Compelling and Gripping But With Weaknesses

Rating: 8/10 (20 January 2019)

12 July 2009. Until the very end, this movie had enough technical weaknesses to become a disappointment in terms of how great this movie could have been. Yet, it delivered enough to make this a quality period police drama. Michael Mann who directed MANHUNTER (1986) starring William Petersen in a CSI movie predecessor delivered the sharp, colorful, and even more grit. But the series of technical oversights had the potential to drag this movie down. (1) African music near the beginning of the movie seemed at odds with the American time period. (2) The shaky photography at times during the first third of the movie where the characters are seem bouncing up and down, out of focus was distracting and distancing. (3) The were a number of shots during the first third of the movie where the characters are heard but not seen talking which almost felt like they could have been dubbed. (4) There relational development between Dillinger and Billie didn't quite seem to have sufficient screen time to really cement the relationship. (5) The introduction of a new FBI agent from another office later in the movie was underdeveloped (who seemed like an early form of FBI profiler). (6) The high tech FBI gadgetry didn't seem to provide a direct connection with the sudden second arrest of the Dillinger. (7) The interplay between Christian Bale and Johnny Depp was never really given a strong emphasis like HEAT (1995). (8) The night time raid was also awfully artificial with an impossibly bright lighting set scheme which might have been much for successfully darkened (as in a horror genre) to heighten the fear element. (9) The interrogation of the severely injured cohort and his subsequent disposition (whether he lived or died) was left too unclear. (10) Billie's interrogation scene left out the physical humiliation shot that would have provided an even more outrageous emotional reaction. (11) The actual demise of Dillinger in the movie was surprisingly confusing and awkwardly shot.
Nevertheless, the whole tone of the movie, the strong underplayed performance of Johnny Depp kept a strong, underlying sense of heightened tension throughout the movie. The shot fights were actually even more compelling that the blockbuster, extravaganza, special effects driven TRANSFORMERS: THE REVENGE OF THE FALLEN (2009) in which the sound effects and the you are there realism was potent and riveting. Emotional and intimately intense with excellent physical action, this movie is one of the strongest of the year. 8/10.