“Public Enemies” is one of the greatest ‘criminal’ movies I have ever seen. Yes. That’s huge.
I loved so many things about this movie I don’t even know where to start.
Let's start with the story. The movie is about one of the greatest gangsters from the Depression era, John Dillinger (Johnny Depp). Based on a book about Dillinger, this movie is said to be the most accurate retelling of his life. Dillinger is a bank robber whose charisma and Robin Hood-like character make him the people’s hero, but his success and ability to jump prisons make him the law enforcement’s number one ‘public enemy.’ The FBI creates a special division to bring down Dillinger and his counterparts. The man they ask to head the division is Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale). That, without giving away anything, is the story.
The beauty of this movie is not so much the story but the way in which the director brings it to life. Michael Mann takes an epic movie and adds the artiness of an indie. He seamlessly weaves different forms of storytelling, with random shots that should seem out of place but instead just create a beautiful, eclectic piece of art. And that is what this film really is – ART. So, while I can understand how some people might find parts of the story a bit slow, or things a little too mismatched, I find that those elements made the story that much better.
Then there’s Johnny.
I was trying to explain this to someone but couldn’t but I’m going to try again. Ok. So, there’s a scene in the beginning of the movie and Johnny has to make this decision in the back of a getaway car (that’s all I’ll say) and after he makes the hard, but right, call he turns and just frowns… but I swear I’ve never seen this man’s face frown this way before. Like I’ve never seen his mouth bend down on the sides that way before. I have this innate ability to catch on to mannerisms in different actors but this man does what an actor is supposed to do and creates new mannerisms for each new character he portrays. I’m telling you, and I know how crazy this sounds, I saw this scene and my mouth dropped. I could go on about his accent, his walk, the way he jumps over the bank counter… but I’ll just say that Johnny Depp does not disappoint in this one. The same goes for Christian Bale, again, another amazing performance. Also, for the people who care, the scenes they share are fun to watch – but there aren’t nearly enough. The star-studded cast also includes the amazing Marion Cotillard. No one disappoints. Oh and for the fans of Channing Tatum – he’s in the movie! It’s short, because let’s face it the man has the looks but that’s about it at this point.
Something that really made the movie amazing for me is the way they played with the music and sound effects. Some scenes were eerily quite, reminiscent of “No Country for Old Men,” they rely exclusively on the power of the actor’s voice. Other scenes not only use music to explain things, the music becomes a part of the storyline. I can’t explain it better than that.
After the movie was over I learned some interesting things like the fact that the whole movie only covers a 13-month period – which doesn’t mean much until you see the film. Also, a number of scenes were filmed in the actual locations in which they occurred.
I went to see "Public Enemies" with two other girls who have very different tastes in movies, and all three of us loved the movie. I’ve read the reviews, I understand what the critics haven’t liked and I understand that this story has been told before, but I disagree with the argument that this movie is unneeded.
“Public Enemies” is a thoroughly enjoyable, well-made movie that serves as a much-needed break from this summer’s line of cheap commercial hits.
