Sicario

I don't think Blunt as an actress was the weak link in this movie. Now before I go on, I actually really liked this movie on balance. But I have to say that what took me out of it were the "female cliches" that Blunt's character displayed, and that's the fault of the writer and director, and that may be what leads to the perception of Blunt being the weak link. Female movie cliche #1: female character experiences violence in a sexual context (when she brings Jon Bernthal's character home for makeout sex and it become violent). Cliche #2: under extreme stress, female character breaks down in tears (at the end).

If it was just one of those, I wouldn't have noticed, but both cliches together for the same character for me was a black mark on an otherwise ****ing awesome film. Whether or not you think it is realistic or not, it is a little bit of lazy writing there.
 
I get what you're saying. But I think they were aware of those things.

I mean her character is a bad ass SWAT team leader. But the point of the film was to show that this Cartel business is next level ****.
 
The Endless said:
I get what you're saying. But I think they were aware of those things.

I mean her character is a bad ass SWAT team leader. But the point of the film was to show that this Cartel business is next level ****.
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Yeah, I totally get that. One of the things I love about the movie is that it starts off as a crime drama, but maybe about halfway through we the audience suddenly realize we're watching a war movie, reflecting the protagonists dawning realization that they're totally in over their heads.

The thing is, you could replace Emily Blunt's badass SWAT leader with a male character (let's just say Chris Evans for argument's sake) and those cliched scenes I mentioned don't make any sense. Do you think Chris Evans starts crying at the end? Do you think Chris Evans brings Jon Bernthal home, and they start making out and then beat the crap out of each other?

Actually, the last scene would be pretty hot. If you'll excuse me for a minute ...
 
yeah I didnt have a problem with Blunt's character. But I am glad she wont be back (which is usually a sign of sequelitis if she did return), Alejandro is the star of the movie at the end of the day, I want to see where his character goes.
 
A hypothetical Chris Evans breaking down would be a powerful scene. See also Snowpiercer.

As for the sexualized violence, that is ultimately of a piece with the rest of the film wherein tgeen of the CIA world are shown to be caught up in a very sexualized machismo. There is a bizarrely sexual threat in Del Toro sticking his crotch Ina mans face before interrogating him. When the CIA guys pin Blunts partner they joke with the la gauge of sexualized violence. "Just let it happen."
 
redhawk23 said:
A hypothetical Chris Evans breaking down would be a powerful scene. See also Snowpiercer.

As for the sexualized violence, that is ultimately of a piece with the rest of the film wherein tgeen of the CIA world are shown to be caught up in a very sexualized machismo. There is a bizarrely sexual threat in Del Toro sticking his crotch Ina mans face before interrogating him. When the CIA guys pin Blunts partner they joke with the la gauge of sexualized violence. "Just let it happen."
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That is an interesting take, thank you for that. I guess for me, the whole Jon Bernthal scene, after I had time to reflect on the movie as a whole, reminded me of the slasher movie cliché where the girl who displays the most sexual characteristics gets killed early on, usually very brutally and usually in a sexualized manner as well, almost as a kind of divine punishment.
 
Pink Ranger said:
That is an interesting take, thank you for that. I guess for me, the whole Jon Bernthal scene, after I had time to reflect on the movie as a whole, reminded me of the slasher movie cliché where the girl who displays the most sexual characteristics gets killed early on, usually very brutally and usually in a sexualized manner as well, almost as a kind of divine punishment.
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The sexual politics at play are certainly a lot to chew on, especially since Blunt's character is probably the least sexual character. It's actually why her partner pushes her to go out in the first place. And then...it ends badly .
 
In this context, it's the world of the drug trade. Violence against women is going to happen no matter what position their in and in the real world. I don't think there's anything wrong with having strong female characters where violence happens to them as long as they're well rounded and human beings. It's part of the world and it can be patronizing when you avoid things like that. They're hard truths but if handled correctly, it shows the ugly side of how badly women can be treated by men. The problem is the film cliches take away from the valid principle of it all.
 
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Yeah, I have no problem with Emily Blunt getting shot in the chest or getting her ass kicked in the line of duty, but I didn't like the other cliches in the film.
 
Eh, cliches are fine if done right, female portrayals included, except in that case you gotta be more in tuned to it before you do it and know it's about something. And it happened to fit in the context of the world so it's really a no issue.
 
Stefano Sollima on Sicario 2 aka Soldado

https://thefilmstage.com/news/sicario-3-already-in-the-works/
Sollima has now revealed plans to make more than just one sequel. “The idea is to make three anthology movies with some of the core actors and [set] in the same world,” he says. “It’s not a real sequel. It’s absolutely a standalone movie — a completely different story with just two of the characters that you met in Sicario.

The reason that I love [Soldado] is because it’s not exactly a sequel; it’s something you can catch and enjoy even if you haven’t watched the first one.” He also notes Blunt was never expected to return, and that “the antagonists are now absolutely the main characters.”

“I loved Sicario,” he adds. “I feel the movie was quite similar to my approach so, to me, I’m just shooting another movie. Soldado will be much more cinematic than Sicario was; it’s got an incredible amount of huge action sequences in there. It will be a different journey in the same world. Even the theme is different – it’s not drug dealing, it’s more on immigration.”
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You know when someone has to say it's not a sequel that many times, then it's probably a sequel.
 
Again this is a problem when studios are looking at the wrong data.
 
Does he mean in terms of scope? Because the cartels and their activities is huge. So it is understandable.
 
“Sicario” Sequel To Be Darker, More Brutal

By Garth Franklin -
Tuesday, August 2nd 2016 9:02 am
http://cdn2.darkhorizons.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/sicario-sequel-to-be-darker-more-brutal.jpg

One of the more surprising but welcome sequel announcements in the past year or so was that Denis Villeneuve’s exquisitely crafted drug war drama “Sicario” would be getting a follow-up entitled “Soldado” with the original film’s scribe Taylor Sheridan already working on the script.
Shortly after came the news that “Gomorrah” director Stefano Sollima would take over as director, while the focus will shift to Benicio Del Toro’s character and Josh Brolin’s agency handler would also make a return appearance.
Collider recently got to speak with Sheridan about the film at an event for the new Jeff Bridges western “Hell or High Water” which Sheridan also wrote. He revealed that those expecting the sequel to be a more light-hearted affair better think again:
“Lionsgate understood that they bought something that was a spec [on the first film]. So there was a certain amount of latitude they had to give me [on the sequel]. What usually would be a long meeting about what’s this character about, what’s his arc – we didn’t have that. They trusted me to just go do it, and with Sicario, which I’m really proud of, it really approaches some difficult subjects.
I didn’t want to demean that with the second one. So I really wrote something I double dared them to actually make. Ten times more unsentimental, more vicious and really reflective… It’s funny a lot of people think Sicario‘s about the drug war and the cartels. It’s not. It’s a movie about American policy and the way that we police and [Sicario 2] is that on steroids.”
​
“Soldado” is reportedly slated to begin production shortly with a potential third film already being discussed.
 
After seeing Sollima's latest film 'Suburra', I've got faith in him. Great film.
 
It really depends on what he means by "cinematic."
 
Catherine Keener Joins Benicio Del Toro & Josh Brolin In ‘Soldado’
EXCLUSIVE: Catherine Keener has joined the cast of Soldado, the Lionsgate- and Black Label Media-financed second installment of the drug war thriller that began with 2015’s Sicario. Gomorra helmer Stefano Sollima is directing the film, which was scripted by Sicario scribe Taylor Sheridan.

The sequel focuses on Alejandro Gillick, the shadowy Man on Fire-like protagonist played by Benicio Del Toro, and Josh Brolin’s CIA agent Matt Graver, who in the first film established themselves as hellbent on hunting down cartel kingpins, no matter what. Keener will play Brolin’s boss, trying to navigate the gray area that Gillick and Graver live in as the tale turns to what else is being smuggled across the border between Mexico and the U.S. in the tunnels used to move drugs and illegal immigrants. Those tunnels also can be used to bring terrorists into the U.S.

The sequel is being produced by Thunder Road’s Basil Iwanyk, Black Label’s Molly Smith and Thad and Trent Luckinbill, and Edward McDonnell.

Keener, who recently starred in the HBO mini Show Me a Hero, next stars with Chloe Grace Moretz and Ansel Elgort in the Sacha Gervasi-directed November Criminals from Sony Pictures and the Jordan Peele-directed Blumhouse/Universal pic Get Out, coming February 24. She’s repped by Gersh.
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http://deadline.com/2016/10/catheri...o-del-toro-josh-brolin-in-soldado-1201843335/
 
'Soldado’ Screenwriter Taylor Sherdian Explains Why Emily Blunt’s Character Won’t Be Back, Jeffrey Donovan Teases Plot

“Her arc was complete … I couldn’t figure out a way to write a character that would do her talent justice,” he told The Wrap.

“What do you do next? She moves to some little town and becomes a sheriff and then gets kidnapped and then we have ‘Taken‘?” Sheridan joked. “I had to tell the story that was true to this role, and I didn’t feel like I could create something with that character that would further that world that would do Emily’s character justice. That said, there could be room for Kate somewhere else down the road.”

As for the next movie, it sounds like it’s going to be intense as hell, with Jeffrey Donovan (who will also be returning) teasing the plot.

“It focuses on these three characters [Alejandro, Matt Graver, and Steve Forsing] now, going down into Mexico to basically start a war, on purpose, between the rival Mexican cartels. There’s a bigger reason for it, but that’s the beginning of the movie,” the actor told Collider. “It’s more of a stand-alone spin-off. It’s not a sequel or a prequel. It really is yet another examination told from this male point of view, rather than from a female point of view. It’s pretty cool.”
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Stranger Things Star Matthew Modine Joins Sicario Sequel Soldado

http://****************.com/movies/stranger-things-star-matthew-modine-joins-sicario-sequel-soldado/
 
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