Public Enemies   Reviewd by CJ Henderson

Well, I’ve got to give Michael Mann a bit of credit. He’s the director as well as one of the producers and screenwriters on the new Universal release "Public Enemies." The movie is billed as the story of infamous bank robber John Dillinger, which means that Hollywood could have slapped one of its favorite tag-lines on this one: based-on-a-true-story. Mann didn’t do that. Most likely because there is barely a single moment of Dillinger’s colorful career that the filmmakers presented correctly.  The story: In the early 1930s, John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) was the new Jesse James, America’s answer to Robin Hood. He robbed banks, but made a habit of never taking money from the customers. The nation loved him. Law enforcement types, however, did not.  At the struggling new agency, FBI, director J. Edgar Hoover ( Billy Crudup ) was having trouble being taken seriously. There were no laws allowing federal agents to pursue criminals such as they have at their disposal today. Hoping to force the issue, Hoover set out to prove the worth of the bureau, and thus consolidate his power, by making a show of having the FBI capture Dillinger. To this end, he promoted field officer Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) to the position of head of the FBI’s Chicago office, charging him with bringing in public enemy #1, as well as any others he might be able to snag along the way. What follows is a lot of gun play and some vicious brutality as Dillinger runs and robs and Purvis attempts to bring his exploits to a close.

One of the interesting moments in the film is when the mob realizes that Dillinger’s antics are causing Congress to finally empower the FBI to tackle interstate crimes. At this point they turn against the bank robber, cutting off his safe houses, money laundering centers, et cetera, which corners Dillinger, finally turning his happy-go-lucky attitude to one of desperation.   What makes this moment interesting is that it is one of the only truthful parts of the film. The story is littered with not merely inaccuracies, but large pieces of fantasy. Still, the question is, after we acknowledge such, is it important? For some the fact that this telling of the Dillinger legend is by far the most wildly embellished to date will be enough to keep them from the theaters. For most, however, I suspect details like the real moments when Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd were gunned down are fairly inconsequential, so let’s take a look at this one as simply art, shall we?

 For fans of Michael Mann’s work, there is little here that will disappoint. All of things one expects in a big budget period piece are well handled. The sets, locations and costumes all have a wonderfully simplistic richness that immediately move the audience into the story. The special effects are flawless. Mann has always had a knack for keeping the effects subtle, and thus more realistic, during his violence sequences, and his talent is in no way diminished here.   Add to the mix a special round of applauds for both the soundtrack and the cinematography. The music is a clever blend of period songs with a highly evocative score, while the camerawork probably does more than anything else to completely captivate the audience, making the film’s two hour, twenty minute, running time seem like half its actual length.

 Oddly enough, the teaming of Depp and Bale is not quite the event one might hope. Much as when Burt Reynolds and Clint Eastwood were paired together, the result leaving audiences less than excited, much the same thing happens here. This is not to say that either actor turned in a bad performance. Both are on top of their game, but this simply isn’t a star vehicle. This is a Michael Mann film, co-written, produced and directed by him. This time around, it’s the man behind the camera that is supposed to be the star.
 With "Public Enemies," Mann has put together a beautifully filmed, fast-paced drama that could possibly bring him some Oscar buzz. But, sadly for the audiences destined to see it, that is what it was designed to do, and like many films designed to prove how important their creators are, it lacks the punch and verve to be a truly interesting or exciting film.   Don’t get me wrong, this is a fine piece of entertainment. But, for those looking to see Captain Jack fighting the Batman ... well ... this isn’t one for you. Trust me.  Our final word: 4 stars out of 5.

The Players: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotilliard, Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Dorff, Billy Crudup, Shawn Hatosy, Steven Graham, and Leelee Sobieski

The Filmmakers:
Directed by Michael Mann
Screenplay by Ronan Bennett and Michael Mann
Released by Universal Pictures

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The Filmmakers:
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Released by 20th Century Fox Pictures