.co.uk

Johnny Depp is brilliant in Michael Mann's trigger-happy American crime drama Public Enemies. As the notorious bank robber, John Dillinger, he is violent and morally consistent, slick and stylish, with a menacing look in his eyes for every scene that he takes centre stage. Furthermore, his interpretation is so assured and believable that it will prompt discussion between viewers about the media's obsession with the real-life criminal methods of the gangster and his crew during the public enemy era (1931–1935) after watching. It really is a fascinating depiction of Dillinger's absolute pinnacle to his eventual death.

Certainly, Depp's performance carries a lot of weight in this film. His character is well researched to the point that we believe he has become Dillinger. Everything from his arrogant smirk, the way he moves, and the way he dresses (credit should go to the art directors here) seems very convincing in its replication of the real-life human being (compare with this video). Many films have parodied the smartly-dressed gangster with the Tommy Gun from the 1930s, but there is a genuinity in how Depp acts here that you cannot help but take him seriously and respect him. Even though his character is a robber and a killer, we end up rooting for him, which is quite an achievement.

In regards to the other actors involved, Christian Bale, while not on the same level as Depp, gives a fine performance as Melvin Purvis, the FBI agent responsible for tracking down Dillinger and his crew (made up of Jason Clarke, Stephen Dorff, David Wenham, Stephen Graham, and others). It is Marion Cotillard as Billie Frechette, the loyal girlfriend to the Dillinger, however, that is most impressive of all the characters involved, aside from Depp; her performance is so captivating that it becomes pretty easy to interpret the amount of pain she is suffering under the interrogation of a brutal agent past mid point, in the most eye-opening scene of the film.

It's just unfortunate that, apart from the likable charisma of the main actors involved and the scene just mentioned, that there aren't that many standout moments throughout the duration of Public Enemies. The film, which is a fictionalized account of the true events between Dillinger and the law on his tail, is concerned with the last fourteen months of the bank robber's life only; it prefers not to go into the history of his childhood or the psychology of his crimes. This may well suit some people, but having briefly studied Dillinger prior to watching, but I never really felt immersed in the world of the film as I thought I would be; thus, I found the overall experience more disappointing than satisfying in this department.

The main reason for this is because the film is not a biopic, as some people may like to deceive others into thinking; it's actually an old-fashioned cops 'n' robbers thriller that strives to match Mann's greatest achievement, Heat (at one point, Depp's character actually uses the exact same line of dialogue as De Niro did in 1995). Considering the sheer brilliance of the aforementioned film, there's nothing particularly wrong with this; what Public Enemies lacks in depth, it makes up with some well-choreographed action sequences shot in crisp, high-def cinematography, making the film seem visually appealing. But, generally speaking, it lacks that certain "oomph" to make it seem significant alongside Mann's best film, as well as other highly-regarded films in the crime genre (The Godfather, The Departed). In truth, I expected more.

My main gripe is with the script. Often you’ll find that a lot of the supporting characters in Dillinger's gang are thrown into the story without any introduction. Even if you have a slight knowledge of the criminal associates from the era -- Baby Face Nelson, Pretty Boy Floyd, Charles Makley, Homer Van Meter -- it's pretty easy to lose track of who everyone is, and it therefore becomes difficult to feel connected to them when the law intervenes with their behaviour. Public Enemies lacks suspense as a result; as good as Depp and Bale are as separate entities, there is never a feeling that the mythical rivalry between Dillinger and Purvis is the intense driving force behind the movie, which is what I was most looking forward to beforehand.

While Public Enemies doesn't ascend to the heights of the Heat or the most respected gangster films, it is nevertheless pretty entertaining. It may sound as if I'm flickering between the good and the not-so-good aspects of the film, and that's because I perceived this a very dualistic affair. My mind is telling me that I liked a majority of the characters, enjoyed the action scenes, and can commend the way the film looked via the rich art direction and cinematography. But the bottom line is it just didn't contain enough magic for me to make it a great film.

(C) Andy Carrington, 2010.