I think Johnny Depp take on Whitey Bulger was to balance him out alittle. Many baaad people have their soft spot as in this case his family and especially his son. 🙂
worst interviewer. unnecessary interruptions, especially to clarify points such as Johnny-johnny Depp, yes, johnny depp! who else was he speaking about in that moment?
The interviewer and lawyer were a waste of time, but the reporter, who at first I did not like, grew on me. He knew what he was talking about. They lawyer was there for the attention maybe because he gave no real insight to the he discussion, oh, just that the victims families loved him. The reporter guy had good issue with some very incorrectly portrayed facts and was realistic about the movies timing in being made, I wish I could have been asking him questions. I would have even let him answer.
Why does Ireland have problem with gangs? I thought being a Western European white nation u would think there would be less crime there. Is it because of Celtic tribal mentallity?
After watching this film several times, The role that was the best developed was that of John Connley, the FBI agent. The Bolger role is the same all the way through.
No bulger starts out seemingly kind but once you see him gunning down people and killing women you realize how fucked up he is. But yeah, Connolly was well developed and you loved to hate him. Personally i thought Steve Flemmis actor Rory Cochrane turned in a great performance too
Jimmy should have took his chances in court, he could have handed himself in and said I was a working for the FBI as a confidential informer ,they wouldn't want it coming out so it's just possible Jimmy would have got a deal and served a sentence of ten or 15 but not life without parole. Just a thought?
According to the movie "The United States of America vs James Bulgur" his decision not to testify was involuntary. That was glossed over and never adequately explained in the movie or anywhere else I have seen. I get the distinct impression that there was an agreement between "Whitey" and the Feds which has never actually been made public. I have to suspect that his testimony regarding this agreement would have been a disaster for the government even if it didn't set the man free. I don't buy the explanation given in the movie about protecting an FBI official at all. It doesn't sound the least bit believable. If it were true they should have paid much more attention and given us more detail to this part of the story. It should have been investigated exhaustively. The way the story was told it sounds like there should have been a body somewhere, or maybe just a disappearance. The lack of detail is disturbing. I wonder if it was "Whitey's" failure--voluntary or otherwise-to follow through on this agreement which lead to the indictments. Maybe they were punishing the man for his failure to hold up his end? I really have to wonder what that agreement would have been. His participation in LSD experiments in prison sound like participation in MK-Ultra. A FOIA request regarding those details might be interesting, but probably heavily redacted, denied entirely, or just lost. I don't believe he was an informant, at least not a reliable one, never. Supposedly, Flemmi had been an informant for the FBI for years. If Flemmi was as high up as they say they should have been able to hand down indictments against "Whitey" years before they did. I am still unsure as to what evidence the feds had to flip Flemmi and Weeks. I didn't see where they could convict those men without their own testimony. It seems ridiculous that Flemmi and Weeks would testify unless they were already headed to prison, and they needed a bargain. What was the evidence against them? Martarano? He doesn't appear to have been involved in most or any of the crimes which would have put Flemmi and Weeks away. There are many questions surrounding that Martarano too. The idea that Kevin and Flemmi flipped because "Whitey" was a rat is nonsense. Even if they believed that why would they admit to crimes which landed themselves in prison even with reduced sentences if they didn't have to? If they believed "Whitey" was a rat they would have just dealt with him as a rat--kill him. The story with Martarano seems even more complicated. According to Wikipedia he went to prison in the early eighties based on information from "Whitey" and Flemmi. If that is true--we need many more details--then he would have had reason to hate "Whitey" already, and Whitey would already have had a reputation as a rat. In 1992, according to Wikipedia, he got into trouble with the law again for his ties to the Genovese family. So, was Martarano even working for Winter Hill after he got out of prison? Why would he if he had been betrayed? Who would trust him to kill if he already had reasons to be disloyal? There are so many questions here I cannot believe we have heard the truth. I have to wonder about the competence and even honesty of "Whitey's" public defender. I say public defender because he says he was appointed to represent him. It is possible that all of "Whitey's" legal avenues to funds had been frozen and he could not afford his own counsel. I am not sure. That is speculation. In the movie "Black Mass" Kevin states that "Whitey" only mattered in Southie. Not true, after the Irish Gang Wars the "Winter Hill Gang" supposedly controlled Charlestown, Dorchester, and Somerville as well. So, that begs the question why they would want "Whitey" as an informant? That is especially true if they already had "Flemmi" who they claim was his right hand man. If Flemmi was as high up as they claim he could have given them all they needed and put "Whitey" behind bars with Jerry Angiulo. Even approaching "Whitey" to act as informant if they already had his number #2 would have been asinine. In short, the evidence that "Whitey" was an informant is slim, very slim. The idea that Flemmi was his number #2 seems laughable. Even if he were #2, why would they then approach "Whitey?"
The guy that played Whitey in the A&E story Mr. Kelly lives here in NJ about 3 Miles from me. Mr. Kelly is actually a retired Boston Housing Authority Cop. He’ll even tell you like I’ve said that Bulger was extremely intelligent. The time line was off and there’s no way they could’ve done this movie without mentioning a ton of other players. The movie would’ve had to have been hours long. And Thank You God, at least it wasn’t Howie Carr sitting down for this interview.
Demographically, what was missing in the movie was Triple O'S bar which no longer exists. Whitey's hangout......I worked in South Boston for years close to Broadway Station and grabbed lunch at the O's frequently in the seventies.
I'll bet "Whitey" kept his business separate his brother Billy's business. I am sure he loved his brother, but he probably felt like his politician buddies were beneath him morally and intellectually. I can't say that I would disagree with that from what I have heard.