Movie Review - Public Enemies

Public Enemies is the kind of film where the fantasy of cinema is supposed to uphold the fantasy of the viewer and eclipse reality. At least the trailers give one that impression. I found the film almost free of cliche, and that was refreshing to see.

While there are elements of the John Dillinger mythos in the film, Michael Mann's collaboration with Johnny Depp and Christian Bale appears almost sterile at times. There's no clear-cut protagonist or antagonist in this picture, as it's obvious both Dillinger and Purvis are not nice men. However, most of the film does focus on what Dillinger is doing; apparently Purvis doesn't have much of a life outside the Bureau. Bale plays Purvis as a cold and completely uninteresting character.

I enjoyed watching Johnny Depp and Marion Cotillard together. I wish there was more of an intimate, emotional heart to this movie, because I would have loved to see more scenes between Dillinger and Billie Frechette. When Dillinger breaks out of prison, he calls Billie and says, "I love you". It is the only instance where either character acknowleges his/her feelings for the other, and Depp delivers the line so powerfully the viewer is compelled to believe Dillinger's drive to be near Billie and protect her must be love, no matter how messed up and unhealthy their relationship must be.

There is a lot of action and a lot of gun fights in this film, and while I suppose that is to be expected, I was under the impression Dillinger preferred the quick and sneaky getaway as opposed to fighting it out with the cops. The scenes where Dillinger escapes from jail were more exciting for me to watch, most especially his escape with the fake gun.

One big problem I did have with the film is that it never establishes who is who outside of Hoover, Purvis, Dillinger, Frechette, and Anna Sage. There would be a scene involving some big names in 30's crime and I would have no clue which of the suits-and-hats in the frame was the guy who's supposed to be such a big deal. This aspect is especially frustrating in war movies and I was surprised to have to deal with it in Public Enemies. By the end of it I just didn't care which random dude was Baby Face Nelson.

Not knowing much historical detail re: Dillinger and his bank robberies, I would have liked some sort of extra visual clue of the timeframe and location of events. The film starts out that way, but forgets the average viewer probably isn't intimately familiar with the timeline after that.

The cinematography and set dressing is excellent; I've read that filming locations include the actual street the Biograph theater sits on as well as the Little Bohemia Lodge. It's a neat little thrill to see something as it might have been on the big screen like that.

Overall, the film is enjoyable and is the kind of historical action-drama one would want to see in the theaters. But do keep in mind that it feels more like a documentary and less like a big gangster flick.