Yes No Maybe So: Johnny Depp and Yet Another Hairpiece in 'Black Mass'
Monday, April 27, 2015 at 12:40PM 
Margaret here... Johnny Depp is struggling -- as much as anyone who commands a ten-figure salary and goes home to a private island can be said to be struggling. His last real hit was the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean movie in 2011, and it's been even longer since critics have had much nice to say about one of his performances. He's looking for a comeback, and it looks like he may have one in Scott Cooper's Whitey Bulger biopic Black Mass, due later this year.
Warner Brothers recently debuted footage of Black Mass at CinemaCon, and the buzz was very positive. The first official trailer was released not long after, which means we can now weigh in on whether the people who are starting to throw the O-word around are on to something, or just experiencing the power of low expectations.
trailer and YNMS breakdown after the jump
YES
- Adam Scott looks oddly perfect with a 70s mustache. It feels right.
- ....Hmm. Hmmmmmm. I'm going to need help with this section. Suggestions in the comments
NO
- Fans of the early footage have praised Depp for appearing unrecognizable, but isn't a funky hairpiece and heavy makeup kind of his signature look?
- Playing the role of The Girl is 25-year-old Dakota Johnson, and yes, a quick Google confirms that she's playing a love interest to 51-year-old Depp. Not sure whether to laugh or weep.
Adam Scott giving a 70s vibe
MAYBE SO
- Reading the synopsis gives one a powerful sense of deja vu. "1970s South Boston something-something Irish mobster something-something collaborate with FBI something-something ruthless gangster." This film is going to need a lot of fresh ideas, and a truly interesting central performance, to be more than just a two-hour cluster of tropes.
So far I'm a pretty firm "No". Who has convincing arguments to the contrary?
Reader Comments (24)
I get the vibe that Warner Brothers has faith in the film. I wouldn't predict it yet, based on this, but it's not outside the realm of possibility either.
Quality level wise, though, it looks like about what you'd expect. Depp would have to do Donnie Brasco level work again to come close to being interesting.
Were Whitey Bulger's eyes really that creepy? Johnny Depp looks more like a vampire than a mob boss.
I don't even have to watch the trailer to be a no. In the spirit of full disclosure, Depp has never been a favorite of mine, but his instance on merely cashing paychecks for the better part of a decade, coupled with recycling the same performance ad infinitum, has soured me enough not to be interested until he at least pretends that he enjoys doing what he does and wants to challenge himself.
Margaret: Oh MAN was that bad. I remember when Depp was ACTUALLY interesting as an actor. And NOPE. I don't buy this as an Oscar movie. They're not HUGE on the gangster/crime genre outside of Oscar brands (Godfather, Scorsese, Beatty) and this doesn't look like it's giving anything special. Not in terms of aesthetic, not in terms of performance and certainly not in terms of scripting.
It'd be nice if Johnny Depp actually gets good reviews again.
I know a lot (including Nate) will disagree, but I think he was really good in ITW.
Overall I'm a Maybe, but for Johnny I think I'll always be mostly a Yes.
Yes, I just can't give up on him... come what may.
I'm a yes on this for now. I'm tired of Depp's antics like most are but much like the American Sniper teaser, this was effective. Hopefully, though, Black Mass will be a MUCH better film.
It is hard to feel sorry for him, especially considering he did "The Lone Ranger" which lost approximately $200 Million, not to mention "Mordecai" where he was awful again.
He's been over-indulged for years, and should be in rehab, for substance/alcohol abuse.
His current unprofessional behaviour on the current "Pirates" film has cost the studio both time and money. He's lost a lot of respect and goodwill.
Having said all that, I do hope "Black Mass" shows some of the talent he is capable of. He better pray that it does, because if it doesn't, he is on the verge of torching his career.
But he still has a lot of money.
"Playing the role of The Girl is 25-year-old Dakota Johnson, and yes, a quick Google confirms that she's playing a love interest to 51-year-old Depp. " Is it me or has it gotten actually worse over the years? Like when was the last time we saw a genre movie where the love interest was over 30 years of age? And continuity in sequels don't count.
No no no no no no no. He looks like Leonardo diCaprio in ten years. Terrifying.
The results are usually gross for people with dark colored eyes wearing blue contacts. Hence the extremely White Chicks appearance of Depp in the trailer.
I suspect this movie will be better than average. I like the genre. None of the familiarity of the material bothers me.
Sorry, he's off my list. After what he did to the character of Barnabas Collins, for that alone he should be exiled to dinner theater. What a waste of a career.
I'm just confused as to why we're not talking more about the fact that he looks made up like a parody of Leo DiCaprio in J. EDGAR -- which was a parody in itself.
Isn't this Depp doing Depp,he has played dress up for so long that this looks like more of the same.
Is Johnny Depp even capable of looking like a real person?
Brookesboy - I liked Dark Shadows a lot (and not just for Eva Green's performance).
Why do I feel dirty for typing that?
Gah, will Hollywood ever stop remaking GOODFELLAS?
Kermit: Because you like the aesthetic and every performance EXCEPT Depp's and on some level you agree with the growing dismissal of Depp even if you don't hate Dark Shadows on the whole?
Kermit, I grew up on Dark Shadows, so I took that one very personally. Burton and Depp turned a tragic hero into a cartoon. My whole body gets in an uproar just thinking about it.
Depp does look like he should be playing Nosferatu. The movie looks like out takes from the entire Scorcesse filmography.
Watching the performance in that trailer, everything I haven't already seen in Goodfellas, I've seen in The Departed.
That's a NO.
Whats the problem with the make-up!?!? He is doing someyhing diferent and he will be nominated. All of you are contaminated by your anti-Depp felling. Fuck you.
I usually see Dep films for the co-stars but no one in this is pulling me in. That script sucked.
Not at all.
LOL @ all the haters here. This movie is great, Depp is incredible.