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.
