Test Screening in Sherman Oaks, Ca

Rating: 3/10 (13 February 2009)

Public Enemies was screened last night (Thursday Feb. 12) in Sherman Oaks, Ca. Going into it I knew what the movie was, who was in it and what the story was more or less about. First, the movie ran about 2hrs 40mins. Probably an hour too long. If anyone is going into this film expecting to see Johnny Depp in another masterful performance, you'll be left empty handed. And when it comes to Christian Bale, who drops tons of weight for "The Machinist" then puts on 60 pounds to play Batman right after, and who is as serious an actor as they come, appears for the first time, you're left asking yourself... "who is this? why is he here? and why do i care about anyone in this movie? To the unfortunate end, you never get these questions answered.
There is not one single stitching of character development with ANYONE. You don't know who anyone is, except Dillinger and Bale's character. The movie is called "Public Enemies" but you never get a sense of what that means. You never see the newspaper headlines, you never see the PUBLIC'S perception of him or his gang and the movie botches, at ever turn, the 3 main stories its attempting to tell. (1)The story of the start of the FBI (with Billy Cruddup as J. Edgar Hoover), (2)the end of the days of robbing banks with the beginnings of prohibition and gambling coming in. (3)And the fact that the mob is upset with Dillinger because the newly formed FBI puts into law that anything over state lines is now a Federal crime. This is turn, turns the entire mob against Dillinger. Their enterprises are heavily thrown off track due to this. But you get one scene with Frank Netti that' suppose to explain this???
Bottom line is this; this movie tried to be something it wasn't. Michael Mann is at fault. When you see the movie, don't complain to the theater about the "projection" problems. There aren't any. Its the type camera that Mann has become accustomed to, and it has a VERY cheap, video look to it. And for the love of God, take your Dramamine because the swishy- bouncing, rocky, jerky camera crap will make you wish for the Blair Witch. You are basically dumped in the middle of the story about a bunch of stuff you don't know or aren't familiar with and are expected to just tag along, but all it ends up feeling like is coming in an hour late on an A&E Biography on Dillinger. This is not the Christian Bale or Johnny Depp you know. It's not them at all. They showed up, said some lines and went home. Michael Mann should consider hanging his spurs.