| Public Enemies | |
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Dillinger meanwhile is still working on more heists, but plans a quieter life when he meets Billie Frechette (Cotillard) and falls in love. Following an explosive first encounter with Purvis and his team, Dillinger is forced to work with more violent criminals like ‘Baby face Nelson’ (Stephen Graham) who take far more risks than his usual team. Further complicating matters are the ‘Syndicate’, who think that the old-school bank raids are in danger of putting heat on their lucrative gambling scams. As the net closes in on Dillinger will he be able to escape again or will Purvis finally get his man? The first thing that strikes you about the film is the cinematography. Mann has opted to use the digital format rather than conventional 35mm stock, and as a result the images are often given an artificial feel rather than the natural look one might expect. The director has long favoured this method, but whereas it feels contemporary and in keeping with films like Miami Vice and Collateral, here you feel short-changed and disorientated. This could have been an epic in look not just length but it falls short on that count at least. The performances however are universally excellent. Depp plumps for a restrained yet believable approach which works better at showing off his acting abilities than the overrated and over the top Jack Sparrow. Bale (Terminator Salvation) again allows someone else dominate the screen whilst quietly going about creating a great character, if on this occasion one who is underdeveloped by the script. The Mann heists will instantly remind people of Heat (especially with the ear-piercing gunfights and bullets flying at high velocity) but as the trailer suggested there is an air of The Dark Knight to proceedings, something which is complimented by the familiar music with its recognisable string crescendos and extended intonations The plot is not conventional gangster/crime genre fare, with the ‘action’ taking place at unlikely moments and somewhat out of the blue. This means the bursts of excitement in the otherwise pedestrian story can catch you off guard, a neat trick for the adrenaline pumping scenes but at the expense of the overall experience. Some of the lesser characters barely make an appearance and their involvement then becomes all the more confusing when they are thrust into the middle of scenes without any introduction. Credit to Mann for challenging some of the conventional wisdom with Public Enemies, this is not a sweeping or beautifully captured ode to a bygone age. It has parts of Sam Mendes wonderful Road to Perdition in it’s delivery of post-Untouchables Chicago but it says something about a film when you half-hope Kevin Costner and Sean Connery will meander in and liven things up a bit. It’s a film that demands your attention thanks to the cast and the direction but fails to hold it due to an unevenly paced story. Not a failure, but another big summer movie which fails to live up to the hype. Rating: *** Starring: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, David Wenham, Billy Crudup and Marion Cotillard Director: Michael Mann Written by: Michael Mann, Ronan Bennett and Ann Biderman Runtime: 140mins Release Date: July 1st Certificate: 15 Reviewed by: Cassam Looch
Check out our interview with Johnny Depp for more on Public Enemies. |
Arguably the most anticipated film of the summer finally arrives, and although it is by no means a disaster the final product still feels underwhelming… lacking the punch to connect with most viewers. 
