" When You can't use the very best, you must in desperation, use what you got "

Rating: 8/10 (14 December 2009)

There are a small group of great directors and Michael Mann is among the very best. When he decided to make a movie of the exploits of the 1930's era gangster, I believed he would be the right one to do it. Assembling what seems to be the finest cast available, I like so many others, thought, you can't go wrong with them. The Movie is called " Public Enemies " and is based on the early history of the Federal Bureau of Investigation or the F.B.I. and the fading glory of America's most notorious gangsters. At the top of the F.B.I. list however was Public Enemy number One, Mr. John Dillinger (Johnny Depp). Other notables like Baby Face nelson (Stephen Graham) and Pretty Boy Floyd (Channing Tatum) were also hunted by the fledgling Federal Bureau. The film centers much on the turmoil between Lack Luster J. Edgar Hoover who had more skeletons than most and Special agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) who outshone his boss. It also highlights Dillinger and Billy Frechette (Marion Cotillard) and their costly relationship. Although it the last years of the famous gangster's life, the movie stick pretty close to the facts, including his betrayal at the bio-graph theater. The film does contain sufficient drama and gunfighting actions to keep an audience interested, but there is something missing when one gets a superb cast and is kept waiting. Maybe it's was left in the history books? ****