Public Enemies

[Montresor]

I saw this last night.

Being quite a Michael Mann fan, I had high expectations. Public Enemies is, on the whole, rather mediocre. Despite a few amazing shoot-out sequences, the film lacks any real drama and runs much too long. Indeed, the only really noteworthy sequences in the film are the bank heists and the shoot-outs.

The film takes a rather romanticised view of Dillinger, which is not so much of a problem, except that it comes off as yet another story about a "good-guy" crook reluctantly working with some bad seeds (Bale's character is in exactly the same situation). The story is mired in this too-familiar cliche. The romantic sub-plot is almost completely irrelevant, except that it provides a plot reason for Dillinger to be at certain places at certain times.

The film has the look of being shot on digital camera, and this lends the action scenes a documentary feel.

Finally, Bale is a fantastic actor but he really needs to stop playing straight-guy roles. He's at his best when he's manic (American Psycho and Rescue Dawn), while in Public Enemies he has little of interest to say or do (much could be said of his roles in Termintaor Salvation and The Dark Knight).

America in the 1930s is sometimes referred to as the Public Enemy Era, as a result of high profile criminals like Dillinger, Bonnie and Clyde etc. J.E. Hoover's role in this period is of particular note in influencing law-enforcement policy and popular opinion. Given the title, I would have expected Mann's film to pass more of a comment on this social/historical phenomenon. Instead, the era is represented with little more flair than any other period gangster movie.

[Loredoctor]

Who played Ice T?

[Montresor]

Who played Ice T?

[dlbpharmd]

I saw this a few weekends ago. I agree completely with your review (I might've said very mediocre instead of rather.) I went to the theater thinking "Yay! Another Michael Mann film!" I walked out thinking "That was a Michael Mann film?" I guess I expected Heat, which is IMO the best Mann film ever, but there's no comparison.

[jacob Raver, sinTempter]

This film, for me, is kind of like Terminator: Salvation...it looks 'okay'...which means I have some interest...but not enough to sit through it.

[Montresor]

If it wasn't for the Mann factor that's pretty much how I would felt too. I don't regret seeing it, but I've missed much better movies.

[jacob Raver, sinTempter]

I loved The Insider, though it finished weak, and I think Heat is phenomenal, and Manhunter was good too. He makes good films...and average ones...

[Montresor]

...and bad ones (The Keep).

[danlo]

Agree with almost all that was said. I was hoping it took me somewhere, but nowhere I hadn't been before been before--a little on the Dick Tracy side...and weird right after renting Avatar as two of the same actors are in this---Ribisi was the only bright light and I was shocked to hell during the credits as I couldn't, for the life of me, ID Billy Crudup in the film, and he's one of my fav actors...oh well...

[aliantha]

I was impressed with Johnny Depp's performance in "Public Enemies". Most of the stuff I've seen him in lately has been his cartoony roles -- "Pirates of the Caribbean," "Alice in Wonderland," and so on. It was nice to be reminded that he has dramatic chops -- and that he can act without wearing a ton of makeup and an outrageous costume.

I agree about Christian Bale. I finally saw "Dark Knight" recently. There, Bale's restraint seems kind of edgy and menacing (tho still kind of cardboard-ish). Here, he just seems to blend into the woodwork.

Fun fact to know and tell: I had to explain to Magickmaker why Dillinger said, "Let's go to the movies and cool off." (For those of a similarly youthful persuasion: Right up into the early 1960s, movie theaters were just about the only places with air conditioning. *No*body had it at home. )