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Terence Allen |
Date: 2009-07-04

"Public Enemies" proves that Michael Mann is right up there with Martin Scorsese at directing compelling crime dramas. This film, based on a book detailing the nexus of John Dillinger, J. Edgar Hoover, and Melvin Purvis, covers the last year and a half in the life of the famed bank robber, who was branded "Public Enemy Number 1" by Hoover, who was building what would become the FBI. Chasing Dillinger for Hoover was Purvis, who relentlessly pursued Dillinger until the fateful night outside the Biography Theater in Chicago.

Johnny Depp plays Dillinger as a fun-loving but dangerous criminal whose only plan seems to be to live life on the edge until he falls off. As usual, his performance is engaging and utterly believable. Billy Crudup wonderfully plays Hoover as a man obsessed with growing the Bureau, obsessed with public relations, and obsessed with capturing John Dilliger, and Christian Bale plays Purvis as an intelligent, capable, and caught in the difficult position of trying to catch Dillinger while at the same time pleasing a demanding, overbearing publicity seeker.

The film features great supporting performances from Marion Cotillard as Dillinger's girlfriend, Billie Frechette, and Stephen Lang as a veteran Bureau agent assigned to hunt Dillinger.

This is film has plenty of action and thrills, but also possesses great acting, intelligent writing, and masterful directing by Mann. Public Enemies is one the best films to come out in the summer of '09.

Leif Sheppard |
Date: 2009-07-01

"Public Enemies", helmed by famed director Michael Mann, is a thriller of the most testosterone fueled variety. It's a fast paced actioner brimming at the seams with intense shootouts and a well-stocked cast of steely-eyed, square-jawed men harboring classic narcissistic complexes. Johnny Depp makes a suave, calculating Dillinger. It's more of a manufactured character than an interpretation of the real life Dillinger, but this is of little consequence because Depp achieves grand theatrics with his sullen glare and devil-may-care attitude. He plays it much as I imagine Steve McQueen would've in his heyday, plowing through his world with a sort of darkly cool, apathetic demeanor that suggests he doesn't care one way or the other about anything.

The supporting characters are superlative as well, particularly Stephen Dorff as Homer Van Meter. There's an intensity to his character that Dorff really brings out. In fact, I didn't even recognize him at first (interestingly, he looked very similar to actor Tim DeKay). Jason Clarke, who portrays John "Red" Hamilton, is an actor primarily known for his television work. I surmise he was chosen for his striking resemblance to the real life criminal; just compare his photograph to the infamous mug of Hamilton. He's probably the most featured gangster, other than Dillinger, being that Hamilton is portrayed as his right hand man. Of course, Christian Bale turns in an able performance as respected G-Man Melvin Purvis - donning yet another one of his famed accents for the role.

The film begins in medias res with an exciting jailbreak, something which I greatly enjoyed. I was happy the film didn't waste time trying to explain Dillinger's childhood and upbringing. There is no hollow attempt to apply reason to his actions or place blame for his anti-social behavior. In the end it doesn't matter what led him to a life of crime, particularly since over the years the man has transformed from a folk hero into a veritable legend. With that in mind, it's obvious Mann's vision was ambitious. He attempted to pack all the nuances and complexities of Dillinger's world into only two hours and, because of this, the end product is a bit too busy. I get the feeling that a bit of streamlining the script might not have been an awful idea. That aside, it's clear that Mann knew what audiences wanted to see is a rip-roarin' take on the robberies, shootouts, and defiance of the law that filled the bulk of Dillinger's life right on up until the bitter end. This film performs those functions in spades!

The major lacking feature of the film is that characterization takes a backseat to the action. This is, perhaps, inevitable considering the large ensemble cast and the fact that nearly every character is based on a very real, very famous person. Often many seemingly interesting characters never quite gel with the audience because their screentime is so brief. One such character is Gilbert Catena, portrayed by Domenick Lombardozzi (probably best known for his role on HBO's The Wire). Still, those aspects aside, every performance here is stellar. Just glance at the supporting cast which includes: David Wenham, Marion Cotillard, Giovanni Ribisi, and Billy Crudup, among others. It's my fervent hope that upon its release to home video there's an extended cut of the film because I would love to see more of these characters (especially Pretty Boy Floyd, since he is only in the film for a scant couple of minutes).

I've noticed many critics mention that the film unnecessarily milks the climax of the film, which is obviously Dillinger's execution outside of the Biograph Theatre. I didn't mind this so much because it's such an iconic event of the Public Enemy era, and more than that, the film portrays Dillinger's death with precise detail and follows what we know of the actual event to the letter. The scene features numerous clips of the film Dillinger watched: Manhattan Melodrama, the gangster vehicle starring Clark Gable.

The film surmises, with good reason, that Dillinger probably identified with Gable's character. It illustrates this by showing one of the haunting final scenes, when William Powell offers to have his death sentence commuted, Gable replies with "You think you're doing me a favor by keeping me locked up in this joint for the rest of my life? I don't want it. If I can't live the way I want, then at least let me die the way I want." Dillinger's face expressed great understanding, perhaps even compassion, with this statement. It's a great cinematic moment, especially since the audience is very well aware of what is about to transpire in his own life.

I give bonus points to the production crew for so aptly depicting mid-west America during the Depression. Many real-life buildings were redressed to look as they did during the time and their efforts greatly enhance the atmosphere. Then there are the detailed setpieces (one of my favorites, though it's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it one, is Gilbert's shop), the hairstyles and slick suits, the classic cars - they hit all the notes correctly. There's even some archaic slang film fans will remember from gangster films made in the thirties, such the calling of prison guards "screws".

The robbery scenes, being the lynchpin of any Dillinger yarn, are somewhat brief but accurately portray Dillinger's tactics and methods. Also, concerning actual history, this film does take liberties with what really occurred (like any film does). Perhaps the most egregious liberties are taken concerning the demises of the various gangsters. For instance, Pretty Boy Floyd is depicted as being killed months prior to Dillinger's death (Dillinger even references his demise to Pervis), when in fact he died months afterward. Also, Homer Van Meter survived Dillinger, only to be killed a month later. These aspects are often a necessary evil, because a filmmaker must strike a balance between reality and entertainment - and the two do not always intersect seamlessly. If you want a version that follows the facts exclusively - buy the book.

In summation, "Public Enemies" may not be remembered as a classic action film, but it will be remembered as a classic gangster film. The most gratifying aspect is that, unusual for most action films, all the actors turn in very memorable performances. Some critics and the press have commented on how Bale is absent from nearly all the trailers and promotional materials for this film, but when you watch it, the reason is quite understandable. This is unquestionably Depp's film, and though I concede to not having a particular predilection for him, his role here is not to be missed. This is well worth the price of admission!

N. Durham |
Date: 2009-12-10

Ranking up there with his best works, namely Heat and Thief, Michael Mann's Public Enemies is a spectacular true crime saga, focusing on notorious bank robber John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) in the booming crime wave of the 1930s. At the behest of FBI head J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup), G-man Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) leads the charge to bring down Dillinger, no matter the cost. In the meantime, Dillinger romances the beautiful Billie Frechette (Marion Cottillard) as he moves from one big score to the next, all the while the cat & mouse game between him and Purvis continues to escalate. Shot on HD video, Public Enemies at times looks both spectacular and just plain blurry, but from a technical standpoint otherwise, the film is wonderful. On the acting side of things, Depp, Bale, and Cottillard are spectacular; while Mann manages to assemble a cast that also includes Stephen Graham as Baby Face Nelson, Stephen Dorff, Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Lang, David Wenham, John Ortiz, Brotherhood's Jason Clarke, Rory Cochrane, Emile de Ravin, Leelee Sobieski, and Channing Tatum in a blink and you'll miss him turn as Pretty Boy Floyd. Though there are numerous liberties taken with the historical accuracies of the events, Public Enemies regardless ends up turning out being a purely entertaining blast that fires on all cylinders. All in all, Public Enemies ranks high on the list of Michael Mann's best films, and that in itself makes the film a worthwhile experience.

Melissa Niksic |
Date: 2009-07-03

That line from "Public Enemies," delivered by Christian Bale, made me laugh like crazy for several minutes straight. Fortunately, though, that was the only ridiculous moment of the film.

"Public Enemies" is a dramatic and enthralling tale of the story of John Dillinger, a notorious bank robber from the 1930's who was also known as "Public Enemy #1." Johnny Depp delivers a riveting performance of this infamous crook's violent crimes and constant run-ins with the law. The movie has a strong supporting cast, including Marion Cotillard as John's lover. Billie Frenchette, and Billy Crudup as the bizarre FBI director J. Edgar Hoover. As previously mentioned, Christian Bale, who in my opinion is one of the lousiest working actors in Hollywood right now, plays the role of the lead FBI agent on the Dillinger case. However, he amazingly didn't annoy me all that much, because his character is supposed to be kind of a putz (along with the rest of the law enforcement officers depicted in the film).

This movie is part gangster film and part love story, and it does a great job at being both. "Public Enemies" gives viewers an inside look at many interesting criminal characters, and shows us multiple sides of America's favorite bank robber. I think this is one of Depp's best films to date, and he was perfectly cast in the role. A couple of things about the film annoyed me, such as small deviations from real-life history and an ending that just seemed a bit anticlimactic (and not just because I already knew exactly what became of John Dillinger). Overall, though, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and highly recommend it, especially to fans of gangster films. This is one for the ages.

MUZIK4THAPEOPLE!! |
Date: 2009-11-09

I have this film (the 2-Disc version) and I love the film as well as the
special features and delete/extended scenes!---My boy Johnny Depp always brings it!
The depth, dimensions, quirks & ticks...he creates and inhabits whole characters
in everything he plays in! His rendition of the notorious and beloved John Dillinger
shows no chinks in his acting armour as of yet!
Christian Bale is no slouch in this department either!
He turns in a great performance in this as FBI agent, Melvin Purvis
as well as Marion Cotilliard, who to me "channeled" Edith Piaf in "La Vie En Rose"!!
In this she plays (Depp) Dillinger's love interest and melts with Johnny Depp brilliantly.
The other cast members: Billy Crudup as J. Edgar Hoover, Channing Tatum and others
turned in believable supporting perfomances as well.
With the brilliant Michael Mann (Heat) at the directing helm, this film delivers big time!
I saw this at the theatres twice because the performances were so good,
meshing with the multi-layered storytelling and direction in such a way
that you will see something that you missed every time you see it!
This is definitely one for the DVD collection--Buy It!