I guess I am officially a fan of Taylor Sheridan as a writer. I like pretty much every screenplay he has written. Sicario and Hell or High Water were both nominated for "Best Original Screenplay." The latter was an Oscar nomination. Wind River won the American Indian Film Festival for "Best Film." I also watched the premiere of Yellowstone a couple of weeks ago and was impressed with the writing. I have seen everything Sheridan has written that has been produced. And I have liked all of it. Mark me down as in for whatever screenplay he writes next. Even if it is a third Sicario which inevitably is coming.
Our favorite Sicario is back. Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro) has a beef with the Reyes Cartel. When Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) is called upon to create the pretext for a war with (and between) the cartels, he enlists the aid of his asset, Alejandro. Alejandro is more than happy at an opportunity to inflict damage on the Reyes Cartel. The objective is simple. Abduct Isabel Reyes (Isabela Moner), blame it on a rival cartel, release the child a different part of Mexico and watch the fireworks. Of course, things never go as planned. When police on the cartel payroll engage the US operators, it results in the death of dozens of Mexican police. Engaging the Mexican government was never part of the plan. The political fallout causes the operation to wash out. Leaving Alejandro to survive in hostile territory with the daughter of man he despises. The situation causes some introspection by several of the players actively engaged in the operation.
One thing you can count on with Taylor Sheridan is a complex plot with characters that manage to connect. You can also count on some good opportunities for action and suspense. Sheridan is good at creating complex characters that draw you in to the action. I felt that with this film. The plot was intricate, at times beyond what one might believe, but the story remained compelling enough to keep me engaged. Even when it looked a bit contrived, I didn't care. I was enjoying the ride too much. The pacing of the film was exceptional, making the two hour, two minute run time seem much shorter. The narrative arc led to a surprising twist that managed to sort things out enough to feel rewarding and set up yet another sequel.
Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin are two of my favorite actors. Both are consistently good. I am not familiar with Isabela Moner, who played Isabel Reyes in this story, but I liked her. Her performance made the writing work. Her character was easy to dislike initially, placing the viewers in much the same spot as Del Toro's character at the outset of the story. We begin to warm to her alongside Alejandro, making the chemistry and relationship more credible. The two were exceptional together. Their relationship forms the core of the story, allowing for growth in the characters and a change in the dynamics of the story. The acting worked for me. They did an exceptional job bringing an incredible story an element of credibility. Great casting.
Sicario: Day of the Soldado is a violent film. The story includes executions, suicide bombings and graphic violence. The violence is on par with a war movie, which this film manages to be on one level. The MPAA gave this film an R rating based primarily on the violence and gore factor. The film also had strong language and intense action sequences. The action sequences are eye candy for those who like films like this. But this film may be tense and violent for younger viewers. It is the kind of violence that could lead to nightmares, so use your judgment. The film is not sensual or sexual. The film has a run time of two hours, two minutes.
There were a lot of little things in this film that nagged at me at times. One was the contrivances that I let slide because the story was compelling. There were also some tactical issues that bothered me. In an early sequence we see a special forces team clearing a building at night. The team was not "digging" the corners and were crossing each other's vectors which drove me nuts. I know they were trying to create tension, but the complete lack of tactics was irritating. We also see a team preparing weapons in front of a massive set of windows in a corner room with no curtains drawn. Insanity. But then the film delivered small redemption, like Alejandro press checking a weapon that he takes off a deceased combatant. Soldado is a testosterone-driven film that careens forward on sheer adrenaline. For that reason, I didn't have much time to dwell on the inconsistencies. I was too engaged with the broader story to allow the little things to continue to stir in me.
Sicario: Day of the Soldado is not a perfect film. But it is tense, suspenseful ride. Strong characters, tension, violence and tempered character development make this film engaging enough to recommend a theater screening. While the film had less-than-precise tactical movement and some plot contrivances, the overall feel of the film was exciting. I enjoyed the action, which delivered rapid fire pacing. The story was intricate enough to keep me guessing, while slowly warming to a new character. The film is a stand-along story but clearly sets up at least one more film in the series. I liked this film enough, along with my enjoyment of Sheridan's body of work in general, that I will anxiously await the release of Sicario III. 8/10.
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