Public Enemies Commits its Share of Cinematic Crimes

Rating: 7/10 (24 June 2009)

In the words of John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) spoken to his love interest Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard, A Good Year), "I like baseball, movies, good clothes, fast cars... and you. What else do you need to know?" Like a one legged pirate, "Public Enemies", helmed by Hollywood's very own HD CAM junkie Michael Mann (Collateral, Miami Vice) limps along to the two hour and twenty minute mark and has, as Ricky Ricardo would say, "A lot of S'plainin' to do". In a world of well staged shootouts, fun and cocky dialogue and heartthrob's Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd) and Christian Bale (American Psycho), the words "story development" may or may not really make much of a difference, but let's not kid ourselves here, they really do.
It is the 1930's and America has just declared their first war on crime, targeting some of the country's most notorious dangers to the well being of society. John Dillinger is one such criminal, claiming bragging rights to the fact that he can clear out a safe in "one minute and forty secondsflat." With the help of Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd there really isn't any bank they can't knock over or any jail cell secure enough to hold them in, that is until they are matched by the likes of FBI agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale). Purvis pulls all the stops to remain hot on Dillingers tail in attempts to capture him "Dead or Dead". Along the way Dillinger falls for Billie, a coat check girl who you'd more than likely expect to catch wearing a three dollar dress in a room full of Mink. Their love is tested when Dillinger is pursued and eventually restrained and locked away, only to escape once more through clever tom foolery in an attempt to fall back into Billies arms once more while staying alive long enough to do it.
To its credit, "Public Enemies" lives up to its expectations as a first rate gangster flick, steadily filling the screen with a barrage of machine gun bullets, almost to the point that you can smell the gunpowder from the fifth row. There's enough blood, gore and suspense to keep any action fan at bay, and if you don't squirm in your seat during end of the second to last scene you may need to check your pulse at the door. Unless you've experienced a shootout in person, there is a particularly notable one between the FBI and Dillinger in a motel at the pictures halfway point that should leave you breathless. In fact, if I were to rate Public Enemies on a scale for action alone, id happily award it with a five star honor, but this isn't meant to be just some run of the mile Schwarzenegger popcorn flick, this is meant to be a fine slice of cinema, and cinema has certain prerequisites.
As I stared up at a crisp digital print of the film, I couldn't help but wonder why a big budget movie of this caliber was decidedly shot, in Michael Mann fashion, in HD. At times, the image looked beautifully gritty and realistic, while at others as degrading and false as home video This makes me seriously contemplate why Mann still insists on shooting on cheap digital cameras like the F-23 which he used for this particular project instead of actual film or even a Red One. My question may never be answered, but ultimately it's the film's quality that suffers, which in turn managed to remove me on more than one occasion from the fantasy world of the picture. I wish I could say this was the only aspect that distracted me from my viewing experience.
It seems as if in a stirring turn of events, which occurs somewhere between the main titles and the end credits, Michael Mann has failed to include even a stitch of character or story development. With the exception of her basic introduction at a dingy city bar, Billie has absolutely no back story what-so-ever. This never allows us the opportunity to connect with her on even the most elementary of levels neither emotionally nor physically. The same goes for agent Purvis, whose character is flatter than a dollar flapjack off the sunrise special, making this one of Bale's most forgettable performances to date. There is absolutely no chemistry between Depp and Cotillard, which is a shame when you consider how dynamic both of these top notch actors are individually. To his credit, Depp does manage to deliver another stunning, hardnosed performance as John Dillinger and proves to once again be a complete joy to marvel at on screen. If only the story had as much pizazz.
As a whole, we are presented with bits and pieces of celluloid that never quite seem to join together to make an actual movie, but rather come off as a series of disjointed, yet entertaining vignettes. You would think that by the third film in Mann's powerful resume, he would have learned by now how to pace and execute a motion picture instead disproving his validity as a serious director by making these easy to avoid errors that stand out on screen like a bad spelling mistake. When you mix everything up in an over-sized pot and stir, the ultimate result is an undercooked, emotionless and disconnected final product.
If you're expecting to walk into Public Enemies thinking it's going to be the next "Godfather" or "Scarface", you may find yourself severely disillusioned at the films conclusion. Then again, if you walk into the movie expecting to be thrilled by impeccably staged action sequences and a few downright impressive shootouts you may find yourself satisfied with your ten dollar ticket purchase. Either way, discerning audiences will demand explanation for why studio execs failed to wellexplain anything. Someone tell Mr. Ricardo that it's time for his close up.