"Effectively explores our culture's fascination with outlaws ..."

Public Enemies has a certain grace to it, a pacing that's all at once a bit slow (for the times we live in) and a nice throwback to how the movie magic trick used to transpire. In the hands of Michael Mann the film looks great, feels deliberate, and effectively explores our culture's fascination with outlaws. While I don't think I'd hand it an Oscar or go door-to-door to sell it to folks, I'd say it's a nice Saturday or Sunday afternoon at the theater.

What's it all about? It's the story of John Dillinger, see.

Sorry. Had to break into '20s style speak-easy talk for a moment there, though of course this story takes place almost entirely in the '30s. Dillinger, for a time, was the most infamous bank robber out there. He was also a national hero, in some circles, akin to a modern-day Robin Hood. John Dillinger had the nation captivated with his every move, and a fledgling FBI (under J. Edgar Hoover) was fighting a legitimate PR and logistical battle to take down the notorious thief.

The star power assembled for Public Enemies is prodigious. Johnny Depp slips into the lead role as Dillinger; he brings depth and complexity to the chameleon. Christian Bale is FBI special agent Melvin Purvis, the man tasked with bringing Dillinger and his gang to justice. Bale's natural ability to seem constantly beleaguered acquits him well here. I didn't love the role Marion Cotillard was given as Dillinger's girlfriend, Evelyn "Billie" Frechette. Though the screenplay hints at the troublesome aspects that would confront a woman in Frechette's position, Cotillard herself isn't given much more do to than to look pained. The relationship and romance angle feels forced ... and while Bale and Depp are encouraged to run around and wreak havoc, Cotillard is often left on the sidelines with little to do beside prepare for the next "lovey-dovey" scene. Pretty Boy Floyd and Baby Face Nelson are sprinkled into the narrative for color, a fine opportunity to learn about the gangsters you might have missed in your "Early Criminals 101" class.

Public Enemies has a lot of Road to Perdition in it, though it has elements of Heat and The Aviator too. It feels timeless, as if you could show it at a film school and receive disparate guesses as to when it was created. There's been a bit of chat on the Internet regarding the use of handheld cameras by Mann; I barely noticed so it appears he wove them in seamlessly.

The very thing that makes Public Enemies pleasant to watch also prohibits it from being an instant classic -- I speak of the meandering pace. Where Heat and Collateral immerse you in the precious virtue of now, Public Enemies takes a more circumspect route. John Dillinger was seemingly heavy on flash and light on substance, but Mann goes the opposite route to tell his story. He's built a product here that won't necessarily dazzle ... but will stand the test of time.

Grade: B

Recommend (0)

|  Comments (0)

|  Email

|  Share

Share  Facebook Digg del.icio.us