It was okay, but long

Rating: 7/10 (17 December 2009)

John Dillinger (Depp) is robbing banks and the Feds have a hard time stopping him
I don't know why this movie wasn't called Public Enemy No 1 as it was all about Dillinger. Yes, Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd were mentioned but this was all about Dillinger who was called Public Enemy No 1 by the Feds. This movie also showed the beginnings of the FBI under J. Edgar Hoover.
It was okay. The best parts were when Dillinger spoke and we wished he had more dialogue. We hung on every word and when he was courting his girl, Billie (Cotillard) we heard some good dialogue. The entire cast performed well.
The story didn't explain Frank Nitti's involvement although his character was in a couple scenes that sounded important but were vague, so we never knew anything.
What was missing that could have made this a better movie? Two things. First, his men didn't talk about him in glowing terms among themselves or to others. That would have enhanced the legend.
And, second, if we had seen Dillinger pretend he was a bank alarm systems salesman while casing out some banks, that would have helped as well.
Not to glorify Dillinger, but the general feeling among the people of the United States, at that time, was that he was getting back at the banks, which they hated. Remember everyone was just coming out of a depression and it was generally felt the bankers caused it. We are talking 1933. So if Dillinger robbed a bank, the bankers deserved it. A breakfast table conversation in awe of Dillinger would have been correct and funny, in a way.
Would those two things have made the movie even longer? No. All they would have had to do was to cut down on some of the shootings. That big shooting scene in the woods when the Feds thought they had Dillinger went on for too long, the scenes were were too dark and no one could tell who was shooting at anyone. It took a scene later on when Dillinger was caring for his wounds that we knew he had gottten away.
One of these days the powers that be will realize that Johnny Depp is so much like a Brando in that he becomes the role he is playing. He is that good.
But, on the whole, the movie was okay. Could have used more humor too.
Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: Some GDIs were only heard.