Disappointing Gangster movie

Rating: 5/10 (4 July 2009)

Michael Mann has demonstrated that he can make good crime dramas like Heat,Collateral and Miami Vice. He adds a slickness that few directors can match. Unfortunately, his latest offering ,Public Enemies falls well short.
The film centres on the pursuit of John Dillinger by the FBI as the crux of the film.Dillinger is played by Johhny Depp, a charismatic actor of some talent.His FBI nemesis is Melvin Purvis(Christian Bale) who is charged by J Edgar Hoover to catch Dillinger and his gang of bank robbers.
The problem with the film is that is not sure what it is. Is it story about John Dillinger and his duel with Purvis or is it a look at the rise of the FBI? There is also the relationship between Dillinger and Billie Frechette, a totally wasted Marion Cotillard.We learn almost nothing about their love affair and what was the attraction.The film sets no context about the hatred of the banks during the Depression nor the rise of the celebrity gangster like Dillinger,Alvin Karpis, Bonnie and Clyde.So much is left unexplained.
The shoot outs as expected are great , with copious use Tommy guns.You are constantly reminded of that classic shoot out in Heat,which was a far superior film.No one can shoot a film better at night than Michael Man.
Sadly, there is not enough in this film to make it compelling.With the talent involved, you expected something special,Public Enemies does not deliver.