Sicario: Day of the Soldado

The admirable intentions are unfortunately overshadowed by the routine of the execution and the script (especially in relation to the expectations). The story offers enough action in the space of two hours, confronts its protagonists in an interesting way, and ends in a Hollywoodesque and daring fashion, but I still wasn’t satisfied. The characters remain woefully underdeveloped and superficial, and the plot doesn't escalate as a self-contained complex work, but rather as an introductory episode of something much larger – something I'm still willing to forgive in the future, if a third part is made that will close and complete everything. What I’m not forgiving, however, is the lacklustre staging and the clumsy development of the story, which consists of a series of stacked plans and missions whose (non-)fulfilment only creates the backdrop for an interesting and dramatic, but unsatisfyingly ramified conflict between morality and pragmatism in a world without rules. Once again Brolin and Benicio's acting is top-notch and it’s their characters that make me look forward to the likely conclusion, but I'm hoping for a much more personal and thoughtful approach, this deep-faced yet emotionally cold action flick won't leave a great impression... 60% (17/09/2018)

It’s not Villeneuve and the screenplay is a bit wobbly, but Sicario 2 is still way above average. Arabs walking through Mexico to blow up supermarkets are giving the Yankees a headache, so Brolin is brought in to deal with it and he in turn orders Del Toro to deal with it. I like the contrast between the messy action here and the spectacular action of the first film. Loads of fantastic scenes, sign language with a farmer and an execution in the desert. It's really good, but the first one is simply better. And Deakins is sorely missed. (28/04/2019)

The fate of the women in the second Sicario is either to look on sadly (Catherine Keener) or to be rescued by men (Isabela Moner) who, when solving problems, apply the logic of “when force doesn’t work, use military force”. In this respect, the film does not much differ from its predecessor, though Sheridan’s ostentatious nihilism and desire to shoot a vicious film and vicious people take on parodic proportions. The “philosophy” of the film is best captured by the motto of Brolin’s character, “F*ck it all”. Sollima’s direction is mundane and Wolski only imitates Deakins through mannerisms. For the most part, the scenes are shallow and devoid of atmosphere and tension (because, among other things, all of the characters are such assholes that you do not care about them at all). The only authentic moment comes when Del Toro’s antihero can drop his forced macho pose for a moment and carry on some quite ordinary “human” dialogue (albeit with sign language). The extreme slowness given by the mechanical narrative (one bad plan is replaced by another, even worse plan, over and over again), the lack of catharsis and resulting unsatisfying resolution does not come across as an attempt to express existential anxiety caused by a world overrun with evil to such an extent that there is no way out, but rather only as the result of shoddy work and the compulsion to make a sequel at any cost. In the bizarre climax, where the remnants of logic vanish and we become witnesses to the birth of a monster, the film comes close in its exaggerated nature to the later work of Sam Peckinpah (e.g. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia), but without the crucial sense of humour, which Taylor Sheridan unfortunately does not possess. This sequel is absolutely unnecessary, but it’s probably not the last one. I will be surprised if, after a week, I remember anything other than Josh Brolin’s stylish footwear (crocs) while inflicting psychological torture – the effectiveness of which, by the way, the film does not question in any way (unlike Zero Dark Thirty). 45% (28/06/2018)

Josh Brolin is, for at least the second time in his life, "special" in a movie that is unflinching, but one that is neither better, nor as good as the previous. Sollima knows how to strike mafia poses, ruthless glances, and climactic action passages. He can create a solid atmosphere and stunning scenes of destruction (the convenience store bombing). But where the first film managed to tell a story with global subtext and issues, the second film tells a simple personal story of individuals, where the global scope serves only as a kind of framing device – present in the image, but quite uninvolved and self-serving. The character of Benicio Del Toro is underused and even less exploited, but the fans of Matt Graver will be in for a treat. Brolin excels especially towards the end, and not just because cinematographer Wolski impressively allows him to. He says a lot with his eyes, and even more with his gestures. Things are set up for another sequel, and it will probably turn out well, but the first one is a film going in a completely different direction than this sequel. (29/06/2018)

Bigger, but not heavier. Sheridan repeats his interest in macho characters a lot, as if he is able to garner less and less from the dark environment of contemporary America. He focuses only on the depressing scenes this time, which do not form as much of a devastating and mysterious whole. But the craft of Soldado is very good, making it a thriller with tempo and atmosphere. Even in the strongest moments, however, it still looks more like a successful imitation of a film that managed to make the audience vibrate with tension below the surface. A lot of Soldado happens on the surface, but that doesn't take the wind out of Sicaro's sails. Benicio Del Toro's laser vision and lawless landscape are still here. (01/07/2018)