Public Enemies

Director Michael Mann has something of a penchant for telling stories that parallel cops and criminals. Think Heat, Collateral, Miami Vice, or Manhunter. Public Enemies fits right in there with the rest of them, never quite attaining the greatness of Heat, but it's certainlybetter Miami Vice, all while using Mann's now trademark HD video.

During the 1930s John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) was at the forefront of a wave of bank robbers that swept the country. He became something of a national hero, a modern day Robin Hood, stealing from the banks, but refusing to steal from the customers. FBI director J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) couldn't allow this crime wave to continue, creating a task force led by Special Agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) to hunt down and stop Dillinger.

Michael Mann's visual style gives Public Enemiesa look and feel different from any other period film that I've ever seen. The use of HD video, and an, often hand-held, documentary like shooting style give it a sense of immediacy, and grittiness that is extremely unique. Which isn't to say that it's necessarily a good thing. I personally found the visuals to be generally very effective, and occasionally brilliant. There are moments where the depth of field you get from video really added to the film. But judging from the reaction of the other audience members when I saw the film I'm in the minority. There were moments when it was difficult to see what was going on, but I would say that on the whole I liked the visuals.

It's more in the story and characterizations that I had a problem with the film. Instead of being a traditional biopic, Public Enemiesjust gives a snapshot into Dillinger's life for the last few years of his criminal career. We never really get to see anything about what makes him who he is, or any real character growth. He is who he is, and nothing much changes except his circumstances. Which is far and away more information than we get about Melvin Purvis. He's so one dimensional and underdeveloped that I wish he wasn't really in the film at all. His scenes just seem like filler, without really adding anything to the story.

Generally the performances are good, but not spectacular. Depp has the personality, and charisma to spare, to play Dillinger. Bale is adequate in a thankless, not particularly interesting role. Marion Cotillard (Billie), fresh off her Academy Award win, and in her first major English speaking role, is good at what she's asked to do, which isn't really much. Out of everyone in the cast the person I probably enjoyed the most was Billy Crudup. He takes his tiny part, and plays it for all he's got. Not that Hoover is really that important to the story.

Without the expectations of this being a Michael Mann film I feel like I would have been satisfied with it being just sort of a slightly above average period piece, but with its pedigree I left it feeling pretty disappointed. See it for the action sequences, and for Depp, but don't expect it to be great and exciting.

Grade: B-