'Black Mass' Performances 'Eerily Spot On,' Says Whitey Bulger Trial Reporter
BOSTON (CBS) – A Boston reporter who covered Whitey Bulger's trial and conviction says some of the performances in a new film about him are "eerily spot on."
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Lana Jones attended a screening of 'Black Mass,' starting Johnny Depp as Bulger and she shared some of her observations after seeing the movie, which opens to the public Friday.
"First of all, the movie was very true to the book on Bulger, Black Mass, written by former Boston Globe reporters Dick Lehr and Gerry O'Neill. Johnny Depp as Bulger certainly looks the part and his and the others' Boston accents are, for the most part, spot on. Even the accent of Bulger's brother, former State Senate President Billy Bulger, with that hint of Brahmin mixed with his Southie dialect, is great, delivered by actor Benedict Cumberbatch. Having seen FBI agent John Connolly in court many times over the years, I thought Joel Edgerton really captured his swagger."
Related: 'Black Mass' Reviews: Johnny Depp Gets High Praise
"On the day Whitey Bulger was sentenced for the murders of 11 people, Judge Denise Casper said something that resonated throughout the courtroom. She said that at times, watching the trial unfold was like watching a movie. I thought about that as I watched what Judge Casper called Bulger's callous, depraved crimes portrayed by a group of actors who seemed to inhabit the real-life characters who appeared in court two years ago."
"The movie was largely true to the book, but (it) still does not quite capture the horrors of hearing real-life killers describe their crimes in front of real-life victims in a hushed courtroom."
"Most of the backdrops will be familiar to Boston audiences, though it's odd to see city hall transformed into Boston FBI headquarters."
A private screening for the "Black Mass" cast will be held Tuesday night at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Lana Jones reports: