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This is one of the more realistic looks at the border situation and how things escalate with the cartels. While dramatized to an extent, yes, everything you saw in the film does actually happen IRL. There have been incidents such as the house filled with bodies that have happened in AZ. The cinematography was done by one of the masters, Roger Deakins. The director is one of the best working in the business at the moment, Denis Villeneuve.
Sicario is part of a trillogy called "The American Frontier Tillogy" all films written by taylor sherriden. -Sicario -Hell or High Water -Wind River This trillogy is no like other. its a tillogy about the feeling of america. its about struggeling for life. and loosing. Wind River is possibly the most important film of the modern era. and nobody knows about it because of Infinity war. There is a "Sicario 2". but its an action movie. and not directed by sherriden. its still good. but it is NOT part of The American Frontier Trillogy.
@@Hoenhime344 It's only very loosely a trilogy even thematically. It shares certain themes like the failing of fathers, westerns, and of course frontier settings and such, but the movies all tackle wildly different issues at their core. Both Wind River and Hell or High Water are both excellent films though. And while I realize Sheridan and the press like to refer to them as a "frontier trilogy" (not "The Frontier Trilogy", that title belongs to Jethro Compton and his stage plays), even he realizes they are starkly different given the main topic each one tackles. He did also direct Wind River as well as write it, and did an amazing job considering it was his second film behind the camera.
imo, Graver’s demeanor can come across as unnerving because we know these types of ppl exist in real life. Functional sociopaths/psychopaths. Doesn’t necessarily mean they’re “bad” (many in fact are morally abiding) but folks tend to be wary around those who seem comfortable navigating the most savage aspects of the human psyche/condition. Perhaps because there’s an innate understanding that they’re more than capable of expressing those aspects at any given moment.
@@ItsDefOver9000 It isn’t even about being a functional sociopath/psychopath, there are certain neurological disorders that have nothing to do with sociopathy or psychopathy that can make people seem extremely calm in high stress or dangerous situations. For example, people like myself who have ADHD, our brains aren’t producing the same brain waves as someone who doesn’t have ADHD, so for lack of a better term, most of our brains are kind of half asleep until we receive large amounts of external stimulation, or take a stimulant medication. I’m not saying that Josh Brolin’s character has ADHD, but there are lots of people who do have ADHD who could seem completely unfazed and almost jovial in those same situations.
Benicio Del Torro's character was a force of nature in this movie. A primal monster who could not be stopped. Could not be bargained with. Could not be deterred. Without pity or remorse or a hint of kindness. His humanity stripped away.
But what I really like was how predatorial he was. Swift and most importantly, silent. Like a tiger stalking its prey. Cool and deliberate. Too often in revenge movies the character turns into a rage monkey. Not here. Perfection here.
I agree with all of that except the last part. I think he expressed all of those traits toward Kate in the end. His total commitment to his mission was greater than those traits though which, to me, makes him an even more compelling and terrifying character. He would have felt bad about killing her, but would have done it if he felt it needed to be done. He makes me think of Kurtz's speech in "Apocalypse Now", about the VC going into the village and chopping off the arms of the children vaccinated by his Special Forces team. "And then I realized they were stronger than we. Because they could stand that. These were not monsters. These were men… trained cadres. These men who fought with their hearts, who had families, who had children, who were filled with love… but they had the strength… the strength… to do that." Kurtz was insane, of course, but I think Alejandro was the kind of man he was imagining.
One of the reasons that the tension builds so well in Sicario is because we as the viewers are in the same boat as our main protagonist: knowing only what we need to know at any given time (which is, terrifyingly, little). It removes the omniscient point of view that we usually have when watching movies, where we know more than the characters and can feel comforted in that knowledge. In Sicario? We're as blind as she is. It's a storytelling style that wouldn't work for every type of movie, but for this, it is absolutely masterful.
You’re getting close. Kate was what is known as a false protagonist. At the end of the movie the background of Alejandro unfolds and we learn the story was about him all along. The movie was always about Alejandro.
Talk about body language, go to the scene with Alejandro and the Cartel Boss' family at the dinner table. Watch the wife slowly drop her head after Alejandro tells her husband, "Don't forget about my daughter." She knows she's ignored all the evil that he's done but now it's time to pay the bill and they are dead. Also pay attention to the Cartel Boss' shoulders throughout the scene. His shoulders are back and his frame is strong and unbroken until Alejandro shoots the family. His shoulders are then sagging as he's been broken and is now too terrified to even move. Both the actor and actress did such an amazing job in the scene and it's overlooked.
Yup, also note how he speaks English a majority of the time, except for the line "Time to meet God" because in that moment he's not talking to the boss, but to his Family, he believes they will go to heaven as they are truely innocent, but he won't
that shooting sound at the end of the movie in the soccer game is such a powerful scene... how they react, and everything keeps going like it is sadly part of their lives
@@MaxstallfishDenton watch his other collabs with the director Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners [2013] & Blade Runner 2049 [2017]). Amazing the consistency in their work across different stories and genres
@@DirByHasan I've only watched Prisoners once. It's SO good, but I could never watch it again. It's every bit as bleak as this movie, and just so depressing. Absolutely recommend it. Still haven't watch BR2049 but I know I need to.
I would like to have seen a movie with Kate, where she does move to a small town. Becomes sheriff and ends up dealing with drugs creeping into her small town world. We see her deal with it in her way; by the book, “where the rule of law still applies”. But in the end, she can’t stop what’s coming, and she finally realizes what Matt meant an Alejandro warned her about. And after successfully stopping the local drug lord, she peers out onto the horizon. The movie closing on her view of the tiny road leading into her town.
He’s been on a crazy run since 2013. Prisoners, Sicario, Arrival, Blade Runner 2049, Dune Part One and Two. I haven’t seen Enemy but I’ve also great things.
One of the coolest things I’ve experienced is running into Benito Del Toro in San Juan. In the city, there are small areas with benches and fountains for people to sit and relax. As we were bar-hopping the night before a wedding, a big group of us stopped for a few minutes to sit while we figured out where to walk next. Sitting in the dark on a bench smoking a cigarette by himself was none other than Benicio. A couple guys in our group live in LA, and one of them had met BDT before. He broke the ice and we all talked to him a little bit. Really nice guy, and he was just kind of relaxing by himself, watching the downtown nightlife. The vibe was very similar to him in this movie, minus the violence, and he smiled more.
The movie took the position that a sense of ethics is just an illusion, a "small-town" luxury that gets paid for every day by someone else. It's so hard for her to sign that letter, while the policeman lives in a place where he has to compromise himself every day, it's just... Wednesday.
Yes, that is true. I used to work for a funeral home and it's a very distinctive smell. That's why when I watch movies that have these type of scenes my brain is triggered and I can smell it all over again
And the only dead bodies I've ever encountered were of relatives that were readied up for funerals, and those are already 'beautified' and perfumed up to mask it. I dread the day I ever encounter one that wasn't prepped.
I remember smelling death on the snakes my dad would crush the heads of. Then later the deer as he skinned and prepped them for eating. Then my grandpa when they cremated him. The smell of burning hair is the most pungent, right up there with flesh. It isn't something I'll forget.
19:24 that’s the sound of a rag being shoved in one’s mouth, water boarding is what comes next. The rag absorbs water and simulates drowning without actually drowning.
Seeing the cook/maid at the end is such a great detail. The recce team tell him there are X people at the property, he counts down and then heads straight to the target.
The explosion in the intro to the movie is genius. Because of that scene, it gives the feeling that anything could happen at any time, and that’s why every scene where they’re on a mission feels so intense. The explosion establishes the rest of the movie in that way.
The Americans wanted the head drug leader dead--they used the Sicario to do it--fulfilling 2 agendas. I suspect that the Mexican officer was deeply conflicted about what he was doing--hence, drinking in the early morning hours. That closing scene between Blunt and Del Toro really drove home she no longer could work there. He essentially dared her to shoot him--and she could not. At the close of the movie, how regular people lived with extreme violence while trying to embrace family activities. What a nightmare.
It's simple. You work for them or lose your life,or a family member. Saw a DEA officer on Joe Rogan. He told of HANDPICKED Mexican police officers,soldiers,and marines,trained by USA to deal with cartels. They went back to Mexico, eliminated cartels,AND TOOK OVER THEIR OPERATIONS THEMSELVES. Look for that episode,it will turn your stomach. This happened 35 to 40 years ago.
Obviously now you have to watch "Wind River" & "Hell Or High Water", cuz they're all part of "The Frontier Trilogy". They're not actually connected story-wise, but they're all sooo worth watching!
I would absolutely add "Prisoners" to that list. My favorite Hugh Jackman performance (sorry Wolverine) and such a tense thriller. I also loved "Blade Runner 2049". Denis may be the most consistently amazing director working right now.
One of the best takes I've heard of the end is that Alejandro felt he was helping Kate. By holding the gun on her she had to sign or die, to him he was lessening her guilt over signing against her principles.
Other notable details often overlooked: - Reggie finally realizes what’s going on, reciting doctrine with Matt when he gave up and told them the real reason for having a domestic agency present. Reggie knew it verbatim because of his law degree, hence Matt’s “no lawyers on this train” at the beginning when screening both of them. - The beautiful sunset/tunnel raid scene you start to really get the full weight of the actual Sicario’s significance; the Delta boys in camo all have infrared(green) night vision, Alejandro in all black has thermal(black/white) night vision, and all shown shots are from each’s perspective. - Alejandro only uses 3 lethal shots for the 3 family members, 2 for Fausto: Clearly intentional, 1st round went to his throat for just a little more suffering after watching his family die, then 2nd round to the head to end it. Second Sicario is a decent action movie, but it’s a crime of how short it falls to its impeccably well-made first film
I haven't seen it, but I've heard nothing but praise for Stallone's acting and dedication to the production of that film. One thing I really remember is hearing that he was willing to put something like 40 pounds of weight on for the role.
This is one of the funniest movies ever watch someone react to. You don't realize until the end that it is not Kate's story. That it is Alejandro's it is such an incredibly dark but well done movie
Denis Villeneuve did this. Hes got crazy visuals, cinematography, and sound design. Hes the guy that did Arrival, the Dunes, blade runner 2049, and prisoners. *Edit. Both 'Dune' movies.
The perfect description of Alejandro that Matt gave is so chilling. Alejandro was a prosecutor who worked against the cartels through the legal system and when they took his family from him he became a sword - an indiscriminate weapon to be wielded against those he wanted vengeance on and Matt and the CIA just happen to be who is wielding the sword at this very moment
3:35 exactly! The fact that that guy was just standing there unfased while everyone else is struggling make me so curious about his history. Makes me think he has been through this way too many times and after seeing this he knew exactly what was how things were going to happen next. Looked like he was thinking "well here we go again."
And the night vision that you were commenting on, are actually thermal imaging goggles, meaning that you are actually looking at the heat signature of everything around you, it’s much better for going underground where they were going, and there is no ambient light for regular night vision goggles to pick up.
this movie is a masterclass in building tension, there are so many youtube videos dissecting the border crossing scene, it is top tier cinema, so happy you noticed and mentioned.
This was unlike anything I'd ever seen in my life. It's a shame that more people don't know about this movie, because everything about it was damn near perfect. The characters, the plot, the cinematography, the writing. Not to mention the music was friggin phenomenal.
I'm not that emotional when I watch the movie, but when I watched Sicario, I was more tense and terrified of all that's happening than from ANY horror movie. The tone, the action, the dialogues, the atmosphere, it's all so on point, that you afraid of what happened next, but you can't stop
It’s amazing how real this movie depiction is. In all actuality the cartel violence in Mexico is 1000 times worse than what this movie shows. There are tens to hundreds of beheadings everyday in Mexico.
"All I hear when Brolin talks is Thanos"-Steven Funny, all I can hear when Brolin talks is Brand yelling, "Im gonna hit you so hard, when you wake up, your clothes are gonna be out of style! Mikey!!" 😂
The goal wasn't to get revenge for Alejandro. The Americans just worked with him because his goal aligned with theirs, they both wanted the Mexican bossman dead, just for different reasons.
An interesting detail that many may have missed, is the reasoning for Brolin choosing Kate for the mission instead of Reggie. Kate has never worked "cases"(investigation/detective work?) and kicked in frontdoors since day 1. Reggie on the other hand had a ROTC scholarship, did a tour in Iraq but most importantly, got a law degree. So while both Kate and Reggie are experienced lawmen, the latter is more educated. So choosing the one who has been on the frontline since day 1 and never sat on a schoolbench is a nobrainer, easier to keep her in the dark. See 34:53, in which Reggie know some of the legal framework for CIA to operate domestically.
She was new and navive to the cartels.Her character was the audiences character,showing how ruthless the cartels are so that the audience see it through her eyes. Brolin used her because of CIA not being allowed to operate domesticly...But,the CIA does have a way to do that and that's a way complicated issue.
Not shown in this video but in the movie, Reggie also specifically tells Kate to avoid "these types of guys" because he's seen them do work in the sandbox and its best not to get involved. I think it was during the bus scene when Reggie calls Matt over to ask what they were doing, Matt specifically even says "f**kin' lawyers" because like you said, Reggie isn't just another crayon chewing bloodthirsty doorkicking canoe club member (IYKYK).
@@Project153 That's a good point, tying it to Reggie doing a tour in Iraq and having prior experiences with the CIA. It's been a long time since I've seen the movie, so just went from memory regarding this reaction video.
A couple of years ago i watched Sicario: Day of the Soldado, thinking it was a standalone film. Loved it. About a year ago decided to rewatch it on an airplane and accidentally watched this film. Took me 30 minutes to decide i hadn't seen it before and later realized i watched these two films out of order. To this day i still prefer part 2, but both are amazing.
Bolin's character is only asking Kate those questions to see her vulnerability to compromise or threats. If was married with kids, that's a big problem. And Alejandro's comment at the end - "You will not survive here. You are not a wolf. And this is the land of wolves now." And was worried when Kate pointed the gun at him off the balcony since he warned her in the tunnel, "Do ever point a gun at me again." I was waiting from to turn, drop to a knee and end her.
I had a little different take on Alejandro when it came to Kate. He was protecting her all through the movie. Telling her to take her service weapon out at the border crossing. Saving her from the dirty cop. Shooting her in the vest in the garage was the best of two choices. And in her apartment at the end, he made her sign the paper, because even if he didn't kill her, someone else would. As Alejandro said, she reminded him of his daughter.
Alejandro absolutely had no intention of killing Kate when she was aiming at him. You'll notice he turned around and squared up with his hands completely down. There's multiple layers to that. Alejandro was alright with dying at that point because he'd completed his path of revenge. However, he also wanted to test Kate's resolve. If she pulled the trigger, she's become a "wolf" and was cut throat enough to replace him. If she didn't pull the trigger, she kept her righteous resolve and pure good morality, as he would have wanted a daughter to do. Either way, Alejandro would be proud of Kate's decision.
Matt and Alejandro's characters were insane but Matt's is the scarier one because he's enjoying all the shit going down. Great movie and great reaction
i love how you said it should be the Alexandro movie when the movie is called sicario which in the first few seconds of the movie explained that sicario means hitman and Alexandro is the hitman they make the movie seem to be about Kate when its really about Alexandro. :)
Prisoners is another one by Denis Villeneuve. Different from this movie but just as good. And the writer for this movie also wrote Wind River, perhaps the most underrated film of the past decade.
You kept commenting the gorgeous shots in this film so I feel compelled to tell you that one of the greatest (if not THE greatest) directors of photography, Roger Deakins, is responsible for this absolute masterpiece. Previous work includes movies like Shawshank Redemption, Blade Runner 2049 and Skyfall (amongst many other beautiful films).
“What is happening there” @19:27 that would be water boarding. You put a towel or cloth over someone’s mouth and you poor water into it. The person gags and coughs a ton because it mimics drowning. The giveaway is the large water chug
hell or high water and wind river are the next two in the trillogy. The American Frontier Trilogy. sicario 2 is ok... but its an action film. and not directed my sherriden
What alot of ppl miss about Alejandro killing Silvio is that he does it to ensure the safety of Silvio's family. Had he been allowed to live the cartel may well have considered him a traitor and punished him through his wife and son. Him getting killed during this infiltration clears his name in the eyes of his employer Its why Alejandro tells him when they are driving out into the desert that everything that is happening is for his (Silvio's) family. In a way, it has double meaning
A lot of people miss that once Benecio starts in on the prisoner. He’s not using the water jug. The drain is shown to be dry. The instrument he’s using to torture the prisoner is behind his zipper.
In case you're curious, at 41:00 he's not talking about the CIA running the drug cartel. He's saying it's easier to monitor and police a single drug cartel vs many.
React to the film: THE LIGHTHOUSE (2019), another insane psychological horror from A24, intense, sinister and with powerful performances, it's worth checking out.
Nikki/Steven love your channel! This was a great movie to react to. To answer your question Nikki, yes, this stuff really does happen. I have a few friends that have cousins and uncles in the cartel and the stories they tell me that they hear from them can give you nightmares for weeks. In south america its even worse. The people are so desensitized to death that people left can be left on the streets dead for days and no one will do or say anything, mainly cause they know what'll happen if they try in involve themselves. Everyone in those crazy areas just try to live out their life without involving themselves, or they are apart of it whether they want to be or not.
Such a good movie great cinematography believable characters and pushes the viewer into uncomfortable situations so much tension, and the music score fantastic Kate represents the viewer
i've got 2 things to add to this. 1: This is probably one of the best examples of a movie that has no heroes both sides are horrible people doing horrible things. 2: At the end she proves his point about not being a wolf, a wolf would have shot him without hesitation, the final look between them is the moment she realises he is right and that she is not the kind of person that can survive in his world
The Pre-op briefing scene in the begining is one of the most realistic style briefings ive ever seen in a movie. While it isn't 10/10, it is a solid 8/10.
Final scene with the boys playing soccer (futbol) amidst the rapid gunfire (background) was a glimpse of typical life on the Mexican side of the southern border at Juarez
Your reaction is pretty much how I felt watching it for the first time. Tight, claustrophobic, boxed in and intense. Such a great film with a superb cast. Del Torro is stone cold in this and it's defo worth a second or even third watch. Nice reaction guys.
There are posters of just moments in film. I have a few dozen, not to mention alternative posters. I love how your mind went there Nikki, and Steven likes that idea too!
Benicio gives one of the truly chilling performances of our time. He's so scary cause you can tell he's trying to hold on to some humanity but those eyes...they let us know he's too far gone.
I think pretty much any movie with Roger Deakins as the Cinematographer (many if not most of the Coen brothers movies, etc) looks insanely good - a master.
From what I have heard, the one complaint most have about this movie is how Emily Blunt's character acts so unprofessional, rogue, and unprepared. Someone with her experience in that job would not be as opposed to everything as she is and reckless. Add to it how quickly she went back to the room with John Bernthal.
One of the best films every time I see someone watch it I wanna watch it again! Roger Deakins killed it with the cinematography. Roger Deakins - Blade Runner 2049, 1917, Prisoners, Sicario, No Country, True Grit 2010, he's a visionary. And J. Johansson (RIP) for the brilliant score.
This movie is so damn good, Benicio is just the GOAT. I didn't liked the 2nd one though but this is one of those movies that are done with care and it shows, it's just perfect 🔥