Manns back...

Rating: 10/10 (3 July 2009)

Michael Mann is a guy I've looked up to for some time now. He is indisputably one of the greatest film makers of our time and has provided the world with some ground breaking films. Let's forget 2006's hiccup that was the Miami Vice movie and feast upon his latest offering, Public Enemies. But is Mann turning up the heat, or is it collateral damage.
Based on author Bryan Burrough's ambitious tome Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-43, director Michael Mann's sprawling historical crime drama follows the efforts of top FBI agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale ) in capturing notorious bank robber John Dillinger. A folk hero to the American public thanks to his penchant for robbing the banks that many people believed responsible for the Great Depression, charming bandit Dillinger (Johnny Depp) was virtually unstoppable at the height of his criminal career; no jail could hold him, and his exploits endeared him to the common people while making headlines across the country. J. Edgar Hoover's (Billy Crudup) FBI was just coming into formation, and what better way for the ambitious lawman to transform his fledgling Bureau of Investigation into a national police force than to capture the gang that always gets away? It was the movies that killed John Dillinger -- Gangster No. 1 until he was gunned down outside a Chicago theatre after taking in the pictures one hot night in 1934 -- and it was the movies that brought him back to life. More than once. But this time it's different. This time Michael Mann is in charge. This is undoubtedly a Michael Mann film. From the intense close ups to the thrilling soundtrack its clear who's running the show. And boy if he doesn't do it near perfectly. This is masterful direction on his part; each scene is pitch perfect and balanced to the point that there isn't a speck of dirt on camera, in this aspect Public Enemies soars. Unfortunately the film does have some technical issues, none of which are large enough to take you out of the movie, but at times the audio editing is, jumpy to say the least. One minute we have guns blazing defining anybody sitting in the aisle seats, other times speech is misheard as the characters speak lines so softly it's easy to misinterpretation.
As far as the look of the film, it's absolutely phenomenal. Shot entirely on digital, which seems to be Mann's new forte, the picture looks crisp, clear and utterly classy. Sporting some unparalleled cinematography that encapsulate 1930's Chicago, there no denying that Public Enemies is the best looking film of 2009. The acting is nothing below extraordinary with favourite Johnny Depp and Christian Bale recovering from the rough patch they been through recently. This is them back on form and better than ever. Oscar Winner Marion Cotillard delivers a solid is underused performance.
Verdict: Public Enemies shows Michael Mann's steady recovery from 2006's Miami Vice, there are a couple of casual bugs, the sound can be dreadful at time but for the most part Public Enemies shines as one of 2009s brightest gems and could be up for some serious awards come Oscar time. The running time may scare some and with it being a Michael Mann film it's definitely not for everybody but for thoses who appreciate his style of movie making, this is all for you. A stunning, sumptuous sensation that acts as one of my favourite films of 2009.