Sicario [Blu-ray/DVD] [2 Discs]

Director: Denis Villeneuve Denis Villeneuve

Overview

An idealistic FBI agent (Emily Blunt) is assigned to work a dangerous stretch of the US-Mexico border by her superior officer (Josh Brolin). She's exposed to the brutality of the Mexican drug cartel, and becomes partners with a defector from the cartel (Benicio Del Toro) who possesses keen knowledge about the organization. As she gets deeper into the ruthlessness and corruption surrounding the FBI sting to find the organizations leaders, her moral and professional boundaries are pushed to their breaking point. Denis Villeneuve directs this pulse-pounding crime drama, which competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.

Product Details

Release Date:	01/05/2016
UPC:	0031398231851
Original Release:	2015
Rating:	R
Source:	LIONSGATE - 600000-AEC LGE
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	2:01:00
Sales rank:	4,999

Special Features

Stepping Into Darkness: The Visual Design of Sicario; Blunt, Brolin & Benicio: Portraying The Characters of Sicario; Battle Zone: The Origins of Sicario; A Pulse From The Desert: The Score of Sicario

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Emily Blunt	Kate Macer
Jon Bernthal	Ted
Josh Brolin	Matt Graver
Benicio Del Toro	Alejandro
Jeffrey Donovan	Steve Forsing
Maximiliano Hernández	Silvio
Daniel Kaluuya	Reggie Wayne
Sarah Minnich	Reggie's Dance Partner
Lora Martinez-Cunningham	Actor
John Trejo	Delta #2
Julio Cedillo	Fausto Alarcon
Alan D. Purwin	Actor
Kaelee Vigil	Actor
Andrea Goodman	Actor
Michael Sheets	Actor
Dylan Kenin	Delta Leader
Alex Knight	Coroner (Phoenix)
Raoul Trujillo	Rafael,Rafael
Hank Rogerson	Phil Coopers
Bernardo Saracino	Manuel Diaz
Kevin Wiggins	Burnett
Edgar Arreola	Guillermo
Kim Larrichio	Silvio's Wife
Jesus Nevarez	Eliseo
Marty Lindsey	SWAT Officer
Rio Alexander	Phoenix Cop
Eric Steinig	Air Force MP
Michael David Aragon	Actor,AIC Guard
Vic Browder	US Marshal
Boots Southerland	US Marshal Keith
Adam Taylor	US Marshal Kevin
David Garver	Bob Fisks
James Espinoza	Migrant #2
Arrazolo	Migrant #3
Tomas Martinez	Migrant #4
Eb Lottimer	Bank Manager
Matthew Tompkins	Jessie Garza
Matt Page	Operator
Julian Ortega	Fausto's Son #1
Ian Posada	Fausto's Son
Antonio Leyba	Border Bandit #1
Frank Andrade	Border Bandit #2
Juan Carlos Mora	Border Bandit #3
Jesus Mayorga	Border Bandit #4
Joseph P. Santillanes	Homeland Security Officer
Basil Iwanyk	DEA Agent (Motel Room)
Ivan Allen Ransopher	News Anchor
Victor Garber	Actor
Jesse Ramirez	Migrant #1
John Burke	Chandler News Reporter
Jóhann Jóhannsson	Composer
Johan Johannsson	Composer,Composer

Technical Credits

Taylor Sheridan

Denis Villeneuve	Director,Director
Taylor Sheridan	Screenwriter
Basil Iwanyk	Producer
Edward McDonnell	Producer,Producer
Molly Smith	Producer
Thad Luckinbill	Producer,Producer
Erica Lee	Executive Producer
Ellen H. Schwartz	Executive Producer,Producer
Tom Ozanich	Sound/Sound Designer
B.J. Nilsen	Sound/Sound Designer
Gildardo Martinez	Production Manager
Fernando Camara	Sound Mixer
William Sarokin	Sound Mixer
Keith Woulard	Stunts,Stunts
Gerardo Moreno	Stunts
Stan Blackwell	Special Effects Supervisor
John H. Starke	Executive Producer,Producer
Jean-Pierre Boies	Special Effects
Bub Asman	Sound Effects
Blake Collins	Sound Effects
Nikita Budash	Sound Effects
Emma McGill	Producer
Damien Bray	Stunts
Geo Corvera	Stunts
Ruben Rivera Laguna	Stunts
Mark Stefanich	Stunts

Editorial Reviews

"This is what happens what you cut the head off a chicken." FBI agent Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) is told this as she is shuttled into Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, by a shadowy group of law-enforcement officials, who soon prove themselves to be just as dangerous and secretive as the ruthless drug kingpins they are hunting. Sicario, the latest movie from rising director Denis Villeneuve, grounds its story in gritty realism as it puts the lead character in the midst of a black-ops task force that's trying to make a big dent in the drug-trafficking underworld. After Macer witnesses something deeply troubling in the film's unforgettable first scene, she accepts a volunteer position on the antidrug force, which is headed by a mysterious authority figure named Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) and his right-hand man, an enigmatic, terrifying enforcer known as Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro). But Macer quickly realizes that she is in over her head, and she is horrified by the methods of enforcement used by Graver, Alejandro, and droll deputy Steve Forsing (Jeffrey Donovan) as they stop at nothing to bring down Juarez's most powerful and ruthless drug lord, Manuel Diaz. She pushes forward with the mission, however, when her boss (Victor Garber in a commanding yet understated role that's completely in his wheelhouse) tells her that she'll need to look the other way when heavy force is used if she wants to make a real difference, adding that "the boundaries have been changed." Even with her faithful, dryly hilarious teammate Reggie (a breakthrough turn for Daniel Kaluuya) by her side to keep her safe, Macer is constantly running head-on into danger, and is forced to keep looking over her shoulder even in those rare moments when she isn't in a life-threatening situation. In addition to being a uniform-wearing target in a foreign land, she begins to question whether her own colleagues can be trusted -- and with good reason. The film culminates with an sequence in which American operatives bust into a tunnel filled with Diaz's employees and contraband, but even that showdown leaves a great deal of unanswered questions regarding the future of the drug war. The sum of Sicario's parts are so good, though, that many viewers will still be left clamoring for a sequel. Villeneuve continues a track record of worthy films with his work here: There isn't a single false move in the visual composition of any scene, and his choice to shoot a number of interactions so that it looks as though a character is speaking directly to the audience provides a big payoff. The director repeatedly stressed that he wanted Macer to be a female action protagonist who felt human and relatable, and the constant, all-too-realistic disrespect and intimidation she receives from her male superiors and counterparts is a recurring theme that will hopefully provoke further conversation. The terrific script was written by actor-turned-writer Taylor Sheridan (whom Sons of Anarchy fans know as Deputy Chief David Hale), and his work is even more impressive when you consider that it's his first produced screenplay. While Sheridan's writing prowess might come as a surprise to some, the haunting music and impeccable cinematography shouldn't. The pulsing, ominous, and horn-laden score comes courtesy of Jóhann Jóhansson, fresh off an Oscar nomination for his original score for 2014's The Theory of Everything. Likewise, cinematographer Roger Deakins is a legend who has earned 12 Oscar nominations, and seems to be forging a partnership with Villeneuve similar to his work with the Coen brothers. The cast is limited to a relatively small ensemble, but the actors are all aces. Brolin is dark and puzzling as Graver, a man whose quirks belie a rugged, potentially dangerous determination. Although his character is given little else to do but provide levity and the occasional wisecrack, Donovan does entertaining work. The only actor the film doesn't properly utilize is Jon Bernthal, who only gets three scenes and whose key moment in the story is fairly implausible. In addition, one character's role is largely undermined by a line of dialogue from an interrogated prisoner, since it prematurely reveals a very important plot point for anyone with a cursory knowledge of the Colombian drug wars. These are minor quibbles, however, for a movie that transcends the crime-thriller genre, delivering real socioeconomic commentary and raising disturbing ethical questions. At the same time, Sicario's simmering pauses provide intense, heart-pounding suspense, and flow smoothly into the scenes of explosive, violent action that arrive when we're least expecting them. Blunt's portrayal of Macer could end up being a model for future crime-drama protagonists; her character is fascinating precisely because she seems like an imperfect person dealing with pain and frustration, rather than a larger-than-life superhero. Meanwhile, Del Toro is utterly menacing, inscrutable, and captivating, and his role as Alejandro can stand alongside his portrayals of Che Guevara (in Steven Soderbergh's Che) and Traffic's Javier Rodriguez as some of his finest work. By the time this movie reaches its climax, viewers will be left with the same emotions as Macer upon arriving in Juarez: shocked by what they have seen, but compelled to sign up for more. Sicario is brutal, mysterious, unflinching, and one of 2015's best films.