Public Enemies (2009)

good back-story, and good acting

it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

I just watched a ytube video of some session musicians covering a famous drummer who passed. First thought was, "Oh boy..." and after 30 seconds of the first tune Gaucho, I knew the drummer did not do his homework and pissed all over the groove. How can this happen!Michael Mann is the same...he seems so into trying too hard to create art he misses the mark. Dillinger was boring, horribly boring. Watch Steve McQueen in The Great St Louise Robbery and it is a better movie than this! That is not saying much because that was basically a low-budget semi-documentary in 1958.Johnny Depp and Mann are a perfect match...guys that think too much. Christian Bale on the other hand knows how to act. Deep has become a personality more than actor over the past years. I looked forward to this movie but could not make it through. That has to be the worst reaction to a director's 2-3 years of planning and effort, your audience left early!

The American Depression-era gangsters seemed larger than life, often had colourful names and through their exploits, became a huge source of fascination for both the press and the population at large. Inevitably, the movie industry was quick to cater for the public's appetite for films about these characters and over the decades since the 1930s, the appeal of such movies has remained remarkably strong.Michael Mann's "Public Enemies" distinguishes itself from most of the gangster movies of the past by putting the emphasis firmly on realism and authenticity rather than thrills and excitement and the result is a crime drama that's presented in a more serious, detached and unglamorous style than most moviegoers might expect. Its main focus is on the period during 1933-34 in which the notorious bank robber, John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) was being pursued by an extremely determined FBI Agent called Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) and the differences between the charismatic criminal and the grim lawman could hardly have been more pronounced.After having been released on parole from an Indiana prison, Dillinger promptly leads his gang in a daring prison escape before embarking on a series of profitable bank heists. One night, at a Chicago nightclub, he's instantly attracted to a hat-check girl called Billie Frenchette (Marion Cotillard) and despite a tentative start to their relationship during which she's unsure what to make of him, Billie gradually warms to Dillinger's very direct style of courtship.J Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup), the young director of the organisation which would soon become the FBI, makes Dillinger the country's first "Public Enemy No 1" and assigns Agent Melvin Purvis to the task of bringing the gangster's crime spree to a rapid end. Having recently gunned down Pretty Boy Floyd (Channing Tatum), Purvis is put in charge of the Bureau's Chicago office where he sets about his mission with some enthusiasm. He's a firm believer in the use of the newer, more scientific methods of crime fighting (e.g. phone tapping etc.) and uses these in his pursuit of Dillinger. He soon discovers however, that these measures alone won't be sufficient to enable him to catch his prey and so has to arrange for some more experienced Arizona lawmen to be brought in to augment his team.Despite this, Dillinger continues to cleverly outwit his pursuers until, through the use of some pretty unsavoury methods, Purvis is eventually able to achieve his goal."Public Enemies" has an almost documentary style with frequent use being made of the real locations where the events actually took place and the Depression era being recreated in a way that's both beautiful and convincing. The action is presented in a very well thought out order that contributes greatly to the smooth and logical progress of the story and it's also particularly successful in showing how the manhunt for Dillinger became so important to the development of the FBI as a national entity.Johnny Depp does a marvellous job of portraying Dillinger's unusual combination of charm, ruthlessness and confidence in a very well balanced performance that captures the very essence of what made Dillinger such a popular figure with the public of his day. Christian Bale shows the cold tenacity that made Purvis so strongly focused and Marion Cotillard is extraordinarily good as the beautiful woman who was made to suffer greatly for falling in love with Dillinger.

Liked this movie a lot. I always enjoy Johnny Depp in his roles, specially when he is playing in such mafia/action movies which have some love and feelings in them. Might say that the ending was little bit predictable but its only because the story of John Dillinger is well-known. For me personally the action part or the shooting part was a bit too long, I prefer that such things are not so much shown in the movies but given to watchers some other way. Marion Cotillard has always been my favourite and can't imagine anyone else playing better this role.

I don't know what it is that's missing from this film but there's definitely something.. Not that Johnny Depp didn't do a bang-up job as Public Enemy Number One, a role that the Pirate of the Caribbean had long coveted. He probably deserves kudos for the best Dillinger portrayal, but you can't do a whole lot with a worn and weary script. Mann should've called John Milius for advice: his own 1973 Dillinger starring Warren Oates was an awesome flick but, as he learned, Dillinger just doesn't go over big at the box office. Even Lawrence Tierney could've told him that. Oscar winner Christian Bale as Melvin Purvis and Award-winner Marion Cotillard as Billie Frechette added star appeal but you just can't make a good meat loaf out of spam. No teasing, no toying, just things happening. there's little plot movement, zero character development and the muted acting comes across as sleepwalking. Depp has the odd moment, mostly in the love sub-plot when he finally shows some intriguing charisma and as a result you're left wishing there was a lot more smooching and a lot fewer gunfights. bale is blank - such a shame when he can often do the inner-turmoil/explosion thing so well.For Depp, Bale and Cotillard fans, this is a solid effort for which these actors deserve recognition for putting over a registered stink bomb. For Michael Mann watchers, this ranks right up there with Manhunter as a classic book-to-movie fumble. For crime buffs and action/adventure flick fans, well, let's say this is better than Boys In The Hood... but not much. All in all, a big disappointment; I had expected much better! Overall rating: 5 out of 5.