Black Mass (15)

THERE is a really interesting story that could be told about Whitey Bulger on screen – but sadly Black Mass is not it.

Bulger's life as an Irish-American gangster was fascinating. He was ruthless, brutal and had the FBI in his pocket.

But what makes the true story of Bulger's life so unique is that his brother Billy was the president of the Massachusetts Senate for 18 years.

The polarity between the two brothers, raised in the same household, and what made them go their separate ways should have been at the heart of Scott Cooper's film but it is always at the periphery.

Both men were seduced by power – both legitimate and illegitimate – and that is what is crying out to be explored in this $53million missed opportunity.

Johnny Depp is great and almost unrecognisable as Whitey while Benedict Cumberbatch is underused as politician Billy who turns a blind eye to his brother's awful actions.

Like in other gangster films like Goodfellas, a character is used in Black Mass as the audience's way into this violent world.

In this case it is Breaking Bad's Jesse Plemons playing Kevin Weeks who is took under the wing of Bulger.

This starts as a promising way to show innocence lost in the film but this plot thread starts to get forgotten about in the second half.

Cooper also introduces characters sometimes just moments before they are in Bulger's crosshairs which does not give you time to care about them and therefore robbing some of the violent scenes of their tension.

The FBI is also badly portrayed with one corrupt agent John Connolly (Joel Edgerton) running the show in a seemingly inept agency.

This two-dimensional take on the FBI makes it even harder to suspend your disbelief.

DAVID MORGAN