A Huge Disappointment

Rating: 2/10 (1 July 2009)

Michael Mann is capable of directing good films, i.e., HEAT. However, Public Enemies isn't one of them. This film is overlong, and even borders on boring in several unnecessary scenes. While Depp is, as always, fine in his role, all the characters are one dimensional, and Christian Bale is so wooden even his facial expressions seem to be carved in pine. Mann's hand held camera technique, annoying enough on the small TV screen, is nauseatingly bad on the large screen. The historical inaccuracies drain the film of any believability, and the action sequences generate next to no suspense. Visually, the cinematography and art direction are quite good, but nowhere near good enough to carry the film. The finale is anti-climatic in the extreme. Ironically, the scenes of Manhattan Melodrama toward the end of the film remind the viewer how gangster movies ought to be made.