(Josh
Brolin)
A grimly effective sequel, this
thriller-Western is a brutal assessment of contemporary power politics as it
plays out along the US-Mexico border. (Review by Patrick Compton – 9/10)
Much has been made of the absence of Emily
Blunt in this sequel to Denis Villeneuve’s 2015 drama. Truth be told, she is no
longer necessary as a naïve moral force in this altogether more cynical
follow-up penned by the master of the contemporary Western (Hell or High Water and Wind River), Taylor Sheridan.
If the first movie focused on the drugs
trade across the border, and the response of the United States to the Mexican
cartels that facilitated the illicit flow of white powder, Soldado is concerned with the flood of illegal immigrants, a very
Trumpian topic these days.
Initially, the movie seems to be about
Islamic terrorists spirited across the border by the Mexican cartels, but soon
we realise this is a red herring. As the movie continues, it becomes clear
there are no good guys either side of the border – everything’s a mess and the
film offers little sympathy to the various victims caught in the crossfire.
The tough as teak Josh Brolin returns in
his role as a shadowy CIA operative, Matt Graver, ready and willing to do the
dirty work that the US government requires when the dung hits the fan. This
time he initiates a policy “which worked in Iraq” (irony intended) in which the
opposition is defanged by being divided against itself. This involves an
operation to kidnap the young daughter of a drug cartel boss, Isabel Reyes
(Isabela Moner – terrific) and pretend that she has been grabbed by a rival
cartel.
Isabel’s dad, we are reminded, is the man
who ordered the execution of the family of Sicario killer Alejandro (Benicio
Del Toro), in the first movie. Alejandro is once more pressed into service for
the Stars and Stripes, and it is no surprise when he and Isabel find themselves
isolated, and endangered, following cold-blooded decisions taken at government
level.
There’s also another strand of narrative in
this sometimes complex tale involving a Mexican teenager, Miguel (Elijah
Rodriguez, also terrific), with family on both sides of the border who gets
involved in human trafficking. Gradually we see how his story links up with the
movie’s main current.
Soldado is illuminated by spot-on direction by Stefano Sollima, a darkly
ominous, throbbing score by Hildur Gudnadottir and excellent performances all
round. Sheridan’s screenplay, which traces the profile of a genre thriller,
operates at a deeper level as well, suggesting a deeply cynical assessment of
the all-round human condition.
It's a relief to know, however, that there
are some lingering traces of humanity on display. Alejandro and Graver may be
killers, but buried beneath their layers of ruthlessness is a sometimes tenuous
ethical code. We discover that they are protectors as well as predators.
Fans of the franchise will be delighted to
know that if Hollywood economics allows it, there is every chance of a third
episode to this intelligent, exciting and exceedingly brutal tale of modern-day
realpolitik.
Sicario:
Day of the Soldado, is showing at Gateway. –
Patrick Compton
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