Johnny Depp's ‘Oscar worthy’ performance in Pirates of the Caribbean follow-up film

Depp is best known for portraying the swashbuckling Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. The last film in the series, Dead Men Tell No Tales, was released in 2017, but rumours have since suggested the star has been dropped from the films by Disney Studios. The apparent firing follows the actor’s public high court case against a British publication and his ex-wife, Amber Heard, over “wife-beater” claims. This year Depp is appearing in a completely different style of film called Minamata. The biopic tells the harrowing true story of W Eugene Smith who investigated the extent of mercury poisoning and pollution in Minamata, Kumamoto, Japan.

The mercury poisoning followed chemical company Chisso dumping their toxic waste into the local water supply, causing locals to suffer with joint and muscle weakness, decay, nerve loss and loss of sight.

Depp plays the sombre character trying to take photos of the horrific events that took place to break the story wide open.

The film, which is based on a book of the same name, is directed by Andrew Levitas, who is best known for 2018’s The White Crow with Ralph Fiennes.

Minamata premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival on February 21, 2020. The film was later released in United States cinemas on February 5, 2021.

READ MORE: Johnny Depp wore Edward Scissorhands costume to bed while filming

SCROLL DOWN TO WATCH THE MINAMATA TRAILER

Minamata was originally supposed to be released in UK cinemas on February 12, 2021, but the COVID-19 pandemic pushed its release indefinitely.

Despite the film’s delays, it has received several reviews online, including one from Playlist which stated: “Depp gives his best performance.”

The Guardian awarded the film three stars out of five, while Variety said Depp “dominated” the other actors that surrounded him.

One Google review said: “Johnny Depp deserves an Oscar for this role.”

The review from Alicia Collins continued: “It isn’t easy bringing a character to life, but when that character is another human being, that right there is next level acting.

“Johnny Depp is one of but a handful of actors who can pull off portraying someone… real… and to do it in such a way that it brings him the sense of knowing what he has created was something beautiful and genuine!” (sic)

The trailer, which can be seen above, shows the star delivering a powerful performance that is vastly different from the loveable rogue Jack Sparrow that he is best known for.

Depp has always given his all to his performances, however. One of his most famous roles, Edward Scissorhands, also required him to work hard to make his performance stand out.

DON’T MISS…
Johnny Depp ex-wife Amber Heard ‘being eyed for Tangled role’ [RUMOURS]
Pirates: Johnny Depp based his Captain Jack Sparrow on Pepé Le Pew [NEWS]
Was Johnny Depp’s ex-wife Amber Heard ‘fired from Aquaman 2′? [INFO]

During filming of the 1990 Tim Burton movie, Depp slept with the steel scissor hands on.

Speaking in a TV special in 1999, he said: “I just used to put [the hands] on in my house.

“And I can remember trying to go to sleep with the hands on, you know, to see what it would be like when I woke up having forgotten that they were on.

“I woke up and the hands were completely across the room! I’d flung them off during the night at some point.”

Depp also spoke candidly about getting emotional while reading the script for the first time.

36-years-old at the time, the actor said: “I can remember reading the script and… It’s embarrassing – weeping!

“I mean, I cried. I read the thing and I cried. I thought it was one of the most beautiful things I’d read in my life.”

SOURCE

source: express.co.uk