What's all the fuss about?

Rating: 6/10 (2 July 2009)

I had high expectations for this film, and they were not met.
I will say that the film does a good job of establishing the time period, as well as showcasing some strong performances all around. You can also give the film praise for having a strong visual style, but I found it distracting at times (too much hand-held for a big screen).
What was wrong with this movie? Ultimately it bites off more than it can chew. Even in a 2 hour movie, I felt that none of the plot lines were given much time or emphasis. The romance was pretty quick and felt "written in" (although the actress does a great job, and Johnny does too of course, but their chemistry starts off very forced). Bale's character isn't given nearly enough to do, and we never learn more about him than we already knew in the trailer. Even Depp himself seems to be hidden from the audience a surprising amount.
I respect the filmmakers for trying to tell a story without over-reliance on a script, and it shows in the strong physical acting and direction in the movie. However, for a movie that doesn't have any clear character arcs, continuous romance, or lots of action, we simply need more meat in this story. I doubt if the script (as is) couldn't have fit into a 90 minute film.
Bonnie and Clyde is much better, and sadly this film can't escape its show, even with great original performances and a strong visual style.