Public Enemies!
While we await for the release of our movie of the week, My Sister’s Keeper, why don’t we take a look at another upcoming movie. This movie is based on a true story. The story revolves around a man that came from a petty criminal to bank robber to local Robin Hood. This movie is played by the same actor who played Capt. Jack Sparrow, Johnny Depp. Yes! I was talking about “Public Enemies”, if you didn’t get my clues then I think my title alone would give the answer away.
I actually got an idea on who John Dillinger was when there was this documentary about him on a crime-investigation channel. I remember the documentary saying that he was loved by the people of that time, was considered to be legendary and most importantly was known as the ever illusive John Dillinger. The police really had a field day tracking him down and not to mention that the people were also on Dillinger’s side.
Anyway here’s a review by moviemaven from moviesonline.ca:
The latest Michael Mann movie to hit the streets is the film adaptation of Bryan Burrough’s book detailing the birth of the FBI and how master criminal John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) played a huge role in its creation.
The year is 1933 and we as a nation are steeped in the Great Depression. Desperation begets crime begets the necessity for more efficient police work.
Some of the heavies on the scene are Pretty Boy Floyd, George “Baby Face” Nelson and of course, John Dillinger. Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) is the man who sets out to take these guys down with special interest on the hard to hold Dillinger who manages to weasel his way out of captivity numerous times. Purvis succeeds but not without tribulation and not before the laws and institutions of the country are upheaved in an effort to make crime fighting more up to date.
FBI director J Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) is portrayed here like I’ve never seen him before and it’s actually nice to see him through new lenses.
On to the meat of the matter. In the first moments I was jarred a little by the slight shake to the camera as well as the fact that some shots felt way too close but I soon got accustomed to that. And while I found the film enjoyable overall I had some issues with the layout of the film’s narrative. It almost seemed as if I was watching random clips from the History Channel at times. The night scenes had a tendency to be on the dark side and sometimes difficult to navigate but it was never a deal breaker.
As for the score, there were moments when I felt the atmosphere could have been improved with different music. But I was pleased with the inclusion of several Billie Holiday blues tracks (even if one suffered a rather awkward cut) to give the film a timely feel.
Most of my complaints were with the first portions of the film. By the time the last act rolled Public Enemies had found its stride and the last chunk plays out beautifully. I really wish that Mann had more time to delve deeper into some of the historical points but he did what he could with limited time and I feel he accomplished what he set out to do.
The acting was all solid and the cast was rather astounding. People kept popping up like one of those old cartoons that takes place in a club of movie stars…eh, some of you will know what I mean. LOL
Depp’s portrayal of Dillinger was spot on as he captured the wit and charm of the renowned bank robber with a soft spot who was often known to be jovial and winning with the press. And Steven Graham’s “Babyface” Nelson was almost comical as he captured Nelson’s habit of laughing maniacally and giddily even in the midst of a heist. Although thanks to “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou,” it is impossible for me to even think of him without saying “Oh George, not the livestock.”
I won’t spoil anything for you although if you don’t know the story, shame on you anyway. This was a time of great change when gangsters did as they chose and the cops weren’t the only things they had to be concerned about. For with Dillinger’s gang drawing ever more attention from the feds and rules being created to combat them, the mob would soon suffer as a result. The power struggle at the time is fascinating. If you are not familiar, you should do some research on the subject. It’s nice to know how things got to be the way they are.
I hold a longtime interest in the happenings of the early part of the century in American history so I was expecting to enjoy it, which I did. I have not read the book but plan to now.
The running time may seem long but I didn’t lose interest as there is plenty of action to keep the pace going at a steady rate. It is well worth your time if you at all interested in the subject matter.
Here’s the Public Enemies trailer:
