Public Enemies

Rating: 7/10 (20 December 2013)

I was getting rather annoyed that this film had been available to watch for some time and I hadn't got to it yet, because I knew it was based on the true story of infamous criminals, and I was looking forward to see it very much, from director Michael Mann (The Last of the Mohicans, Heat, Collateral). Basically, set in the 1930's, i.e the Depression era, in Chicago, FBI agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) is promoted by J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup), after killing Charles 'Pretty Boy' Floyd (Channing Tatum), and he is assigned to lead the hunt for notorious bank robber John Dillinger (Johnny Depp), who has been challenging the law with his gang, and is considered Public Enemy #1. During his series of bank robberies Dillinger meets and woos Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard), and even after he reveals his identity she falls for him and they become inseparable, and Purvis leads a failed ambush on the hotel he believes Dillinger is in, Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham) kills an agent and escapes with Tommy Carroll (Spencer Garrett). So Purvis asks Hoover to bring in professional men to bring in most wanted criminals, dead or alive, including Texan lawman Charles Winstead (Stephen Lang), the police, after a fire breaking out in Tucson, Arizona at Hotel Congress, arrest Dillinger and his gang, the leader is transferred from Indiana to Lake County Jail in Crown Point by Sheriff Lillian Holley (Lili Taylor), he and his gang do however make their escape with a fake gun, but Frechette is under surveillance, so he cannot see her, and the associates Frank Nitti (Bill Camp) refuse to help. Following a Sioux Falls bank robbery, joining Baby Face Nelson, Dillinger and Carroll being shot, and Carroll having to be left behind, the gang retreat to Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin and the Little Bohemia Lodge, and following low haul he wants to free the rest of his gang, Harry 'Pete' Pierpont (David Wenham) and Charles Makley (Christian Stolte), from prison, but 'Red' Hamilton (Jason Clarke) convinces him it is unlikely he could do so. Carroll is tortured to tell where the gang are hiding, at Little Bohemia, Dillinger and Hamilton separate from the rest of the gang, with Winstead and Clarence Hurt (Don Frye) chasing them through the woods, Hamilton is fatally wounded and later dies, Nelson, Ed Shouse (Michael Vieau), and Homer Van Meter (Stephen Dorff) hijack a car and kill Purvis' partner Agent Carter Baum (Rory Cochrane), they are chased but Purvis manages to kill Nelson and the rest of the men. Dillinger meets up with Frechette and promises her that he will commit a robbery that will pay enough for them get away together, but after she is dropped off she is interrogated and beaten to tell where her love interest, Purvis and Winstead eventually intervene to get the answers, and Dillinger meanwhile is joining Alvin Karpis (Giovanni Ribisi) and the Barker Gang on a train robbery, but he receives the message from Billie that she is in jail, and not to attempt to get her out. Anna Sage (Branka Katic), acquaintance of the criminal, is enlisted by Purvis to set Dillinger up, or be deported, she and Dillinger see a film at the theatre, and afterwards Purvis makes the signal to surround him, he is shot dead after spotting police and before pulling out his weapon, and Winstead hears Dillinger speak his final words, while Purvis goes to inform Hoover he is dead. Frechette is told by Winstead the last words John Dillinger said, he said "Tell Billie for me, 'Bye bye Blackbird'", she cries remembering that it was a song that was playing when they first met, the final words on screen inform that Purvis quit the FBI in 1935 and killed himself in 1960, and after release Billie lived the rest of her life in Wisconsin. Also starring John Ortiz as Phil D'Andrea, Emilie De Ravin as Barbara Patzke, Leelee Sobieski as Polly Hamilton, James Russo as Walter Dietrich, Shawn Hatosy as Agent John Madala, Domenick Lombardozzi as Gilbert Catena, Peter Gerety as Louis Piquett, Carey Mulligan as Carol Slayman and Matt Craven as Gerry Campbell. Depp gives a terrific performance as the short-lived but highly notorious and relentless gangster Dillinger, Bale is equally terrific moments as the FBI agent trying to track him for either lawful punishment or death, Cotillard gets scenes of captivating chemistry being the love interest to the wanted man, and many supporting cast members do a great job too. I will confess that I didn't understand all the technical stuff going, some of the dialogue was a little slow compared to the exciting action and gun fight sequences, but the era is captured perfectly, the criminal and law activities are portrayed well, and all in all it is a rather thrilling ride, a most watchable period crime drama. Very good!