Simply A Masterpiece

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

The first must-see film of the year.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

UNDISPUTED FACT #1: After 16 years at large and 12 years on the Federal Bureau of Investigation's 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list, "Whitey" James J. Bulger was arrested in Santa Monica, California, on June 22, 2011.UNDISPUTED FACT #2: Bulger is a murderer and drug-dealer.ALLEGATION #1: Bulger was actually not an informant, but that people are out there trying to sully his reputation as being a "classy bad guy".ALLEGATION #2: There is corruption involving this investigation and trial within the highest levels of law enforcement.This film chooses to focus on the allegations, not the facts. "Journalistically jumbled", to quote the spot-on statement from John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter. Wouldn't it be far more interesting and useful to examine how this proved killer/drug-dealer avoided capture for such an astonishing length of time? Book-ended by Stephen Rakes' interview, which seems tragically fitting; but otherwise, this documentary just seems like overlong tabloid blah. WHITEY is merely a documentary targeted at DEPARTED fanboys.** (out of four)

Documentarian Joe Berlinger has Received Awards and Gratitudes for Presenting True Crime Expose' where Victims can Vent Frustrations while They are Searching for Closure and Perhaps Payback.He Tries to Frame His Films with Artistry, Like Rock Music, and a Method of Interviewing that Quite Often Takes Place in Moving Cars. This Allows for the Spinning Locations to Backdrop the Footage with Movement and Makes the Interviews Less Stagnant. It's a Cheap, Although Admittedly Somewhat Effective Technique, but it Reeks of an Artsy Addition and is Hokey and Sometimes a Glaring Intrusion.The Story of Boston Mob Boss James "Whitey" Bulger is so Dense and He Ruled South Boston for So Long and Committed so Many Crimes that the Weight of the Material is Overwhelming. What Goes On in this Film is Berlinger's Attempt to Bring the FBI on Stage and Pick Their Scabs, as Well as Bulger's.Bulger is a Murderer, and Vile Human Being and that is Never in Doubt. He is Guilty of Multiple Heinous Crimes and that is Never in Doubt. So the Documentary Gives Equal Focus to the FBI's Involvement.They are Either Guilty and/or Culpable for Allowing Bulger to Run Amok for Two Decades in Return for Information on the Italian Mob, or They are Guilty of Taking Bribes from Bulger for His Free Rein on the Streets. It is Lose-Lose for the FBI However Involved.It's Never Made Absolutely Clear in the Film as it is Argued on Both Sides For and Against. There are Probably so Many Variations and Shades of Involvement and the Layers of Bad Behavior from both Bulger and the FBI Allowed Innocent People to be Murdered and the Crimes Covered Up and the "Collateral Damage" is Never in Doubt.Overall, it is a Fascinating Film, and it is Enlightening for the Young and the Naive. But Anyone who Knows Anything about Big Ticket Law Enforcement, J. Edgar Hoover, or the Workings of the Mob (whether Italian or Irish) will Only be Reinforced that Corruption is Rampant in Law Enforcement and Crime Gangs are Well, Crime Gangs.

Whitey is a horrible and fascinating character, but this doc moves away from Whitey the terror and poses the question: did the FBI and Boston authorities knowingly allow him to kill, extort and never be charged with so much as a misdemeanor during the 80s and 90s? My issue with this doc was since there are so many players in this saga, Berlinger did his best to remind you who they all were (doesn't help that they're all named Steve or John or Tommy or Debra) but even with Bulger he was James, Jimmy, Jim, or Whitey. I had a difficult time staying focused and I wish he kept a more linear narrative. The most powerful moment of the film is where Steve Davis learns (on camera) the fate of his friend Rakes—but what was such a huge moment fell kinda flat in where it was placed in the documentary. Berlinger overdid the sweeping helicopter shots (I think he was guilty of this in the Paradise Lost series as well). All in all, still very watchable though.

Interestingly, this focuses more on the crimes (or potential crimes) of law-enforcement, especially the FBI, than on the admitted crimes of terrorizing mob boss 'Whitey' Bulger. Bulger's trial is highly unusual, in that the defense is making no effort to say their client is innocent, and they know he'll spend his last days in prison (he's 83 at the time of the trial). The issue is really; instead of being an informant as claimed by the FBI and others, did Whitey really have them all on his payroll? Is the government more worried about cleaning their own dirty laundry without blame than in getting Whitey behind bars? And the larger moral question, even IF Bulger was an informant, was that really worth letting him run free, killing 19 people and raining fear on the residents of South Boston? There's no conclusive smoking gun of a conspiracy, but there sure is a ton of circumstantial evidence, and Berlinger gives a good job of presenting it in a building, cinematic fashion – starting with the simple fact that everyone knew Whitey ran the neighborhood for years and years, yet he was never once charged with anything. And then somehow he knew to run just before the authorities rounded up all the leadership of his gang, surviving as a fugitive for 16 years. Not as emotionally powerful as Berlinger's great "Brothers Keeper" and very strong "Paradise Lost", but always engaging on an intellectual and moral level.