Excellent but underrated film

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger (2014) *** (out of 4)Extremely well-detailed account of James 'Whitey' Bulger's reign of terror in Boston and what the FBI knew and covered up. Bulger's story became front page news when he was recaptured after several years on the run and then it became even bigger with the Johnny Depp film BLACK MASS.This documentary goes into great details in regards to the various crimes that were committed. The documentary really doesn't shy away from blasting not only Bulger but also the FBI who seems to have known a lot more than they ever revealed and it cost a lot of people their lives. The documentary actually makes the FBI the biggest villains and after viewing the film you can't help but agree.What works the best is that the documentary really covers the story from all sides. We hear from the men who were actually doing the illegal stuff including murder and we also get to hear from the prosecutors as well as the defense. People should be warned that very graphic crime scene photos are also shown and best of all is that we get to hear from the victim's families and see how their lives have been destroyed due to what Bulger was doing.

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)

A crime documentary by Joe Berlinger (The Paradise Lost films) who enlightens the jaw dropping story of one of if not the worst criminals of Boston's history. About Irish mobster James "Whitey Bulger" who until recently never got charged for his violent criminal actions and the corrupt state of Boston including the Irish Mob, the Cosa Nostra, the FBI and the Boston State Police. A well made documentary with lots of information, sources and profiles that shows the odd and unfair world we live in. Only Osama Bin Laden was before James 'Whitey' Bulger on America's Most Wanted list. Was James "Whitey Bulger" an informant for the FBI and protected by them? / Peter A Eldon. 2014-11-11

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.