Black Mass (Scott Cooper, 2015)

7.5/10
Johnny Depp's turn as gangster Whitey Bulger is what the advertising for the movie is banking on to get you in the theatre. And no doubt, Depp is just about flawless. It's easy to see why he was attracted to the role as a return to form - physical transformation, accent, make-up, a range of acting emotions from anger to sorrow with plenty of violence...it's all there and Depp does it all really well.
But once Depp's Bulger draws you in, it's the meat of the story that's worth sticking around for. Bulger strikes a deal with FBI agent John Connolly (Joel Edgerton, also great) to turn informant in exchange for protection. Connolly, a childhood friend of Bulger's, quickly loses track of which side of the law he's supposed to be on. This central issue is, in fact, arguably more interesting than Bulger himself, and I feel like if the movie approached the story from a different angle and focused on Connolly instead of the more cinematic Bulger, it might have proven an even more interesting movie (although a harder box office sell, to be sure). That said, Black Mass does not make any real missteps. It's an interesting story well-told and superbly acted.
My only issue is that the pulse of the movie never really quickens - it maintains the same rhythm from beginning to end, telling a fine story but failing to really ensnare the audience and pulling us to the edge of our seats at any point. And as with most biopics, the ending arrives with a bit of a thud, and title cards are used to spell out what happened to each of the men from Bulger and his gang to the FBI agents involved. Truthfully I expected worse, so the movie was an entertaining and pleasant surprise in that regard, but I can't imagine it's a movie that will leave much of a lasting impact on anyone, except maybe for Depp's performance.

Mad Max: Fury Road (George Miller, 2015)

8/10
Watching it on Blu-Ray, I do wish I had made a bigger effort to see it in theatres. But what can you do. It starts a little slower than expected and I feel the claims of the movie being "non-stop action" or "breathless" are a little overhyped. The action certainly stops at times and you can certainly catch your breath. It's for the best that the action doesn't stop that often because the dialogue is definitely clunky, although it gets the job done. The movie is a bit like a rollercoaster and, of course, the last drop is the best, a truly gripping and jaw-dropping sequence. I have no earthly idea how George Miller came up with 99% of the stuff in here (or how he found a studio to bankroll it) but he deserves all the credit in the world for bringing an insane vision to screen and making it work so well.

Soylent Green (Richard Fleischer, 1973)

7/10
The impact is diminished now that the final gutpunch of the movie has entered the pop culture lexicon, but dystopian atmosphere (7 years away from today!) is really well done. The city is hot and sweaty and pulses with a kind of malevolent, simmering fever. The casual misogyny is a little jarring and unexpected...but I guess that was the time (1973 I mean, not 2022). Fun enough to watch to flesh out my knowledge of pop culture movies but not essential I don't think.