FRIDAY FLICK: 'PUBLIC ENEMIES'

Starring: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard

Directed/Written by Michael Mann

Review by Austin McConnell

As promised, every Friday Tempest Pictures takes a new (or classical favorite) film to review. This week, we take a look at 'Public Enemies': a relatively new flick that is still playing in some theaters across the country, and is gearing up for a DVD release soon.
The Plot:

In the action-drama Public Enemies, acclaimed filmmaker Michael Mann directs Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard in the story of legenday Depression-era outlaw John Dillinger (Depp) - the charismatic bank robber whose lightning raids made him the number one target of J. Edgar Hoover's fledgling FBI and its top agent, Melvin Purvis (Bale), and a folk hero to the nation besieged by financial hardship and ready to celebrate a mythical figure.

No one could stop Dillinger and his gang. No jail could hold him. His charm and audacious jailbreaks endeared him to almost everyone - from his girlfriend Billie Frechette (Cotillard) to an American public who had no sympathy for the banks that had plunged the county into the Depression.

But while the adventures of Dillinger's gang - later including the sociopathic Baby Face Nelson (Steven Graham) and Alvin Karpis (Giovanni Ribisi) - thrilled many, Hoover (Billy Crudup) hit on the idea of exploiting the outlaw's capture as a way to elevate his Bureau of Investigation into the national police force that became the FBI. He made Dillinger America's first Public Enemy Number One and sent in Purvis, the dashing "Clark Gable of the FBI".

However, Dillinger and his gang outwitted and outgunned Purvis' men in wild chases and shootouts. Only after importing a crew of lawmen from the Dallas bureau and orchestrating epic betrayals - from the infamous "Lady in Red" to the Chicago crime boss Frank Nitti - were Purvis, the FBI and their new crew of gunfighters able to close in on Dillinger.

The Good:

The cinematography of 'Public Enemies' is interesting. Where most period films often indulge in the 'wide shot' to show off vast sets and breathtaking scenery, Mann employs a different school of thought, using far more handheld shots than still ones. This helps to create the gritty and raw effect on screen, and it was very nice to see that he didn't go overboard on the 'Shaky-Cam' pills (ala Bourne). While the film has a lot of action where the camera will twist and turn, Mann makes it a point to set the camera down on solid ground during the 'talking-head' scenes, giving the viewers a nice breath of fresh air every now and then.

The acting is top notch. Everyone is at their best here. Coming out of the showing, I couldn't think of a single actor who overdid it or fell short. Each cast member was on par with their characterization, though I felt Depp had maybe one too many of the slick, charismatic monologues while playing Dillinger. Even Bale did a good job as the second-lead. He's the kind of guy that needs to stick with the stone-cold serious characters, because it's what he does best.

The soundtrack consists of your basic cinematic notes. Cellos and orchestral tunes fill almost every nook and cranny of the picture, and while it's nothing too spectacular, and indeed all eventually starts to sound the same, you don't mind too much, because it helps to move the flick along.

The story progression works exceedingly well, and I really got the sense that I was watching something that will remain a great piece of film throughout the years. It's a wonderful feeling sitting in the theater and feeling as if you're truly watching one of the next 'cinematic classics'.

The film is an epic by all means. The tone is consistently dark, action-packed, with just the right amount of Johnny Depp-humor peppered throughout to let the air cool every now and then. The greatest thing that stood out to me was that the film, while running 140 minutes long, never once felt dragged out. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, and even though I'm a history buff, and I already knew how it would end, I still was holding my breath the entire time.


The Bad:

The film has its rough spots. I've already mentioned Depp has a few too many 'Depp' moments for my taste, but most people would overlook or forgive that.

For one, I really wish we could have seen some more 'Depression' in this 'Depression-Era' movie. Most of the sets and characters you will see (when not in prison) are folks in the big-city life, who don't look too bad off, financially. I would have appreciated a few scenes of poor folk cheering for Dillinger (although a scene of Dillinger waving to a delighted crowd while on the way to jail got a huge thumbs up in my book, and I thought Depp played the scene wonderfully).

Costuming was a problem. Don't get me wrong: the threads look great. But the number one negative I've heard from almost everyone I've talked about the film with was: 'I couldn't tell who was who.' The story consists mainly of your classic 1930's males, and just like every other film set in this era, all of the men are obscured and hidden underneath a long overcoat and hat. Apart from Depp and Bale, it can be painfully difficult to try and decipher who you're watching in certain moments (especially during the night scenes). During one of the large shootouts, I thought Dillinger had been killed at one moment, until 3 minutes later, when Depp walked across the screen.

Don't get your hopes up for a lot of character-vs-character showdowns (that don't involve guns, anyway...) Depp and Bale share the screen for maybe all of 5 minutes. I only remember a single scene of them together, in what is essentially a staring contest mixed with slick one-liners. Any other time you will see them in the same place is during a pursuit, or gun battle. I would have liked for them to have another scene together to 'conclude' their feud.


The Ugly:

Two big uglies that prevented this from being the perfect flick.

First: the sound can be atrocious at times. While the theater I went to had the speakers turned down a bit low, the opening scenes definitely had some issues. Characters at one moment were barely audible over a whisper, and then a moment later...BOOM! The sound seemed to even itself out after a bit, but it was kind of annoying having to lean forward in my theater seat for the first 15 minutes to try and desperately hear the story.

Second: ...this is going to be a filmmaker thing, but I have to say it. I couldn't stand the shootout at the Little Bohemia Lodge. Director Mann decided to film this bit with either a different shutter speed, or in 60i digital video, and it looked terrible on screen. When film is projected at 24 progressive, you should film it in that format. The shootout was obviously filmed with a digital video camera, because the deinterlaced picture makes the entire sequence look like a shaky home movie. Seriously. Go watch it. You will literally cringe. There were people (non-filmmakers) who turned to their neighbors during the sequence and said, 'Is this sped up? Is there something wrong with the projector?' I really hope they somehow decide to fix that scene for the DVD...because it dropped this flick from getting a huge plus.

FINAL SCORE: 90% (A-)

Bottom Line: Once you look passed the very few bumps in the road, this could very well be one of the best pictures of the year. The story of Dillinger lives on through this wonderful piece of celluloid, and it will hopefully be stacked up there as one of the all-time greats. If you're looking for action, drama, and an ending that will have you thinking about the entire ordeal for weeks later, then Public Enemies is the flick for you.