A good but overlong and limited story movie

Rating: 7/10 (5 July 2009)

The new drama, Public Enemies features great performances by Johnny Depp, Marion Cotillard, Christian Bale, good-looking set pieces, and an entertaining if not detailed enough story. However, it is overlong, and does not feature a good enough back story of John Dillinger (Johnny Depp). Marion Cotillard is great as his girlfriend, Billy. Christian Bale is as well good as his hunter Agent Melvin Purvis. The movie is a good escape for a summer blockbuster that doesn't feature anyone with superpowers, or even any big battle climax at the end. There are no transforming cars, no Spock, no gross-out jokes, no sappy romance, etc. It's an original summer escape from reality (although this is based on a true story.) By the end, you feel like you may have been sitting in your theater seats too long, but you feel satisfied. The performances and limited story (it's a complaint, but it also helps) make the movie more than what some of these forced crime dramas are now. I felt like I got my moneys worth, and then some. Definitely not a perfect movie, but a very, very good one. Do yourself a favor, and go see it.