Sometimes you need more than a hitman . . .
Sicario 2: Soldado (15)
Starring: Benecio Del Toro, Josh Brolin, Isabel Moner
Director: Stefano Sollima
The Plot: After a deadly terrorist attack on the United States, one of the attackers is revealed to have been smuggled into the country through Mexico, backed by its drug cartels. Given free reign to wage war on the cartels, Matt Graver (Brolin) assembles his crew, including the deadly assassin Alejandro (Del Toro), and they begin a series of illegal operations within Mexico in an attempt to turn the cartels on each other. One operation is the staged abduction of Isabel Reyes (Moner), daughter of the leader of the most powerful cartel and the man who gave the order for Alejandro's family to be killed. When their plan to return her to Mexico goes wrong and the crew is separated, Alejandro tries to safely escort Isabel back to the US, while Graver is ordered to "clean up" the mess - including Alejandro . . .
Check out the trailer for the film here.
Review: I'm a big fan of Sicario. Released in 2015, it was a gripping, hard-hitting film about revenge, told through the framework of the ongoing conflict between the US Government and the Mexican drug cartels. It was a film that was unflinching in its portrayal of the brutality perpetrated by both sides, and it not only featured some of the most beautiful cinematography I'd seen that year, but a powerful final scene where Alejandro confronts his family's killer in a masterful display of emotion from Del Toro. The film also introduced me to Taylor Sheridan as a writer (I'd seen him on screen before in TV's excellent Sons of Anarchy) - if you've been reading my blog for a while you'll likely remember that name, as not only did he go on to also write the fantastic Hell or High Water in 2016, last year he both wrote and directed the brilliant Wind River which made number 4 on my top ten films of the year. When I learnt that a sequel to Sicario was being made I was concerned at first, fearing some kind of continuation of the series without the involvement of anyone from the first film. To my relief, however, while Denis Villeneuve isn't in the directors chair again this time, Sheridan has returned and written the script, while both Josh Brolin and Benecio Del Toro reprise their roles as well. So is it as good as the first film? Sadly, no. This is still a gripping, violent tale that carries powerful themes, but unfortunately the story just isn't as strong and doesn't hold up to the high standard that Sheridan has set in his other work.
The film begins with a powerful statement, showing a horrific terrorist bombing that some will find upsetting to watch. This actually sets the tone for where the story is headed: while the first film was a personal tale of revenge against one specific cartel, here the scope is broadened - the hurt inflicted is on the whole country this time, so now all of the cartels are a target. As Graver tells Alejandro, "No rules this time." As the first film explained that "Sicario" is the Spanish word for hitman, here we learn that "Soldado" is Spanish for soldier (interestingly, the film is being marketed internationally as Sicario: Day of the Soldado, rather than Sicario 2 as it is here in the UK). The action shifts away from Arizona and southern California to Texas, and focuses on the extensive human trafficking being undertaken by the cartels as they smuggle migrants across the border. There's a sense that the whole experience is being taken up a notch. But . . . and there's a but. Part of the reason that I felt the first film's story worked so well was that it was framed by Emily Blunt's character, an FBI agent on the outside brought into the shadowy world that Graver operates in and horrified by what she finds. Sicario 2 lacks this, as our two leads are the characters who operate in this world without question, so certain are they of what they're doing and the tactics that are required, and so this time its left up to the audience to decide whether there is a line and if it should be crossed. While a minor character (Graver's superior) does express disgust at what happens, this doesn't have the same impact when the story is being told through the eyes of characters who don't care.
The story attempts to take a different tack by focusing its second half on Alejandro and Isabel, who become separated from Graver's crew when they come under attack from cartel-controlled police. Their journey back to the US is an interesting one, allowing more insight into Alejandro's character (a scene where they encounter a deaf man and his family is particularly effective), but it's a complete shift from the first half and it does mean that the main thread of the story is over almost before its begun. The potential clash between Alejandro and Graver, who's been ordered to take him out to clean up all evidence of their mission, never happens, which is disappointing. Alejandro has a death/resurrection sequence that, while in keeping with the mysterious nature of his character, is difficult to believe, and the ending arrives rather abruptly, leaving several story threads unfinished. One of these story threads, of an American teenager named Elijah who has links to Mexico and begins to work for the cartels, plays an important part of the story and it would have been nice to have seen more time devoted to it and, featuring as he does in both Alejandro's "death" and the film's final scene, a less ambiguous ending would have been more effective.
It's a shame that these problems exist, as the rest of the film holds up very well. The performances from Del Toro and Brolin are both excellent, with Del Toro particularly given more to work with here, and I was impressed with the young Isabel Moner, who does well with her character's transition from a girl used to having everything on a plate due to the fear of her father, to a scared one who realises how very real the danger she faces is. There's also good support from Catherine Keener as Graver's commanding officer, and look out for the mighty Matthew Modine as the Defence Secretary who green-lights the operation.
From a visual perspective the film is also very good, shot very well with an effective, string-led score that emphasises the emotional beats and leads into the action sequences. Those, as you'd expect, are brutal and unflinching, with some excellent gunfights and choreographed sequences. But it's the themes of the film that are the most powerful: it's portrayal of terrorism, of human trafficking and the suffering of those involved, and of the greed and callousness of the cartels controlling it is what will leave the biggest mark on you as a viewer. It's just a shame that Sheridan's story isn't as strong this time round.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
While this is a gripping film that deals with powerful themes, the story just isn't as strong and marks a rare misstep for writer Taylor Sheridan who leaves the audience not only needing to decide upon the morality of what's displayed, but to guess at the conclusion as well. There are strong performances throughout, excellent action sequences and the whole thing is well shot, but it isn't able to capture the same spark as the original film. A real shame, but still very much watchable.
It's a shame that these problems exist, as the rest of the film holds up very well. The performances from Del Toro and Brolin are both excellent, with Del Toro particularly given more to work with here, and I was impressed with the young Isabel Moner, who does well with her character's transition from a girl used to having everything on a plate due to the fear of her father, to a scared one who realises how very real the danger she faces is. There's also good support from Catherine Keener as Graver's commanding officer, and look out for the mighty Matthew Modine as the Defence Secretary who green-lights the operation.
From a visual perspective the film is also very good, shot very well with an effective, string-led score that emphasises the emotional beats and leads into the action sequences. Those, as you'd expect, are brutal and unflinching, with some excellent gunfights and choreographed sequences. But it's the themes of the film that are the most powerful: it's portrayal of terrorism, of human trafficking and the suffering of those involved, and of the greed and callousness of the cartels controlling it is what will leave the biggest mark on you as a viewer. It's just a shame that Sheridan's story isn't as strong this time round.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
While this is a gripping film that deals with powerful themes, the story just isn't as strong and marks a rare misstep for writer Taylor Sheridan who leaves the audience not only needing to decide upon the morality of what's displayed, but to guess at the conclusion as well. There are strong performances throughout, excellent action sequences and the whole thing is well shot, but it isn't able to capture the same spark as the original film. A real shame, but still very much watchable.
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