Sounds amazing! 


I think I just had some good news... I think... I don't totally understand it. I randomly checked the schedule at my local cinema and they now have Black Mass on the list... but it tells me there are no shows planned, but they are premiering the film on the 15th. Errr... 

But there's a chance! If my finances are good enough... I have some stuff in October that drains my budget... 

 

WhooHoo!

Benedict and Johnny talk about their roles in Black Mass at the BFI screening

I saw Black Mass a few days ago and I liked it very much.  I don't think it was the best movie I have seen, but it was thoroughly entertaining and I felt I got my money's worth. 

I am not a fan of Depp (in fact I can't think of a movie I have seen him in that I ever even enjoyed in the past) but he was excellent in this one IMO. 

And so was Joel Edgerton.  I think it was definitely a movie about their relationship and how Bulger drew the FBI man into his darkness and all the consequences stemming from that. 

IMO BC's character was very underwritten (maybe purposely because of the over arcing theme of the movie) so he really didn't have a big part in it at all.  Too bad - Cumberbatch is so good he could have really ran with the "brother" aspect if that would have been the focus, but it wasn't so you get what you get and deal with it thus.  I don't see how BC could be nominated for BSA though - the role was too miniscule and he just didn't have the screen time to do anything significant with his character.

But when he was on screen he absolutely commanded the space and time of it all. 

And I think he personally enjoyed doing the role for the reasons he stated in the interviews at the BFI premiere. 

So it was a worthwhile endeavour for him as an actor - and that makes me happy!

-Val

I found the film entertaining but not more. I think to explore the relationship between the brothers, their upbringing in South Boston and their very different life choices would have made a more interesting subject than delving so deeply into the FBI connection. IMO Connolly simply was not interesting enough to give him so much screen time. 

Another point that confused me is how we do not realise how much time is passing. The film starts in 1975 and Bulger goes into hiding in 1995. I never felt that the film covers twenty years. The characters' appearances do not change at all. 

As for Depp - he seems quite impressive but I am still not sure if this more due to the work of the make-up department or his acting. 

And I agree with gently - I think by now Benedict should be done with playing minor roles in Hollywood productions. I am a bit tired of watching films (some of which are very good) and waiting for him to appear. But then he did not have much to do last year so this might have been a welcome chance to do something with Johnny Depp. 

Last edited by SusiGo (October 19, 2015 7:22 am)

Yes, absolutely correct. 

miriel68 wrote:

So, ti was a prestigious film, therefore not such a bad choice career wise (and he wouldn't have a single film this year if it weren't for BM), but still it makes me sad that for more than two years now no exciting offer appearead for him, except for dr Strange (sorry, I don't find that one this much exciting), some-so-so-projects which didn't come to life and the infamous LCOZ. 
 

 
Well, I have to think the "exciting offers" that kept him so busy (in preparation and in production) were the filming of the Sherlock Special, filming of Richard III and the staging of Hamlet, which in my book is pretty exciting enough creatively (and garnered enough publicity as well, to put his career front and centre in the media quite nicely IMO). 

So, for me, the fact that he was able to squeeze in a minor role in BM was actually quite remarkable.  He was very busy throughout 2015. 

Benedict has gone on record stating that starring in movies isn't everything for him. Film is just one of many facets of creative/artistic endeavour that he wishes to explore throughout his career, so he will always seem to want to include radio work, audio books, stage, movies and TV in his repertorie. And he seems to consider them all equal in their appeal to him as an artist (whether they all have the same commercial appeal or not).

So his stage work and filming TV projects is a very important part of his career focus and I just think 2015 happened to be a year that his focus was less on movies. 

Who knows what other projects he has in the works?  Well, he and his agent would, but not the general public during the early stages of negotiations. 

Going by the not always reliable information on IMdB it also appears that he is involved as a principle character in the upcoming "The Current War", which could be another big movie.  And IMO that is a pretty exciting project slated for 2016.  Plus he will be dedicating a fair chunk of time to Season 4 of Sherlock.  Wouldn't call either of those project "so-so" at all.

And Ben has also stated that he wants to make his family a top priorty as well, so I wouldn't be surprised if he were to take fewer roles (or smaller roles) for the next little while - especially when his family (either just his new son... or even other babies in the near future) is young.  Some "future projects" are completely personal and private but also very important to him. 

-Val

miriel68 wrote:

[ I do hope new projects are coming, but it certainly seems to me like film industry doesn't now how to use his talent and what to offer him.
 

Which, if true, is not his fault but theirs. 

miriel68 wrote:

Well, this is not exactly what I meant. Hamlet is a fascinating project and allowed me to see B. live on stage, which was pretty exciting as well. But it is HIS project, isn't it? Not something which was "offered" to him. I am looking forward to seeing Richard III and I wanted badly to see B. in that role, so this is an exciting project, as well, Nevertheless, he only accepted it when nothing else apparently was coming (the director said that he was waiting for months for him to say "yes"). It is a classical BBC project for elites and once they asked Hiddlestone, Winshaw and Irons, it was only logical to think they would like B. in it.
As for Sherlock... it is exciting, especially for us, but it is not a new project, it is a continuation of an on-going series.
The fact is, that Benedict was "free to take" from November 2013: he took BM in summer 2014 (didn't really need to "squeeze" anything, unless we are talkin comic-cons and flower shows), and he was busy with Richard & Sherlock for some months. This year he didn't squeeze anything but some a cameo in Zoolander in February - June. I do hope new projects are coming, but it certainly seems to me like film industry doesn't now how to use his talent and what to offer him.
 

 
When I read this I felt like you are saying basically BC can't get any jobs unless he dreams them up himself (Hamlet) or is contractually hemmed in from the past or on going series (Sherlock/Richard III).  If this isn't what you are saying in essence, then I have grossly misinterpreted your post and I apologise.

My belief is much more optimistic. I think he is probably offered lots of interesting material and he has the luxury of choosing what he wants to do rather than just doing everything that is offered him. I think he takes on projects that personally interest him from an actor's POV.  Now maybe his choices aren't what you or I would have picked for him, but they seem to be his choices never the less. 

I think he chose to do the Sherlock special because the writers enticed him (and the other principal actors) with something truly interesting to do.  Didn't the creators even say that he and MF don't really have to do any more Sherlock, but that fact keeps them on their toes because they are forced to come up with ideas that excite "the boys" in order to get them to agree to do it?  That sounds like BC and MF are the dog wagging the tail, not them feeling like they have no choice but to continue with the series of Sherlock.

He chose to do Richard III because it afforded him a great experience to be in an exciting historical production and work with some really quality actors and others.  I can't see it being classified as something that was just done because there was nothing better offered at that time. It wasn't easy for him to do Richard III either.  He had to squeeze it in between flying back and forth from America to the UK when promoting the Oscar run for TIG. 

And although Hamlet was "his project" in the conceptual stage (in contacting LT) it was a huge undertaking that required the complete co-ordination of many talented people who also were driving forces once the idea was imagined.  He even said he gave Turner complete control after he asked if she was interested in doing Hamlet with him, so much so that when she asked him what type of Hamlet he saw himself as, he said basically it was up to her.  I really don't see that sort of thing being the same thing as some sort of a vanity project that he had to convince other people to get involved with just so he could get it done.

He has said that he did BM because it was an interesting experience and one that he learned a great deal from as an actor.  It was something very different for him to do (the Boston accent, the crime drama genre, etc.).  I accept that and believe him at his word because I can see that from his POV this would entirely be a reason for doing it.  He seems innately drawn to jobs that let him grow in some way as actor and regardless of what we personally think about the movie as a whole, he obviously thought it was worthwhile for him as an actor to do.

I don't like every type of movie he has done - I don't like fantasy movies so I will probably never watch the Hobbit movies.  The same goes for his animated work.  And I have to admit comic book character movies aren't my favourite type of movies either, so Dr. Strange doesn't appeal to me on a gut level.  But I am not going to say that they are not worthy of his talent just because they aren't my kind of movie. 

I have also got to admit that sometimes I have gone to a movie that wasn't in my usual wheelhouse and been blown away by it because of what I saw on the screen from a specific actor or the actual writing that elevated the movie out of my personal bias zone and into a special experience (Rush was one that comes to mind, and the same for The Social Network - those are two that I totally resisted going to for a variety of reasons), so I want to leave my mind as open as possible to the possibilities that this Dr. Strange project may bring.  And the way BC has talked about it in recent interviews, my interest is beginning to get piqued, honestly (I think he perfectly capable of making this role really exciting).  Perhaps it will be something truly exciting and innovative to watch.  I also really like the supporting cast they have assembled around Cumberbatch.  That intrigues me as well.

Are there directors/writers out there that I would love for him to colaborate with that would be different from what he has done so far?  Sure - absolutely.  But I believe his future is all out in front of him and he is thoughtful and intelligent enough to look at the "long haul" aspect of his career and dip his toes into many ponds just to see what it feels like along the way. 

His current projects seem to be picked by him for specific reasons and I don't see him being pigeon-holed into things not worthy of him, now or in the future. Actually I see his future as pretty good - he seems completely in control of his own destiny and it looks very bright IMO.

-Val

To come back to all your comments on Black Mass: I will not have time to go to the cinema any time soon but reading your comments makes me less sad about it.

Last edited by Schmiezi (October 23, 2015 5:51 am)