Disappointing. Michael Mann hang your head in shame.

Rating: 3/10 (25 November 2011)

One minute and forty seconds flat. That's the time it took US outlaw John Dillinger to rob a bank. It's also the length of time it would take a viewer to realise how truly poor this film is in its portrayal of one of the biggest gangsters who ever lived. Directed by Michael Mann – Thief (1981), Manhunter (1986), The Last of The Mohicans (1996) Heat (1995) – one would expect a certain savvy in terms of production skills but the end product is one of the most underwhelming to be seen on screen in recent years.
The film opens, with Dillinger (Depp) disguised as a prisoner and being lead by his partner John 'Red' Hamilton to a penitentiary. The two enter the building only to engage in a violent breakout of the rest of the prisoners who form Dillinger's gang. This opening sequence is functional in portraying Dillinger's abilities as a criminal but it fails to provide any form of background for the character. This is a notable flaw seen throughout the film, hence Dillinger and many of the other characters appear somewhat two-dimensional. At the same time as Dillinger's breakout, Melvin Purvis (Bale) and his team of FBI agents manage to run down Pretty Boy Floyd. This results in Purvis being upgraded to lead in the hunt for Dillinger. The film marks another disappointing turnout from Bale (after Terminator Salvation). It would appear that the success of The Dark Knight may have stunted Bale's growth and development into what has been overly hyped as a phenomenal on screen presence. Instead he seems to be relying more and more upon his deep vocals to perform much of his work for him. As Purvis he is just about competent, enabling the audience to despise him and become more endeared to Dillinger. It could be argued that this is more directly due to Depp and his portrayal of Dillinger's charismatic presence.
Aside from Depp, Marion Cotillard provides an entertaining turn as Billie Frechette, the check- in girl to whom Dillinger becomes devoted. One amusing sequence that occurs when the two meet at a dance centres around the couple being watched closely. Dillinger is aware that everyone present knows who he is whilst Billie feels she is being inspected for her Native- American heritage. Thus, they become the perfect outsider couple with just a touch of cliché surrounding them.
The storyline bumps along, lacking a certain finesse that can be found in other Michael Mann films. For example, when Purvis finds what he believes to be Dillinger's hotel room,bursting in on an ordinary looking couple, there is a fragmented delay between the instance when Purvis makes his apologies, leaves and then discovers one half of the couple is a wanted member of Dillinger's gang. The failure to eliminate Dillinger in this sequence results in Purvis demanding to be equipped with professionals who can hunt criminals dead or alive.
Another memorable scene occurs towards the end of the film. Dillinger's trademark is one of invincibility, a status that is seen when he strolls through the 'Dillinger Squad', the unit of Purvis' police force that is hunting him. Here he freely views all the information that has been gathered on him and his gang whilst the officers within the room fail to recognise him. Depp carries the scene with enough charisma to portray a frighteningly accurate representation of Dillinger's arrogance. Similarly when Dillinger's girlfriend Billie is captured before his eyes and he can do nothing to save her, the viewer is introduced to the vulnerable side of the outlaw.
Cotillard's performance as Billie mirrors that of Depp. The interrogation and abuse she suffers at the hands of Purvis' men is harrowing to watch and although the gangsters fate is inevitable, there are moments where it seems as though he may slip through the radar yet again. This of course is not the case and sadly Michael Mann chose to depict Dillinger's death in a similarly bland manner to the rest of the film.
Perhaps the biggest flaw in Public Enemies is the sheer romanticisation in the director's portrayal of one of the bloodiest men in history and his gang members. Michael Mann has not brought his viewers the tour de force that the trailers promise, instead Public Enemies is a watered-down love story that fails to resonate. One would think it was not necessary to highlight that Dillinger was not a thoroughly lovable rogue yet, this is how he appears and the atrocities he carries out are not emphasised enough. On leaving the cinema, there was an undeniable confusion and an aura of disappointment. The film is at times, attempting to be a more violent, modern-day Bonnie & Clyde and it fails on both counts. Overall, had Depp and Cotillard not provided such entertaining profiles, Michael Mann may have had a disaster on his hands.
The end titles of the film inform us of the aftermath for Purvis and Billie and this method of storytelling itself is quite frustrating. Not only is the viewer not given any background on the main characters (aside from Billie) but the end of the characters lives is told through a mere sentence on the screen. There are enough books written on Dillinger for select research on specific characters if they spectating public would prefer this. Perhaps Mann would be more suited to this method of storytelling if he no longer finds it necessary to depict his characters through motion pictures.
All Rights Reserved © Copyright 2010 Michelle Lacey (Michelle Ní Láitheása).