Public Enemies

Overall Score: 70

 

Director: Michael Mann

Run Time: 140 min
Rating: R

Viewer Bias: 6

I was expecting a lot of good things from "Public Enemies" and after a theatrical run and a decent amount of time on store shelves I finally got a chance to see it. I have to say, I was not overly impressed. As you will see in the following categories, nothing really excelled in the film with a lot of potential in not only it's story concept, but in its cast. I guess maybe it was too much to ask from a summer blockbuster film - especially from the slew of poor films we saw last summer.  

Direction: 7

Long-time director Michael Mann takes the helm in this one and is given a talented and award-winning cast. Mann seemed to focus heavily on contrasting the thieving, yet merciful gangster John Dillinger (Depp) with the just, yet deadly FBI commander Melvin Pruvis (Bale). It seems as though this juxtaposition became too heavy of a focus, however, since Dillinger's motivational love interest in Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard) is not fully examined and the Frechette character is absent throughout most of the film. I was left feeling like the film was missing something and I was expecting more.

Editing: 7

The editing of the film was not poor, but was uninteresting. There were a few awkward shots that could have been cut short, but other than that, things seemed to piece together well.

Acting: 8

As I mentioned earlier, this was a pretty well-crafted cast who somewhat met their potential. Depp, Bale, and Cotillard all portrayed their character's with genuine interest although Bale's depiction of Pruvis seems to fall a little flat. Depp was forced to add a few dimensions to Dillinger - being that he is the main focus of the film - but he doesn't seem to take anything to the next level or add any twists like we have seen in some of his other performances. Finally, Cotillard had little to work with and eventually shines in her interrogation scene.

Writing: 7

As you will see in the following category, I was expecting a little more interplay between Depp and Bale throughout the film and their one encounter does lead to some clever dialogue. However, I don't remember any inspirational writing throughout the film that capitatived my interest or at least illuminated any paradigm-shifting traits in either the characters or the story.

Story: 7

Any film that is translated from actual events is limited to its source material. Nevertheless, I was looking for more from "Public Enemies." Following notorious American gangsters John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd during a crime wave in the 30s, I was expecting a lot more interplay between the gangsters, more bank heists, and a lot of more interaction between Depp and Christian Bale's character, Melvin Pruvis, who is charged with tracking down Depp/Dillinger. I was under the impression that we were going to see a more direct competition between Depp and Bale, instead of isolated scenes displaying each character's inner motivations.

Cinematography: 6

Right away it is easy to spot that the film was shot with a collection of steady-cam cameras in what appears to be an attempt to mimic television crime dramas with a more personal and intimate feel. If you can get over the intentionally shaky camera, it would be a fine visual look if the film had a modern setting. However, this film is grounded in 1933 and that visual style does not seem to match a film with a historical context. Additionally, the steady-cam washes out a lot of color and gives the film too raw of a look. Some static shots would been more appropriate.

Special Effects: 6

True, there was little opportunity for special effects in a film set in the 30s and based on a true story. However, the film gives a glimmer of hope in one scene that it fails to repeat. When John Dillinger was first arrested and transported, the film cuts from the film footage to what looked like actual footage taken during the event. This is only done once and would have helped to encase the film with a historic foundation if additional photos or video were integrated in other points in the film.

Music: 8

It's bad when I can't remember the music a few days after watching a film. From what I remember, it wasn't terrible, but it was obviously not memorable.

Wow Factor: 8

I wasn't really looking for a lot of "wow" here, but there were a few interesting moments nestled throughout the film - the end specifically. I was mostly surprised that the film didn't focus too heavily on the actual bank robberies and more so on its characters.

MOVIE - 70