Good story, acting, costumes and sets. Great visually. Poor sound lets the whole thing down.

Rating: 6/10 (14 June 2013)

I'm a big fan of the gangster and crime genre, especially those that are based around the 1930's, 1940's and 1950's. Therefore, I could be a little biased towards this film, and this is my first review, so please be nice. The story and plot were good, I was thoroughly entertained throughout (as films should seek to do!). There is an argument that the film is lacking in depth and it's hard to feel anything for any of the characters, but I enjoyed deciding on which character to support through the film. To put it simply, it's about the American criminal John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) and his gang of bank robbers. They are pursued by cop Melvin Purvis (Chritian Bale). Both give good performances, as do Marion Cotillard and Stephen Graham. The make-up, costumes and the overall look of the film are brilliant. They capture the late 30's and early 40's great and the high-definition picture is definitely up there amongst some of the most crystal clear images I have ever seen. However, it is the sound that really lets this film down and costs it scoring a seven or eight. Having bought the blu-ray release, hoping the sound quality would improve on the digital version I had previously, I was bitterly disappointed to hear no change. The sound changes volume at will and in periods needs to be drastically turned down. It was so bad I had to hole the remote throughout the film, for fear of blowing my speakers! Simple review, but I feel my point is made. It could have been great and would watch it more often if weren't for the poor sound.