The War of the Whiteys

It's time now to discuss something that this particular blog has been very eager to report on; something that involves a very significant piece of Boston history: A Whitey Bulger movie. Recently, I have been reporting a potential casting where Johnny Depp plays the Boston mobster in a Ben Affleck-directed movie. Well, it turns out that THAT ISN’T GOING TO HAPPEN. Reports came out in February that Johnny Depp will play Whitey Bulger, but the movie (still entitled Black Mass) will be directed by Barry Levinson (Rain Man). The movie is reported to be based off of the best-selling book by the Boston Globe’s Gerard O’Neil and Dick Lehr entitled "Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob,". Don’t fret just yet Affleck fans, because Ben Affleck is still set to make a Whitey Bulger bio-pic with Matt Damon taking the lead. It looks like, after looking into who was going to make the better Whitey Bulger, we’re going to be able to see both Depp and Damon duke it out in a “war of the Whiteys”. Unfortunately, now that Depp is connected to a different project than Affleck and Damon, I’m sad to say that Black Mass will not be able to stand a chance against the Whitey Bulger bio-pic.

When it comes to Black Mass, there is a quality group coming together to make the movie led by Barry Levinson, who has also produced Donnie Brasco, and Johnny Depp. Depp has been able to successfully play a gangster in the past both in Public Enemy and as Joe Pistone in Donnie Brasco. The Depp/Levinson team will be sure to reunite and make a quality film based off of a quality book, but they are still trying to swim up “Affleck/Damon Creek” without a paddle.

For fast food, it’s McDonalds. For coffee, it’s Dunkin Donuts. When it comes to Boston movies, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon the best in the business. The two of them have been involved in a large variety of acclaimed Boston movies from Gone Baby Gone (Affleck’s first directing attempt) to The Town. This team knows exactly how to capture the heart of Boston in a camera. As a result, it makes it very difficult to bet against the bio-pic when it comes to a “War of the Whiteys”.

As a director, Ben Affleck knows how to capture Boston, plain and simple. This has given him a reputation as well as all the right connections to all the right actors. Affleck and Damon have been associated with unbelievable talent for his movies such Jeremy Renner (The Town), Robin Williams (Good Will Hunting), Mark Wahlberg (The Departed), and Jack Nicholson (The Departed). They have a long list of some of the finest actors in Hollywood that would be quick to jump on another opportunity to make some money as a supporting role in an Affleck/Damon movie. As a result, the well ends up running dry on Levinson as he looks for quality actors that can help boost the appeal of Black Mass while also capturing the soul of Boston.

It will also be interesting to see the literal head-to-head between Damon, a Boston native who has previously taken a role involving the Boston Mafia (The Departed) and Depp, who may still be good at impersonations, but he has yet to take on any project that involves him and the city of Boston. On paper, Damon has the clear advantage basing most of his work on this North Shore genre. If I was to give anything to Depp, it is that he is known to be a very talented actor who can play a variety of characters. Depp has been able to go from the outlandish and energetic Willy Wonka to a quiet and reserved Edward Scissorhands back to the cunning yet questionable Captain Jack Sparrow with ease. It would not surprise me in the least bit if Depp was able to pull off becoming a Boston gangster. However, it has yet to be seen and, therefore, I am still forced to give Matt Damon the edge based on certainty.

There is one final piece, the one straw that broke the camel’s back (if you will), that pushes the edge completely in favor of Affleck and Damon: the book, Black Mass. Levinson has put himself under the microscope by trying to base his movie off of a best-selling book. He is now forced to stick to the story of the book and if he steers away from the story even slightly, then the entire project will become scrutinized. It’s a more intense sense of pressure that Affleck doesn’t have because his project is not based off of any books. He has the creative license to make up his own story revolving around Whitey Bulger. With all these different factors, how can you not say that Affleck and Damon won’t come out on top in this Battle of the Bulge…ers.