Depp is great, the film not so much

Rating: Null/10 (11 December 2009)

The difficult 1930s is a time of robbers who knock over banks and other rich targets with alarming frequency. Of them, none is more notorious than John Dillinger, whose gang plies its trade with cunning efficiency against big businesses while leaving ordinary citizens alone. As Dillinger becomes a folk hero, FBI head J. Edger Hoover is determined to stop his ilk by assigning ace agent Melvin Purvis to hunt down Dillinger. As Purvis struggles with the manhunt's realities, Dillinger himself faces an ominous future with the loss of friends, dwindling options and a changing world of organized crime with no room for him... Michael Mann's Public Enemies is a very mediocre piece of work. First and foremost, I think the viewers will be surprised by the " look" of the film. Apparently it was shot in HD/digital video which should mean a sharp image but the end result is still and lifeless. The sound is also very odd as if it hasn't been worked at all. Both questionable choices by the director. The story feels rushed and loose and the narrative isn't focused which is a shame because this is an interesting and compelling story that could have been made into a great film. Another flaw is the fact that besides John Dillinger and Billie Frechette, all the other characters are two-dimensional and poorly written. The best thing about Public Enemies, is undeniably, Johnny Depp. He is terrifically charismatic, stylish and suave as Dillinger and a pleasure to watch. The role fitted him like a glove, and without Depp the film would have almost no interest. Marion Cotillard was lovely as Billie Frechette, on the other hand, Christian Bale was very wooden as Melvin Purvis, the man in charge of hunting down Dillinger and his gang, resembling his performance in his latest film, Terminator Salvation. Overall, I think Michael Mann is to blame, Public Enemies seemed to have all the right ingredients to be an epic gangster film however, the director made some odd choices and I question his vision. And according to rumors, so did Depp. Maybe, it was their disagreement that caused the film to be so uneven.
6/10