Dead in the water

Rating: 3/10 (13 October 2009)

I didn't even know this film was by Mann when I felt I've seen the whole shlock before. There's one of the most prominent contemporary male actors set up as a gangster and violently introduced by a ensemble shooting sequence, and there's another set up as his cop antagonist. So it was about 20 minutes into the film that I felt I was watching "Heat". As I learned afterwards I actually was. Apparently Mann, who's "Heat" effectively is a literal remake of one of his own films already, isn't quite finished yet recycling the setup.
There are deviations though, and crucial one's. First off, this film presents even more of a male world. Bale's character comes without woman, so the whole Pacino/Venora marital conflict is cut out. On Depp's side, an alibi romance is thrown in while given no time to develop. And although they tried to give it a "Titanic" style "I'll always be there for you" touch and use that for the only tragic turn the film could possibly offer, by having Dillinger fail on that promise, the twist just falls flat.
Even worse though, in contrast to "Heat" the male leads are lacking in character. Remember De Niro being set up as the "loner" and promoting that life style as a philosophy of total detachment? While suffering at the same time from his desire for having someone to be with and thus living through an inner conflict which ultimately leads to his demise? Well, in this film you'll be looking in vain for something comparable in Depp's character, and the same applies for his counter part. In fact, it's symptomatic that the only person who will have something to say about the life of a gangster is Clark Gable, in a film in film sequence. Which doesn't speak for the movie's authenticity though, but is rather due to a wrong choice of material. Because, apparently, there just isn't much to say about Dillinger, as a human being.
Finally, the story line doesn't really have high and low points. It's all downhill right from the start. Dillinger escapes prison, makes a few scores but get's increasingly cornered by the cops, captured, escapes again, get's cornered even more and eventually dies, losing his friends on the way. That's all there is. In fact, even the orchestration of the escape and heist sequences is lackluster, something you wouldn't exactly expect from a Mann film.
On the bright side, the times of throwing a uniform blue tint over a film are apparently over, which is quite a relief. There's of course some heavy color filtering going on here too, but it varies between green/brown/orange tones. And at times, you even get a feeling of looking at actual whites and blacks. This certainly deserves some congratulations.
Then, the sets are great, we got to give them that. Unfortunately we hardly have time to enjoy them. And this time it's not that much the incessant camera panning and hand-held runabouts which cause havoc. It's actually the editing which ruins everything down to the acting. As you know, to enjoy something the eye needs time first to explore and then to rest upon it. And for an actor to act, he needs room and time to expand in. Well, the editors gave us and them neither.
To conclude, while this film tries to pick up on De Palma's "Untouchables" in material and style it fails in just so many regards. In consequence, I can recommend only that you at most rent the film if you feel an urge to form your own opinion. It'd be safe to entirely skip it though and maybe watch it on TV sometime, on a slow evening ten years down the road.