Technique in trade

Rating: 6/10 (21 August 2009)

People, especially critics, were all up in a tizzy because Michael Mann shot this movie in HDV and it's a period piece. This doesn't actually matter unless you're the type of person who believes that the world pre-1960 existed in tones of brown, like most period pieces are shot. That said, the hand-held cinematography was uneven and the editing was pretty poor, indeed, but that has nothing to do with the camera itself, which captured images that looked great.
As for the story itself, it was pretty good, though like many stories of its type it ended up actually suffering for the love side-plot, which helped stretch the movie to roughly about 20 minutes over its justifiable playlength. Still, the acting was superb and there are some pretty surreal action scenes, plus great prison escape sequences. It was also nice seeing Johnny Depp not play someone quite so flamboyant, kinda a throwback to his Donnie Brasco character but with variance. Most important, the sub-plot involving the technological, ethical, and social changes occurring in America at the time and their interrelatedness was very interesting.
For Michael Mann lovers, this is probably another win. For everyone else, I can't say I wasn't entertained. The violence might get to some people but neither side (Dillinger's crew and the FBI) are romanticized better or worse than the other. Like in Heat, you kinda want both sides to win.
--PolarisDiB