Public Enemies (Mann, 2009)

[fizz]

Lol, so now we review the review eh? That's like having previews of trailers...

Anyway, even a mediocre Michael Mann film is always worth watching. In terms of spending time and money, you can't go wrong with this film - for what it's worth, I was just glad it was better than Miami Vice and in all honesty, Cotillard was a find for me (I've only seen her in the shallow A Good Year and not her famed win for La vie en rose). I loved how people in the screening I attending were cringing at the gun fights because they were so realistic, loud and in your face!

[ayaa1977]

Lol, so now we review the review eh? That's like having previews of trailers...

Never mind that. It was just my botched attempt of a flattery. Sometimes I take quirky to a new level of obnoxious. Good news is I am aware of that, lol.

honesty, Cotillard was a find for me (I've only seen her in the shallow A Good Year and not her famed win for La vie en rose).

You should see La Vie en Rose. That was an Oscar well deserved!   

[shariqq]

Public Enemies is an interesting watch. It's a curious mix of success and failure...

Mann's made a movie that is technically gripping. From the locations/sets to costumes, the cars and guns - it amazes me how the era was recreated. Yet, the perfiormances of Depp and Bale were very lacking and distant. Infact, Billy Crudup was far more effective in his short role as J Edgar Hoover. Marion Coulthard was impressive though.

The two main gripes I had with the movie are it's look and it's length. The movie just goes on and on, at a lathargic pace that reminded me that I wear a watch. And the look, the "digital" look, made it seem more like a lavish stage production. This look worked better in the worse movie Miami Vice due to its contemperory and gritty setting. But here, considering the era at the least, a softer focus, a film-feel would have suited better.

On the contrary, the same crispier visuals work in favour for the two gun-fights in the movie. The shorter one outside a bank (Baby Face Nelson in glory) and the drawn out forest shoot out were marvelous, the lattter being one of the best in recent memory. The shots, flashes, ricochets, punctured walls and debris - I'm glad Children of Men wasn't made this way, else we'd have to look around for people being hit by stray bullets and shards. That one scene (the forest gun-fight) is possibly worth the entire movie.

[fizz]

That one scene (the forest gun-fight) is possibly worth the entire movie.

I agree - I think in the screening I attended, some people shat out of excitement. It is gripping, tense and brutally realistic.

[ak]

I feel Michael Mann should just become a fight choreographer.

[fizz]

I feel Michael Mann should just become a fight choreographer.

Seriously though, I'd like to hear your thoughts on the film, even a two liner (yes, its come to this now).

[kaytee]

The digital camerawork was very distracting from an otherwise average film. I wonder why Michael Mann chose this story, hasnt this been done a million of times before. Cops trying to catch the seriel killer or bank robbers or child molesters, everytime the cops get close the bad guy keeps going further. Johnny Depp didnt look interested in his part, he was just a passenger on Michael Mann's train, same goes for hot head Bale. Marion Cotillard does a decent job to stand up in an all guys film and it clearly shows why she won that Oscar coz she can really cry. The gun fights were breathtaking but overall the movie was a downer.

[ayaa1977]

Public Enemies is a just another Michael Mann style action film. I don't know why would anyone expect something else from the man who brought you Heat, Collateral, and Miami Vice. The plot streams in ease and it didn't jump around in its timeline, this back to basics storytelling is somehow refreshing when every one is getting flashy with plotting and structuring of a script even on TV. Mann has his focus on Depp's Dillinger, who by the way did a commendable job, and he was relentless in telling his story to a fault. May be if he gave us more about his opponent Melvin Purvis the film would have been received better. Mann excel when he does that, like in Heat where we have to equally good criminal and cop, DeNiro and Pacino, and in Collateral with Cruise and Foxx. Christian Bale's Purvis was underwhelming, but the rest of the film was good. The Forest gunfire was breathtaking and so the jail breakout. Marion Cotillard's Billie was marvelous. She proved herself as an a chameleon actress and not just a pretty face.

The digital cinematography is hated by most of the people, I personally think it gave the film a certain documentary feeling. Sure it was slightly problematic in the night and indoor dark scenes especially when there is blaring lights in the background, and also when the camera move suddenly. But even with that, for me it just was a part of the atmosphere and mood of the film. I give it 3/5.    

[fizz]

Ayaa, you make an interest and valid point about how the film might have worked more if it were equally telling the story of Purvis. We know this is an angle Mann is good at, but I guess he got caught up because of the larger than life image of Dilinger.

[ozzylogic]

And I still haven't watched it

[animatedude]

why?!

i'm sick and tired of great actors making mediocre movies just because they want to work with a certain director who did a great movie centuries ago.

fuck this movie.

[fizz]

fuck this movie.

Why?

[ayaa1977]

fuck this movie.

Why?

Fizz you know better than to ask this question and waste your time.

[ak]

fuck this movie.

Why?

Fizz you know better than to ask this question and waste your time.

This response does not help.