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PUBLIC ENEMIES Michael Mann Starring Johnny Depp Christian Bale Marion Cotillard Billy Crudup I've been looking forward to this film for quite some time now. In addition to that, I'm also a bit of a 1930's fanatic. Does that imply I will present a biased opinion of this release? Of course not, if anything, think of it as an assurance that I know the setting, style, genre and look of this release and as such I'm the most suitable person to review it. Arrogant statement, I know, but one I feel holds a great deal of truth. The film's plot centres around three crucial historical turning points sparked - in part - by the actions of infamous bank robber, John Dillinger. The first follows J Edgar Hoover [Crudup], the birth of the FBI and the thoroughly unscrupulous methods harnessed to obtain information on criminals (wiretaps, vinyl recordings, monitoring phone-calls, interrogations, torture, etc). The second sees the mob/mafia uniting coast-to-coast, turning from petty crime to organised racketeering and finally the systematic pursuit and execution of Dillinger's gang of public enemies. As stated, these events are sparked by the actions of one man, John Dillinger [Depp]. Over the decades a great deal of urban legend and myth surround this particular figure and as such director, Michael Mann, had an abundance of options and conclusions available to him. Thankfully, he has opted for a straight-forward, credible plot, presenting clear scenarios without giving rise to the 'possible' exploits. With a flow of events, rather than a clear story, Public Enemies is a prime example of steady, artistic cinema that takes its time, progressing gently; interspersed on occasion with gritty action shoot-outs. This favouring of a rather generous, leisurely pace has been successfully utilised by other such auteurs as Terrence Malick and Andrew Dominik and certainly caters for a particular niche audience. This specific style of film does not call for complete back story, for exposition, for resolution because we are merely viewing a segment, a fraction of the events in this man's life and as with real-life, it refuses to reiterate points or openly divulge inner thoughts and feelings. Critics are always complaining that cinema never offers anything new, that a film lacks realism, that characters insist on revealing certain completely uncommon phrases, just so the audience can keep up - Public Enemies completely deviates from this trend and offers truly progressive cinema - and it is for that reason that this film is truly superb. Of course, there are down-sides. First off, this is a biopic and as such a great deal of speculation has to be factored in. Secondly, the truth of Dillinger is long since dead and we can but assume how the actual events took place. Then there are the historical inaccuracies - I'm not referring to anachronistic base things such as out-of-place cars, wrist watches or weapons, more the sequence of events. For example, we are introduced to Agent Melvin Purvis [Bale] as he guns down well-known criminal Pretty Boy Floyd an act which took place by Purvis' hand three months after the death of Dillinger. I understand the reason for such changes and as the audience is only made aware of those around Dillinger for such brief periods it never really becomes an issue. The film is also quite clearly very pro-Dillinger, praising his chivalrous acts, affectionate side, generating the Robin Hood comparison; an image strengthened by the acts of the bumbling (and often malicious) FBI agents. One final point I would like to address before summating is Mann's use of handheld digital cameras. For those that don't know, in 2004 Mann released Collateral to mixed reviews; personally I thought the idea, look and feel were incredibly bold and found the film a great success. The issue of controversy was Mann's decision to film the entire movie with commonly available HD cameras, for a gritty, realistic look and to prove that you don't need top-grade equipment to create a film, just a good cast and a good story. There was, however, an issue with the graininess of the night shots, owing to the camera's frame-rate. Without getting too technical, the frame-rate needs to be a certain speed for the film to look as it should - as the camera isn't yet up to the task, the film looks superb but the vision blurs slightly in poor lighting or when objects move too quickly. Again, critics have complained but I have one comment to make; why? This is an experimental medium and new ideas should be embraced, not condemned. Furthermore, the shaky-cam annoys a great many but if you want slow pans and establishing shots, watch Road To Perdition, it's a fantastic 30's gangster film that depicts just that - the approach favoured here has been done extremely well and used only when necessary. It's not exactly Mann's best work but as far as 2009 summer releases go, Public Enemies is an oasis in a desert of ridiculous effects films and poor sequels. Release Date: UK - 3rd July 2009 US - 3rd July 2009 The Scene To Look Out For: Two scenes stand out so vividly in my mind. The first is the Little Bohemia Lodge shoot out. One of the aspects people don't often consider about film is sound; if the microphone isn't pointing directly at the action, little will be picked up and foley sound effects will need to be inserted later. Having said that, with Mann's optioning for digital cameras, everything close to the camera is heard as it would be in real life, meaning the gunfire rattles with a degree of realism and the shotgun blasts penetrating the hotel walls sound a little closer than expected. The production value and visual treats afforded by this scene are truly fantastic. Further to that, there was also a scene in which the gang were meeting in a cinema. As with classic reels, a night at the movies meant a whole night at the movies: the evening would usually start with a news reel, then a cartoon, a short film and finally the feature. During one particular meeting a very stylised newsreel plays, warning the audience of public enemy number one, John Dillinger. In typical fear-mongering US style the announcer says, "He could be among you, he could be in this very theater." The house lights come up, certain squeamish thugs are quickly returned to their seats by other members of the gang and the audience are told to "Look right, look left." Without question, the obedient congregation do so and the camera pans in on Dillinger's gang, sitting squarely in the middle. As the lights dim down and the film starts up, a slow smile creeps along Dillinger's face. Just.. sheer excellence. Notable Characters: Naturally Depp and Cotillard are phenomenally subtle and their entire range works well here but Bale is a little sparse and seems to meander from scene-to-scene. Despite the many faces and cameos, the supporting cast (including an almost unrecognisable Stephen Dorff) only serve to fully flush the world Dillinger thrived in. Having said that, Jason Clarke's role as 'Red' Hamilton was a little thankless but served as a rather rewarding buffer for Depp to rebound off. Highlighted Quote: "You can either live a coward or die a hero" In A Few Words: "Unique in look and feel, this is a work of visionary finesse" Total Score: 
9/10Matthew Stogdon |
