Seen on: June 29, 2009

The players: Director: Michael Mann, Writers: Michael Mann, Ronan Bennett, Ann Biderman, Cast: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard, Channing Tatum, David Wenham, Billy Crudup

Facts of interest: Based on the book by Bryan Burrough.

The plot: The film tells the story of American bank robber John Dillinger (Johnny Depp), who kept the FBI pretty busy during the Great Depression.

Our thoughts: Michael Mann’s latest gangster drama “Public Enemies” is both intriguing and dull. The film works just fine as a big-budget production highlighting John Dillinger’s spectacular escapes, wild shoot-outs with the FBI and fast-paced robberies, but as an examination of the man’s character and the key players around him, it clearly fails.

The film is set during the Great Depression and follows the adventures of America’s No. 1 gangster John Dillinger (Johnny Depp), an expert at robbing banks and keeping the FBI busy looking for him. Leading the manhunt initiated by J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) is G-man Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale), a stubborn agent who does about everything in his power to put Dillinger behind bars.

While the Feds struggle with their mission to control crime in the country, however, Dillinger and his gang of associates keep doing what they do best, and when he’s not robbing banks or escaping from custody, he’s busy warming up to Billie Frechette (portrayed with grandeur by Marion Cotillard), a classy lady quickly falling victim to his irresistible charm.

“Public Enemies” is certainly not a bad film, but it’s pretty obvious it could’ve been a lot better. Clocking in at 140 minutes, the flick starts rather slow, with only a few scenes boosting the pace of the plot: the escape from the Indiana State Penitentiary or a massive gun battle at a remote lodge are loud and fast-paced, yet not nearly as intense as I expected.

Sadly enough, the script by Mann, Ronan Bennett and Ann Biderman is by no means as compelling as you may think. The plot remains monotonous throughout, following Dillinger as he escapes custody, robs a bank, leads a shoot-out, is finally caught, escapes again, robs another bank and… you get the picture. The film lacks depth, and that really annoyed me.

It is not until the final act that “Enemies” digs deeper into Dillinger’s interesting character. The final 30 minutes of the film are way better than the rest, and strangely enough, one of its most powerful and well-acted scenes is its very last. I’m not telling you what happens here, but it certainly wraps up the film with a fascinating bang.

While the onscreen action is not particularly suspenseful, the subplot focusing on Dillinger’s relationship with Billie is much more intriguing to experience. In these scenes, we see more of who this man actually is and what makes him tick, and while many viewers may find the shootings more entertaining, I preferred to observe Depp and Cotillard’s chemistry.

Mann chose to shoot “Public Enemies” in HD, and I have no problem with that decision. The film’s dark look is almost a tad too dark at times (you can barely tell who’s shooting or who gets shot during the lodge battle, for instance), but overall, it helps create a somber atmosphere that goes well with the picture’s theme.

Depp is brilliant as Dillinger, and he infuses his role with some refreshing humor. Whether it’s the right approach to portray the bank robber or not, it works, and the film’s occasional comic reliefs are certainly appreciated. Oscar winner Cotillard and Billy Crudup deliver excellent performances as well, and I also liked Giovanni Ribisi. Bale’s okay, but not great.

Freaky quote: "I rob banks." – Johnny Depp

The final word: “Public Enemies” is partly fun, sometimes a bit boring, but not that big of a disappointment. Maybe my expectations for this one were too high, but I feel Michael Mann’s is capable of accomplishing more. This is a crime drama you should see if you like the genre. If you don’t, stay away, and don’t just go see it because it’s got Johnny Depp in it.

Article by Franck Tabouring