Johnny Depp lives up to his potential in this violent gangster film, showing audiences that he is more than just pirates and whimsical, imaginary characters. Scott Cooper’s "Black Mass" brings to life the story of one of the FBI’s most wanted criminals—but the performances are far stronger than the film itself. 

The crime film narrates the true story of an infamous mobster of south Boston, Jimmy ‘Whitey’ Bulgar, and his alliance with FBI agent John Connolly (Joel Edgerton) to take down a common enemy: the Boston Mafia. The movie is based on the 2001 book "Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob," by Dick Lehr. At times, the film is just a blur of blood, gunshots, and dead bodies. Depp, however, does an excellent job depicting Bulgar - he’s cruel, ruthless, and downright scary. It’s been awhile since he’s done some serious acting, and this role shows us just how versatile of an actor Depp is. Don’t get me wrong, I love his many collaborations with Tim Burton - they are a dynamic duo. But "Pirates of the Caribbean" is getting old and I’m tired of seeing Johnny in dreads performing stunts on a ship. 

While the director made an excellent choice with the main lead, there’s something missing in the movie —the acting is strong, but the storyline falls flat. Edgerton makes it so easy for you to doubt Connolly, and that’s exactly how it should be. However, in terms of depth of character, Bulgar could have been more interesting. You’re left wanting more from Whitey, but you only see the criminal, vile side of him. Sure, he loves his son, his wife, his mother and his brother, state senator Billy Bulgar (Benedict Cumberbatch), but in the two-hour long film, we never get to see Bulgar telling his side of the story.  Also, on that note about Benedict...why was he cast in this role again? Being a Cumberbatch fan, seeing him in something more than a supporting role just seemed out of place in this particular film. Cumberbatch wasn’t given much screen time, so when we do get to see him, he isn’t doing anything special, and that may be because his role doesn’t allow him to. In short, Cooper should have chosen a lesser known actor to play Bulgar’s brother, because Cumberbatch could have been doing something better with his time. 

The film is reminiscent of Martin Scorsese’s "The Departed" ; sure enough, the first words you hear on the screen allude to the symbol used throughout the Academy Award winning movie: “I am not a rat.” However, "Black Mass" brought out the best in Johnny Depp, and Johnny Depp brought out the best in "Black Mass." The acting was strong, but the story could have been stronger. 

Reach Staff Reporter Ani Mosinyan here. Follow her on Twitter.