Why Emily Blunt’s new film Sicario is one of the best films of 2015

REVIEW: We have one of the best films of 2015 hitting us right between the eyes. So brace yourself for this minor masterpiece about the war on drugs.

SICARIO (MA15+)

Director: Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners)

Starring: Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, Benicio Del Toro, Jon Bernthal, Jeffrey Donovan.

Rating: ****1/2

Over the border, under the radar

In Sicario, we have one of the best films of 2015 hitting us right between the eyes.

So brace yourself for what is a minor masterpiece about one of the major issues of our time: the war on drugs.

Director Denis Villeneuve takes us to where he believes the height of the fighting is currently at its most intense.

The battle zone is a small cross-section of the border where the US state of Texas meets the nation of Mexico.

As has been the case for decades now, major Mexican drug cartels can move their illicit merch into America at will. Bringing the proceeds back home is almost as easy.

Uncle Sam’s best and brightest are at a complete loss as to how to stem the tide in either direction. Doing it “by the book” has clearly never worked.

EVERY CURRENT CINEMA RELEASE RATED

LEIGH PAATSCH’S 100 MOVIES TO SEE BEFORE YOU DIE

Intense ... Emily Blunt in a scene from the film Sicario. Roadshow Pictures

According to Sicario, doing it “off the books” might be the only viable option America has left for getting a clear shot at a constantly shape-changing enemy.

This very accomplished, expertly written and acted drama drives home its point in subtle, yet forceful fashion.

BLUNT’S US CITIZENSHIP JOKE HAMMERED

MICHAEL BUBLE ON EMMA BLUNT ROMANCE

Underworld explored ... James Brolin in Sicario. Picture: Roadshow Pictures

Our sole vantage point as we peer into a dangerous shadow world of intrigue and insurgency is the one innocent character in this tale.

Kate (Emily Blunt) is a low-level FBI door-buster who has been recruited to join an unnamed US government task force about commence a black-ops assignment on Mexican soil.

The prime objective of the mission is withheld from Kate by her two principal liaisons on this mysteriously well-resourced new team.

Strong plot line ... Emily Blunt in a scene from the film Sicario. Picture: Roadshow Pictures

Matt (Josh Brolin) has clearly done some time on the dark side of the CIA. He speaks only in a coded combo of need-to-know intel, and track-covering doubletalk.

All that is known of Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro) is that he is some kind of connected “consultant” with a clean grasp of how the Mexicans do their dirty work.

He’s no straight-talker, either. “You’re asking me how a watch works,” Alejandro chides an increasingly frustrated Kate. “Just keep an eye on the time.”

Capitalising on the sublime camerawork of Roger Deakins — a brilliant blend of the handheld and the hardly visible elevates some already-stunning set-piece sequences to a higher level — Sicario casts an intimidating, irreversible spell.

Sicario screens in advance previews Friday through Sunday, and opens in full release September 24.