, "yeah lets call this guy to explain himself, theres no heat it will be fine". Its what happens when movies overhype their villains to raise the stakes, but then cant think of a smart way of dealing with them so they have them repeatedly do dumb things so that the good guys can shine, which basically goes against your own build up.
I dont know, maybe i have grown cynical but i expect more from movies that try to be realistic. I still enjoyed it but had to turn my brain to low setting at the end.
@@m4nt1c0r3s You are nitpicking to the point its illogical & I question whether you enjoy any kind of cinema beyond CCTV footage.
1. They weren't "hoping to find a tunnel" they knew it was there, they just didn't know exactly where.
2. They knew where the tunnel entrance was on the Mexico side, but not on the US side. They were monitoring the mission via drone, pick ups & drop offs are fairly common at trafficking sites so it made sense to time your raid right when there where couriers present.
3. In Mexico, police are owned by the Cartel & act as territory controllers. Diaz pulled over because Silvio was doing his job (taxing / extorting trespassers) & assumed if he just showed his face to Silvio he would be like "sorry patron, please carry on." If Diaz wouldn't have pulled over he could assume the Cop (Silvio) would think he was a courier for a rival Cartel & begin shooting &/or call for back up.
4. They DO know the name of the Cartel boss - Fausto Alarcon - they just don't know where he's hiding. So they know if they freeze money in the bank Diaz will be called to Alarcon to explain himself & they can tail him to his hideout.
The CIA knew everything about Alarcon except where he was hiding & they made a deal with the Medellin Cartel to have Alejandro assassinate him & reinstate Medellin's control. The only way to get to Alarcon was through Diaz so they needed Diaz to have to visit. They needed the tunnel as a ruse for the FBI so they could secretly get Alejandro into & back out of Mexico without anyone knowing so Alarcon & Diaz's deaths would be blamed on a rival Cartel.
Your critique of this movie is like someone who's never played chess before judging Magnus Carlsen's strategy. Sounds like you weren't paying attention to the movie & just only caught certain scenes which without context would seem odd.
You didn't even understand the movie & you're bashing it - I wonder what movies your pretentious ass thinks are "realistic" and where you have to "set your brain to high setting" to enjoy. gtfoh
@@MiguelSant0 Wow, the uncalled for rudeness really validates your point i guess(sarcasm).
So you are telling me that the CIA cant think of a better way to get Alejandro to Mexico undetected than finding some obscure tunnel for him to move through, the US doesnt have 2000 miles of land border with Mexico, they dont have high altitude planes to parachute from, they dont have diplomatic missions nothing, he has to go through a tunnel or the cartel guys will know he is there, what did i miss there?
They do mention in the movie his name but say they have no intel on him, where he is, how he operates, how he stays hidden, thats the same as not knowing anything.
So they send one guy, without knowing what hes facing, and the billion dollars drug running cartel guy conveniently is guarded by 3 street gangsters, instead of private army/ex special forces, sure makes sense i guess makes you wonder how he has survived that long without a rival cartel or his own people turning on him.
Anyway, its clear by the attitude in your response that you dont want to debate anything, so im done debating with you, have a nice day.
@@m4nt1c0r3s hahahahaha "high altitude planes to parachute from" hahaha I thought we were talking about being realistic here?
Do you know how much that costs & how much paperwork/bureaucracy there is to do that? Also flying a US military plane in Mexican airspace is a violation of treaty. The whole point is to be COVERT! No one is supposed to know they are going to assassinate Alarcon - even the FBI & the USA. Only high level DOJ officials are supposed to know.
The point is to make Alarcon's death look like a rival Cartel did it, not put US military fingerprints all over it lol
Hey, while we're entertaining stupid ass ideas, why didn't they just drone strike Alarcon's house & Not even use Alejandro, or Kate or the team at all? Just follow Diaz car & blow up the compound! Logic, duh!
You can't just "Send in the Navy Seals" idiot. Do you know how many people have to sign off on a mission like that? Take Bin Laden for example: They knew exactly what house he was in but it took 100+ days to have the mission authorized.
If the mission were to fail & be exposed it would do irreparable damage to US/Mexico relations & probably result in a full Senate investigation - look at the '79 raid to free hostages in Iran. It was such an embarrassing blunder that 40yrs later it STILL affects US foreign policy.
Yes the USA has a 2k mile land border that is MONITORED 24/7. They have to SNEAK Alejandro into Mexico & back again. The tunnel is the perfect cover, it allows them to put officially in the report that their mission was to discover the tunnel & neutralize the threat. The CIA is hiding the real mission from the US Marshalls & FBI too, so much so Kate doesn't realize they're CIA until the end.
The point is what Alejandro is doing is ILLEGAL so the fewer people who know about it the better. Yes send one man bc he knows the territory & he actually works for the Medellin Cartel. If he were to fail no one would know the CIA was involved. It would just look like a rival Cartel assassin tried to get to Alarcon. If they send Soldiers - or even US citizens, it would be an international shit storm if they got caught/killed. Do you know what a shit storm killing bin laden in sovereign Pakistani land caused in USA/Pakistan relations? And it was fucking bin laden.
You know so little about the Border/Mexico/Real Life it makes your original comment that much more idiotic hahahaha Jesus Christ hahah You talk about realism while you seem to think the movie Navy SEALS with Charlie Sheen is a documentary lol
Alarcon is guarded by very few Sicarios because his location is a SECRET! El Chapo was with one guy and his girlfriend when he got raided. People can be bought & turned, if you are an internationally wanted criminal, the fewer people who know about you the better.
You think Ex-Military mercenaries are going to die for a Cartel? They'll stand around & look intimidating but they'll take a bag of cash over the Cartel any day. Their loyalty can be bought by the very definition of their job. Finding people who will die for you, go to jail for you, & refuse bags of cash to give you up are harder to find than you think.
Alarcon's safety can only be trusted with a handful of Sicario who's loyalty is without question. Every extra person who knows where Alarcon is a liability.
Every extra person who knows what illegal shit the CIA is doing is a liability - which is why Alejandro was going to execute Kate & make it look like a suicide if she didn't sign the paper.
Anyway, its clear in your response that I made indisputable valid points & bodied your bitch ass in the process so you're coping out & crawling back to your basement while trying to have the last word.
The fact you wrote "(sarcasm)" bc you don't think I can tell it when I see it is even more proof you need literally everything spelled out for you.
Go back to watching Michael Bay movies cause that's what you think real life is smh
@@MiguelSant0 ok then, i consider myself owned(sarcasm again).
Benicio Del Toro is the quietest lethal character I cannot get enough of, so low key like a shadow.
His eyes carry the depth of warnings & pain.
Absolutely mesmerizing.
he’s kinda like a more rational chigurh in some ways
@@mercybeats_ Funny, a couple of years ago I was talking about the book No Country for Old Men, and I said, "if you see the movie, Del Toro plays this a little too well. If you have seen Sicario, then you know what he can do...." I don't know what I was thinking, but on the way home, it clicked with me, wait Javier Bardem was Chigurh. I had to email my book club later and correct myself. In my defense, I can say it had been several years since I had seen either movie, but obviously my subconscious made the same connection you mentioned.
He wasn't there to kill her, just gaining information about the names running the ops, she notices the band roll, thus meaning he was on the Cartels payroll, She handled it wrong, gave away that she knew who he was working for, which almost costed her life. She was given the okay to play by another set of rules, Cartel rules, but couldn't grasp that is the way to effect Cartel operations, she was the classic old dog you couldn't teach new tricks to. She was a victim waiting to happen.
Why not a "puppy thrown amongst the wolves?"
She's also an FBI agent. Essentially a law enforcement officer. Possibly killing someone in self defence is something ALL law enforcement folks have to come to terms with early on in training. She's also a SWAT, so not unfamiliar with trigger time. But there's many a slip twixt the cup and the lip when someone whose whole world view is law and order is ordered to completely ignore that moral compass
Well done. You gave form to the feelings I had when I watched this.
I really enjoyed this.
great content!
Awesome review. Sicario is one of my favorite films of all time and your review did it justice.
I didn't enjoy Sicario 2 much, but I loved Sicario 1. It's a cinematic masterpiece that may not be as influential as Terminator 2, nor as impactful as Saving Private Ryan, but it's one of the few movies this last decade that wowed me.
Steve Seguin I agree on all of your points. Given your taste in movies, I'm curious if you've seen 'Bone Tomahawk'?
Hey Cash. I've seen it, yeah. It was fun; reminded me of some other movies, such as The Hateful Eight or The Hills Have Eyes. The acting, lighting, and effects were B-rate at times, which did help to release the tension, although I'm not sure if that was on purpose. I liked a couple of the characters and the ease of which the movie put them through the grinder; I suppose a bit like Saving Private Ryan. At times parts of the film dragged on without adding a whole lot to the depth, but overall I felt rewarded for seeing it through to the end. Thanks for mentioning it to me btw -- movies like that often end up being hidden gems that regrettably never cross my path. Got any more suggestions?
Kinda random but theres this Australian movie, Goldstone, I think you might like.
Jordan Hall I'll check it out. Thanks!
"Sicario 2" was equally as good. The writing, cast and cinematography were all excellent. I think because there was more dialogue and less action is why some people have negative opinions.
Put incredibly well. One of the reasons I look for videos like these is when movies like Sicario leave me wanting more, and leave me confused, and interested in deeper meanings of the film and messages, and I like seeing the different takes (there is one video going as far as calling Kate the villain) and all of this is just joyous. Like you said, this movie does not answer your questions for you, it raises questions, and leaves you to decide with no right or wrong answer given. Phenomenal movie. Just phenomenal.
Here are a few things that stood out to me the first time I watched it and what made me fall in love with this film:
1) the score. That drone type sound (horn or an instrument similar). That impending doom feeling you get when the score does its magic.
2) The scene where the black cars drive right through the border is one of the most badass scenes I have ever seen. It makes you realise just how big the entire story actually is.
3) The gun scene at the border. Absolutely incredible.
4) The scene where Benicio shoots the lawyer on the streets.
This movie is honestly incredible. The second one was also beautiful just fyi
Great comparison to Clarice Starling, hadn’t considered that aspect before.
KainedbutAble123 not quite. Starling did what she needed to get the job done. She was a loyal soldier. KATE did everything to derail the mission.
Sicario 3 Please make that 3rd Movie😍😍😍 1 & 2 Are Badass And The Second movie ended in a way that leave us wanting a 3rd movie
I felt the 2nd one took a step backward, the characters introduced are plastic cliches but hopefully the 3rd can overcome that and tie up the story
only if they get a new Director.
Day of the Soldado was predictable & bland compared to the first mainly due to Sollima's Directing choices & I imagine butchering the original Sheridan script.
Denis Villeneuve knew how to pace & visualize Sheridan's script, while Sollima took what was probably a great script & tried to Fast & Furious it.
Sicario 2 was even better than the first, and I really liked them both 💯
K T better than the first one? The second one was trash Imo
As much as I hope they make a 3rd one, Does anyone remember how the 2nd one ended?
Matt burned himself too badly to continue working for the CIA or most likely any intelligence agency and for me personally the movie wouldn't be the same without him.
Love the your interpretation. I loved the film from my first and only viewing but I sounded to go back now as you have made me want to dig deeper into the messages and themes of the film.
Great analysis of an amazing film! Enjoy your work and you have a new subscriber.
This was a great movie, and I enjoyed your take. However, I found the fight between Kate and Berenthal's character to still be unrealistic. She should have been much more desperate on the floor, scratching and gouging his face. But, for Hollywood, I guess this was about as realistic as it gets.
The last scene of the movie was indeed impactful. The actions of the movie were a needle in a haystack.
I took Kate's inactions at the end to signal her acceptance of the situation--that she knew how things would play out if she pulled the trigger and decided it wasn't worth it, just as she decided her morality wasn't worth dying for.
Great movies usually leave us to ponder.
Yours is a brilliant analysis of this film. You so fully addressed the realism of the character of Kate Mercer and it's contrast with the never ending sophomoric heroines we see in modern films. I think we're tired of the litany of female film heroines required to advance the agenda of modern "girl power" at the movies. When every female lead effortlessly subdues physically larger, much more powerful men it simply undermines any more serious messaging the film attempts. As you noted, Kates character, immaculately played by Emily Blunt, perfectly captures the character's power without ever insulting our intelligence. It is Kate's morality that makes her the heroine of this film. Her weaknesses, so well played by Blunt make her moral strengths stand out. For example, In Mexico at the end of the tunnel raid, Kate, is knocked breathless and choking by two rounds to the chest from Alejandro. As he leaves he lectures her (Don't ever point a gun at me again!) , then, in the very next scene she has her face stuffed in the dirt by Josh Brolin who overpowering her physically tells her to stop resisting. Then when she finally stops in an act of moral defiance and pride she declares: "I'm gonna talk." "I'm gonna tell everyone what happened here." Wow. A weaker character would have folded right there. Also, I personally was blown away by the the tour-de-force performance of Benicio Del-Toro. The sheer power and machismo of his character and ruthlessness he displayed were a perfect foil to the inner strength of Kate. Their competing "superpowers" created a dramatic tension made so clear by the contrast in their characters. These themes too are so well framed by the wonderful screenplay, masterful direction, barren cinematography, and hypnotic musical score to coalesce into a film that stands out like no other over the last 10 years. I so appreciate your commentary and agree that this is one of the best films in a long time. Bar none.
This review reeked of "red pill" bullshit.
@@PlannedObsolescence lol
Thank you so much for your input. Such a well thought out and elaborate analysis on every important aspect of this great masterpiece.
Fantastic review. I like the slides as well.
In all honesty i think almost any movie that treats its audience with respect is a movie that i am down to watch.
Such a breath of fresh air.
I think I might have a nice theory about why some people think Kate is likable while others hate her.
Kate is likable and relatable from the perspective of a civilian. She might be a good cop but she's definitely not a soldier. Maybe people with a little bit more insight into what it's like to be a soldier are more likely to see her as a hindrance.
She might be a wolf among other sheep, but once she gets to wolf territory we see her real place.
I don’t often comment on UA-cam videos. But in this case, I felt that a “job well done” is very earned. This was an extremely thoughtful and well presented review of what I agree is a very underrated film. I think you made some very excellent points about storytelling, screenwriting, acting, and the very important use of score to tell a secondary story underneath the main story. Which is something that is often overlooked by many people who review and breakdown films. It is refreshing to run across a well-thought-out review of a film that I have enjoyed since my first viewing. Which is, sadly, rare on UA-cam these days. Good job.
How on god's green earth is the movie underrated? It was highly regarded by both reviewers and audiences alike.
Couldn't agree more... although I didn't know it till you published this. Thank you.
Kate's desire for a moral explanation for what is going on (And why she won't quit when its obvious to the audience there won't be one) is a weakness the men use to their gain. They need her for one thing, and she keeps tagging along. Matt dresses the way he does because he is an operator. Operators work in a secret world with few rules and little oversight, and that lack of clear boundaries can make one feel detached from the rules of society, or worse, feel godlike like Captain Kurtz in Apocalypse Now. The "anything goes, because no one wants to look too closely" also happened to some contractors in Iraq, when they didn't have the clearly defined Rules of Engagement that the troops had. It was like being in a sensory deprivation tank, or children growing up wild with no discipline. When everything is possible, you're tempted to push the boundaries and see if it really is true.
Kate Mercer was so "by the book" in this film, that she was almost as much the antagonist as was our obvious target (Sonora Cartel). I say this because this film is as close to reality, as far as human trafficking at our southern border goes, that we can experience without feeling like we are in the situation. If you have the opportunity to speak to any intelligence officer or border agent, that had been with the DOD for at least a year, do so, because they will very likely have stories that reflect the reality of this film. Kate is too old fashioned and often times, too obtuse, to adjust to what the situation actually is. The old methods (gentlemen methods) are ineffective, and far too easy to predict (think 17th century battle formation), and a new procedure is needed to handle the reality that is at our southern border. Cartels employ monster tactics, and monsters are needed to destroy them. Kate is simply not a monster, but instead, wants to protect monsters
Yes you need Monsters, and i have the Feeling my thoughts are growing monsterous, i wanna kill the sicarios, all of em....
Dude, you and I think alike on so many different topics its eerie.
I haven't seen it yet, but your analysis just put it in the top of my must see list! Thanks!
I see both of these movies (Sicario and Sicario: Day of The Soldado) as new-westerns and new westerns are the best.
Speaking of "new westerns," you need to watch Wind River. Its by taylor sheridan, the same writer of Sicario, and it's fantastic.
ShapelessHail I’ve seen it; it’s excellent.
Im happy im not the only one that really liked this movie to great movie.
Great job mate. I very much enjoyed the whole length of this video.
I love this movie and that was a very cogent explanation of a few things I had been wondering about! I’m now a subscriber.
@5:38 You cheeky bugger, I KNOW you edited out "thongs" then! hahahaha
I feel like this movie was made just for me. It would 100% be the movie I would want to make. Every decision is exactly how I would do it. 10/10
Fantastic essay!! Just came across your channel now... subscribing it is.
Very insightful analysis. Thank you.
Absolutely one of my favorite movies of all time. 2015 was a good year for movies in general.
Absolutely!
Watched it for the first time just last week. Excellent. Will see the sequel in theaters. Loved it.
If you were underwhelmed it's OK. I think this movie is prime example of being subtle vs over the top. And this is a rare thing.
Sadly, the sequel is not being directed by the same director. The writer is the same though. So, at least cinematically, i will downgrade my expectations.
It is more or less an alternate path with Alejandro at the helm so to speak, rather than viewing it through Kate's perspective. Either way, both movies in my opinion were equally fantastic and I hope to see many more follow down this path of storytelling.
Thank you for this, was mesmerized by your explanation and breakdown of this movie. Amazing review
thank you for these refreshing perspectives!
I'm late to this party mate. I still haven't seen it, but I have read the novel. Disturbing book. Ahhh, now I gotta go watch "Sicario"
It´s an original,not adapted screenplay,this is not based on the book you read, What´s it called?
Christopher Jay Sicario.
Christopher Jay El sicario: memoirs of a Mexican hitman. He was a Juarez cop put through the academy by a cartel. Trained and operated with FBI over many years. Killed for the cartel the whole time. I haven't seen the film though, I made an assumption
Adam Davies no this is just a film with the same name it has nothing to do with a book
The law84 I know now, since I watched it. Just a very similar story
“Aohra vas a conocer a dios”
good one
how about
Boy you't think there were 10 of me
Ahora*
*Dios?
Thanks for an insightful review.
Insightful analysis. Thank you.
Silvio call him out Medellin . 🤔 you know he got to go
that girl needs more screentime i already liked her in edge of tomorrow
Excellent review. Thanks.
Exceptional breakdown of one of my favorite films! This is one of only two movies I own on iTunes.
The most big advantage of this movie? "The triad" of brillant actors: Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin and Benicio del Toro. The second - the chemistry between them. And third dark and gloomy athmosphere of the whole movie.
This is why Denis Villeneuve is one of my favourite directors. He manages to create big "blockbuster" type movies from a philosophical point of view (e.g. Arrival) and showing that there's more than meets the eye, more than black or white and all the different shades of grey. The first movie I saw from him was Prisoners. A very interesting and amazing movie. Combined with Johann Johannsson's mesmerizing music (especially the scene where Jake Gyllenhaal as detective Loki rushes to the hospital, I was literally at the edge of my seat/couch that was so intense! Also kudos to Roger Deakins the cinematographer, he did an amazing job and FINALLY he got his first Oscar for Blade Runner 2049) it is just magnifique 🙂 Unfortunately he passed away this February 😞
Yeah, I loved Prisoners as well - have been thinking about doing a review of that one as well.
Left Foot Media Oh yes please!!! That would be gorgeous 😀 I also recommend Arrival and Enemy (both Villeneuve) and Nightcrawler (Dan Gilroy).
Btw how do you spell your name?
Loved Arrival! My last name?
Left Foot Media Both first name and last name 🙂
Very interesting video. 11:25 - Perfect statement. "Another family has been destroyed". Very well phrased. Loved your write-up.
It’s a great movie and a great review. You have a new subscriber sir, I think I may be binge watching your channel for the next few days
I can't agree it's the one of the best in decade, but this film I watched at least 3 times, each time finding new details.
Kate is absolutely not a likable character, she "the rock in your shoe" annoyance.
Vnachi8 🤣🤣 rock in your shoe - such a good analogy 👍🏼👍🏼
Yeah, honest cops get in the way of a lot of fascists.
My wife hated her too lol
Malt, you realize it was a movie and not real life right?
Oh, I get that it's a movie - what I don't get is all the moral support people seem to give for the "justice by death squad" approach. Once you don't really distinguish between the roles for the police and the military and the ends justify the means, you've turned down a very dark road.
Brilliant video! I’m less than two minutes in and I have to stop to let you know, absolutely brilliant parallel between this movie and The Silence of the Lambs.
This is an amazing review. Brilliant and very true. Great work and insight.
Kate is the villain. Even when she is give the authority to carry out to carry out her mission she is more than reluctant. In fact her own sense of morals comes before the mission, the lives of others, or her team members. She is more interested in finding out what the real mission is just so she can expose it...to anyone she can find who would agree with her. In many ways she is the villain.
She might have flaws but that doesn't make her the villain. Villain is a technical term that is severely out of place here. I think the closest you could describe her is antihero. But that only if you disagree with her which is up to interpretation and neither right or wrong. All this movie does show two different sides. The movie doesn't take sides.
I personally would say let the druglord murder more innocent people instead of killing his family and aink at the same level. Others would say something else. That's a philosophical question the movie asks but doesn't answer.
@very nice. Its not very nice to have the drug lord keep killing, torturing, making money of the suffering of others. I think her underhanded way of just joining this team to find a way to destroy it puts her in the not good guy group. I would also say this. people loving eating meat, but don't want to know how its made or the killing involved so they can have their juicy steak or hamburger. Make no mistake though killing is involved. That's how I view some of the comments I'm hearing on this issue. I want the problem fixed, But I don't want to get my hands dirty. Even when I know its the only way to fix the problem. Kate refuses to do what it takes to help fix the problem, but will go out of her way to stop anyone who would dare do what it takes to fix it. That makes her a villain and a part of the problem in my book.
First of all she didn't join the team volontarily . She didn't know what she was doing. The didn't tell her what the plan was so you don't even know if how she would have reacted. She is not sabotaging the mission or reporting them. She gets mad, because she was intrumentalized and lied to. The literally forced her to take part in the killing of an innocent family, because she didn't know that what she was doing would enable it.
If they would have told her, she most likely would have politely said no and never said a word about it.
You can have this opinion and you can take part in these missions if you want, I would be ok with that. But you have to accept that others might thing differently and not telling someone that what they do is helping doing morally amigous stuff that you know they don't wanna do is unexusable.
So she literally didn't do anything wrong. She had no influecne on the ourcome of the mission. She literally just walked along with them. How in the hell can this make someone a villain?
And I guarantee that's is not how to get the problem fixed. It will just continue the cycle of war. Ever wonder why america is hated in Latin amerca? Yeah think about that cop's kid. He will grow up knowing his dad was killed by an assassin hired by the US government to kill another innocent family. Yeah he will probably have a fucked up childhood and get into drug business as well. It's just a temporary solution for a problem that goes further than drugs. It's called war and exists since humanity and will continue as long as both sides think they're the good guys while knowingly killing innocent people.
You're just another edgy kid who thinks he's cool because you're not so "soft" as all these SJW's with their "morals". Nah, you're a real man! You would kill that drug lord no questions asked and then world would be great again. You're so so cool man. Bet you walk around in flip flops as well.
@Very Nice. If I remember correctly her partner tells her to walk away a bunch of times. Her answer is always no. I wonder why? If she was forced into this why not walk away. She could have done that. They did not hold a gun to her head and say join us or you have to stay, although Alejandro did hold a gun on her to sign the paper at the end. So if they are not fighting the good fight then whats your solution. Let me guess, you don't have one. If you do I would love to here it. I can pass it up the chain of command and see what they think. As far as continuing the cycle of war. We are in a war. As a Soldier I always found it funny that the American people though they could just walk away from Iraq. As if it never happened. Look we elected a new president he's going to get us out. Instead you had the birth of ISIS. We are in a war now. One of the points of the movie is to show what's slowly coming over the boarder. So how do you stop the cycle, please do tell. The killing does not continue because as you put it both sides think they are the good guy or something silly like that. Wars are fought for all types of reasons such as money, markets, and resources. Not because one side thinks its the good guys. I will even good a little deeper. I have know people like the character Kate, high ivory ideas but no real world experience in the dirt and mud. So quick to tell you what the end game will or should look like, but having no idea how to get there.
Do you think i'm going to defend what America has done in Latin American, No not at all. I'm just a guy looking at the evidence presented by the video and giving my 2 cents...just like you. Man I wish I was still young enough to be called an edgy kid not I'm not. Were just two guys talking here, no reason for the emotional stuff. By the way a lot of SJW's are kinda soft and they get so emotional. When I retire I will be wearing flip flops. lol.
She didn't leave because they lied to her. Imagine someone would send you on a mission to do something without telling you it would cost innocent lives. I mean you may have accepted it anyway, but you'd want to know before hand wouldn't you?
And I'm just gonna skip you president and iraq talk since it's entirely irrelevant for this topic.
This is a movie. It's about two different sets of morals that collide. None of it is the right one. The movie wants to show that both of these have their advantages. Killing that drug lord may stop some of the murders on us soil, but it also kills a loving father and 2 kids and an innocent woman. So if you think the movie has a clear message that Kate is the villain you're simply wrong. She might be for you. But not for the movie.
And yeah you're pretty much defending what the us does in Latin america because the movie is about americans doing something in Latin america lol. It's pretty much the same thing. USA helping criminals defeating other criminals, accepting innocent casualties.
Del toros speech to Kate at the end was film perfection.
This is the land of wolves now
This film is a masterpiece
Good to GREAT analysis, mate. You've made some analogies & connections to other films that I've never made .... that are spot-on.
Now im gonna go see what you thought about Sicario II ...
Your insight and analysis was spot on. This was amazing. Great work Boss man !!!!
For the most part but the movie was highly regarded by everyone so idk why he called it underrated.
I didn't like this movie, I can see the points you make and why it worked for you but it just didn't work for me. I think one of the biggest problems I had was the character of Kate, I just didn't like her, supposedly a tough FBI agent but she turns out to be weak & pathetic. Hard to like a movie when you can't stand the main character & I didn't find the ending profound in any way, just another example of her ineptitude. She was just a weak little lamb, way out of her depth & Alejandro had her pegged 100%
Shaitan Would you prefer someone like black widow?
Shaitan, dude, that's the idea. She's in way over her head. that's the point of the entire movie. Her character is way more realistic than all the hollywood female hero lead nonsense. This movie is projecting the reality of a drug war. It's not sunshine and rainbows only dark shadows.
I actually think that her character was great when it comes to Sicario. It's not so much that she was weak (because I would be shitting my pants if I was thrown in that situation). But because she is the perfect representation of when ideas clash with reality. Her entire existence was when written laws and squeaky clean ethics are dropped into a black pool of highly illegal brutal murder and torture. Even though Laws and ethics sound great on paper, it is unspeakable crime and suffering that gets shit done in real life.
You're not supposed to like Kate. Her characterization embodies the perpetual and nihilistic nature of drug wars (which is why that soccer scene at the end is also perfect)
I think the notoriety of the Kate character goes either ways. The people who sympathize with Kate believe that more laws and stricter everything is the way progress is made. But the ones who cant stand her understand that horrific crimes and complete disregard for laws is how shit gets done. I believe that how audiences view Kate splits what kind of people we are right down the middle. Personally, I think its fucking genius.
Been in Kate's situation.
Nobody appeared magically to save me. I just blacked out.
Twice. And then he got up.
Men love strangling women bc they hate us
Man, this is a great movie review. You make me want to go back and watch Sicario again. I also enjoyed your reviews of Star Wars, specifically The Last Jedi. You're really good at dissecting and analyzing movies. You definitely excel in this area. Keep it going. I'm not sure if you ever did a review of the Black Panther, if not, you should consider it. I look forward to your Avengers: Infinity War review as well.
Fascinating analysis!
You forgot to add another reason.....
Roger Deakins
I love this movie, but Kate was a poor leader and a pawn. The initial house clearing explosion was her disaster, and she would be off the street pending investigation. And let's not even mention her pathetic, drunken sport-f*cking error.
Well ya, that's supposed to be how her character is in the movie. If she makes you pissed then that means she was great at acting her part.
Spot-on analysis. I still watch this at least once a month since it went off Amazon prime and I HAD to get the blue-ray.
Great review of an underrated film, especially of Emily Blunt's character and the musical score. I would have liked to hear your thoughts about the locations/land/cityscape portrayed in the film. They (along with the music) were like supporting actors.
The amount of edgy kids thinking alejandro is the good guy in the comments lol
He is the good guy
Very Nice Alejandro is a necessary evil to combat evil. It’s a simple concept. The difference regarding the other characters such as Emily Blunt is that I actually enjoy Del Toro’s character.
He isn't a good guy, he is the real protagonist of the movie.
Very Nice he's not a good guy; he's the protagonist. Biiiiig difference.
Ahmad Faris Ahmad Pakhri - he's more of an anti hero because he's not killing because he likes to, he's killing to get his revenge against drug cartels, hes killing people that are far more worst than him which are the cartels
The highway assassination scene was epic, but it was a bit of a letdown after that.
What a great critique. Thank you.
This is a brilliant analysis of a masterpiece of a movie. Well done!