Public Enemies (2009)

Public Enemies (2009)

Written by Ronan Bennett, Michael Mann, and Ann Biderman, based on the book by Bryan Burrough

Directed by Michael Mann

           

           Like Mann’s other films, Public Enemies was somehow both slow and deliberate, but also fun and action-packed. 

I think it’s well known by my friends that I actively loathe the film remake of Miami Vice.  It was boring and pointless.  In fact, I’m not the biggest fan of Mann’s in general.  I’ll probably catch hell for it, but I’ve never really liked Heat, which some refer to as the greatest heist film of the last 30 years.  To me, it’s 2 hours of Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino talking with a 20 minute action sequence in the middle.  I did, however, absolutely love Collateral, but I personally think it has something to do with the combination of Jamie Foxx and Tom Cruise playing a villian.  Also that incredibly long shot near the middle of the foxes crossing the road that really sums up the whole film.  Even then, there’s something about Mann’s films that just take me out of the experience.  They usually involve a lot of talking, and the general theme is the difference between good and evil, and that is no different here.  That said, I did enjoy Public Enemies, but I had some reservations.

Public Enemies is about John Dillinger, bank robber extraordinaire and bonafide rock star of the 1930’s.  This flick opens by following Dillinger’s rise to fame (notoriety?) as he enters the prison he just got out of in order to bust out his friends.  He and his friends then begin robbing banks (naturally, because, what else do you do straight out of prison?). At the same time, we see the story of Melvin Purvis, leading the FBI in Dillinger’s capture. 

First off, Johnny Depp could be filmed painting the inside of a house for 8 hours and I’d not only watch it, but find it captivating.  This is true for me, and this is true for you.  He simply makes every movie he’s in better.  And he excelled here.  It’s like he was born to play John Dillinger.  They’re both badasses.  Depp really belongs in the 1930’s.  Let’s face it, he is perfect here.  Also perfect in this one was Marion Cotillard, who like 3 people saw in La Vie en Rose, for which she won an Academy Award.  She played the love interest and she did it particularly well here.  There are a whole boatload of cameos here, from Giovanni Ribisi, to Billy Crudup.  LOST’s Emilie De Ravin even makes a brief appearance here.  You may have noticed that I haven’t mentioned Christian Bale, who was billed as the co-star here.  That’s because he’s not a co-star.  His character is there for you to want more Dilinger.  In fact, he’s not even that great.  As of this movie, I have officially lost my faith in Bale.  Yes, he’s been fantastic in the past.  I will admit that he’s an excellent actor.  But he’s not a movie star.  Give him a small, quirky role, and he’ll knock it out of the park.  He was the perfect Patrick Bateman.  But, let’s face it, was he really the good part of the two Batman movies?  The first one was good because of the story.  And we all know that The Dark Knight was really about Heath Ledger’s Joker.  But, as of this past summer, I no longer care if a flick has Bale in it.  Between this and That Terminator Movie, Bale isn’t what Hollywood wants him to be.

The thing that really takes me out of Mann’s films is his use of the HD Digital Camera.  While most cinematographers use film, Mann has gone the digital route for his last few films.  While it worked well in Collateral, I don’t think it worked at all in Miami Vice, and only works here in spades.  Sometimes it’s on, sometimes it’s off.  There was one scene in particular, where Purvis and his men are taking Dillinger through a courthouse, where everything just looks odd.  The handheld camera is good sometimes.  Sometimes it’s even great.  Like during the robberies and the escapes.  But during exposition shots, it really just made me feel distanced from what was going on onscreen.  From what I gather, this is something that really divides people about Mann’s films, and it’s no different with me.

Like I said before, I liked this film, and I didn’t.  It felt very similar to Mann’s other recent outings, but it was mainstream enough for me to enjoy it.  The themes were there, without being too obvious.  However, the camera work was a bit off-putting, and there were some characters and storylines that were mediocre at best.  If you like Johnny Depp (and who doesn’t?), then give it a watch.  Hell, give it a watch anyway.  It’s not bad, it’s just average, but still enjoyable.