Exoticalot People are voting emotionally.

Protraph Lack of good storyline.

Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Hayleigh Joseph This is ultimately a movie about the very bad things that can happen when we don't address our unease, when we just try to brush it off, whether that's to fit in or to preserve our self-image.

gavin6942 Number 2 on America's Most Wanted list after Osama Bin Laden, James "Whitey" Bulger terrorized Boston for years without ever being charged with so much as a misdemeanor. Bulger was a monster, murdering over a dozen known victims, but did the FBI and local law enforcement give his reign of terror over South Boston a free pass? If this documentary did nothing more than simply chronicle the trial of Whitey Bulger, it would be a great documentary. Because, simply put, this is the biggest organized crime trial in a long time, rivaling the Family Secrets case of Chicago or the Pizza Connection case of New York. But they go much further.We get some background on Irish crime in the Boston area. Nothing too thorough, but enough to grasp the situation and neighborhood that Bulger grew up in. Whereas the Sicilians had displaced the Irish in just about every major city when it comes to organized crime, in Boston the Irish remained strong.Even better, we get an overview of the Top Echelon Criminal Informant Program (TECIP), starting with rarely seen footage of Joe Valachi in 1963 and working up to the present. This is a comparison of Bulger and Gregory Scarpa (another murderous mobster protected by the FBI), but then we get to a serious question: was Bulger even an informant as the FBI claims? Angela Clemente, the leading authority on federal informants, thinks not.Bulger himself speaks in the film, saying police, ATF and FBI were paid off in cash, not information -- Bulger claims up to $25,000 or even $50,000 at a time. Now, of course, he may be lying. He made a career of lying and stealing. But what if he is telling the truth? Then this becomes a story of not only a ruthless killer... but a deeply corrupt justice system.This documentary is brilliant and really is must-see viewing.

torbi-2 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.

peter-eldon 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

David Ferguson Greetings again from the darkness. Definitely one of the best documentaries at this year's Dallas International Film Festival, this is one detailed and informative expose' that focuses not just on bad guy Whitey Bulger, but a seemingly corrupt system that allowed him to maintain his power.Joe Berlinger is an award-winning and very prolific documentarian, and he certainly goes all in here with an overwhelming amount of information, detail and speculation. The film begins with the 2011 arrest of Whitey Bulger after 16 years on the lam. We then explore the trial, as well as the background of Bulger's 30 years of power in South Boston (after his release from Alcatraz).The interviews are fascinating. We get first person responses from attorneys, thugs from the Bulger syndicate, as well as many of the victim's family members ... some still so desperate for justice after decades of pain.The Bulger defense team claimed immunity due to his status as an FBI informant. Of course, this claim opens up the real intrigue here ... how deep did the corruption go with local law enforcement, the FBI and the judicial system? Was Bulger empowered by those who should have been protecting the citizens and pursuing him? Many questions are asked, and the likely answers do not quell conspiracy theorists.While some documentaries seem a bit thin as they stretch material, Mr. Berlinger's approach is to supply much information, many details, and an endless stream of interviews ... all to force us to wonder if Whitey Bulger's reign of southie crime was permitted, even encouraged, by those we thought were the good guys.