Public Enemies, like most Michael Mann films, is a very well made film. Also, like other Michael Mann films, has great action sequences with a lot of slow, down time between.
Public Enemies is the story of the end of John Dillinger's career as a bank robber, the formation of the FBI task force that caught him, and all the trials and tribulations inbetween. The movie starts with a bang, showing the audience the daring prison break of Dillinger's gang. From there the story slows to give us the background and story behind the newly formed FBI and Hoover's attempts to build a Federal police force. This was a roller coaster of drama then action then drama then action....you get the idea. Like
Heat, the acting and action sequences are amazing, but the story tends to get in the way. Mann is the thinking man's action director.
An amazing cast is headed up by Johnny Depp as John Dillinger. Another amazing turn from Depp, he plays Dillinger as as one of the most intense, live-by-the-moment people I have seen. Christin Bale is Charles Makley, the man charged by J. Edgar Hoover to catch Dillinger. Bale's performance is also magnificent, looking like a man who is constantly hamstrung by his superiors in order to maintain the facade of a young, professional crime unit. Billy Crudup plays Hoover, a nice change of pace for him from the "nice guy" roles I'm accustomed to seeing him in. The cast is rounded out by Stephen Dorff, Jason Clarke, James Russo, and David Wenham.
A brilliantly made movie hampered by patches of boring,
Public Enemies is worth a viewing, but be ready with the fast forward button. 7.5/10.
See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!
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