Public Enemies - Grading and Discussion (Johnny Depp, Christian Bale)

[Trubinator]

Re: Public Enemies - Grading and Discussion (Johnny Depp, Christian Ba

I thought it was good. It wasn't as good as Collateral though, so I'd recommend that most wait for it on video. The only thing you'd miss in theaters is the amazing sound.

 

[Harvey]

Re: Public Enemies - Grading and Discussion (Johnny Depp, Christian Ba

Slate has a good article elucidating the film's many historical inaccuracies here, although Dana Stevens' own review there disliked the film, so read it with that knowledge in hand.

 

[Goliath]

Re: Public Enemies - Grading and Discussion (Johnny Depp, Christian Ba

Some of that criticism is certainly valid, and dovetails with my own.

It sounds like Mann downplayed a lot of the criticism of the FBI in Burrough's book, and that's a shame: had he done more than just hint at this, he could have fleshed out his law-enforcement characters more fully, and made a truly great movie.

But some of that article's criticism is wildly off the mark. This, for example:

In fact, there is generally too much killing here. Dillinger's gang is responsible for the deaths of a dozen people, but the film makes it seem like many multiples of that number. During the entire yearlong spree between the summer of 1933 and summer 1934, Dillinger himself probably murdered just one man, but in Public Enemies, he is a killing machine.

No, it doesn't, and no, he wasn't.

A lot of shots were fired, but I don't remember seeing dozens and dozens of bodies fall.

 

[Doggeh]

Re: Public Enemies - Grading and Discussion (Johnny Depp, Christian Ba

I'm on the fence about seeing this movie. I've heard some mixed reviews so far. I do feel kinda obligated to see it since it was filmed about 20 minutes away from where I live.

I'll probably end up going as soon as I can find a friend to go with. I think I'm gonna see Ice Age 3 first though. Heh.

 

[Harvey]

Re: Public Enemies - Grading and Discussion (Johnny Depp, Christian Ba

But some of that article's criticism is wildly off the mark. This, for example:

In fact, there is generally too much killing here. Dillinger's gang is responsible for the deaths of a dozen people, but the film makes it seem like many multiples of that number. During the entire yearlong spree between the summer of 1933 and summer 1934, Dillinger himself probably murdered just one man, but in Public Enemies, he is a killing machine.

No, it doesn't, and no, he wasn't.

A lot of shots were fired, but I don't remember seeing dozens and dozens of bodies fall.

I'll keep an eye out for that when I see the film. An excessive body count doesn't strike me as Mann's style. It is a shame that the FBI isn't a greater part of the film's story, though. I had long wondered why Christian Bale was being nearly omitted from the film's advertising. Partly that must be due to the failure of Terminator: Salvation, but now it seems it is also due to the film itself.

Nonetheless, I'll be seeing it this weekend or next.

 

[DarKush]

Re: Public Enemies - Grading and Discussion (Johnny Depp, Christian Ba

Just saw PE. It's a solid film, but I wouldn't recommend going to the theater to check it out, unless you just have to. It was well made, great costuming, and the actions scenes were well staged.

But I agree with those that felt it lacked a little something. In a way it had more depth than the Untouchables, but the Untouchables was a far more memorable movie. I never quite bought Depp having the dark, desperate edge that I thought a guy like Dillinger might have especially toward the end of the film. I also don't think Mann made the gangsters distinct enough. I would also agree that the G-Men, particularly Purvis, weren't fleshed out enough. Comparing it to the Untouchables again, you go to see more of both adversaries in their element, and it showed more about them as characters, as men.

Perhaps it was the theater I was in, but there were times when I couldn't hear the actors well, particularly Depp and Bale. I'm not sure if it was a sound problem or them mumbling or what.

 

[Admiral_Young]

Re: Public Enemies - Grading and Discussion (Johnny Depp, Christian Ba

I thought I would have time to see it...but some things have come up that I need to deal with and alas, I think that I might have to push this aside and wait until it comes on DVD. Unless I am able to deal with stuff quickly.

 

[tomalak301]

Re: Public Enemies - Grading and Discussion (Johnny Depp, Christian Ba

I saw the film yesterday and while it was visually awesome, and this might be Depp's best role, I too thought the film lacked something to suck me in. There were points in the film that just felt really slow and I think they could have cut a good half hour out of it because it felt really long. (I also saw Transformers too and while that movie is long, I wasn't checking the clock as much). I think some sharper focus was needed to make it a great film but other than that, it was a very good film. Collateral was better.

 

[OdoWanKenobi]

Re: Public Enemies - Grading and Discussion (Johnny Depp, Christian Ba

I was entertained by the film, but I agree with those that felt it was lacking something. I think what it lacked was any insight into the characters. The movie is essentially just "this is what happened." We never see the characters of Dillinger or Purvis explored. They are just there becuase they are there. They go through the motions of the events that took place. Still I can think of far worse ways to kill a couple of hours, and overall I enjoyed the film. It just falls short of greatness.

 

[CaptainCanada]

Re: Public Enemies - Grading and Discussion (Johnny Depp, Christian Ba

Pretty good; not great, but pretty good.

I know Mann's a big fan of digital and handheld, but I can't help but wonder how much that really contributed; I had a hard time distinguishing the side-characters (particularly, anyone in Dillinger's gang who wasn't Dillinger). Though it was an interesting way to see a period film shot. Likewise, I alternated between appreciating Mann's attempts to unromantically depict gun battle, and finding the noise just earsplittingly uncomfortable.

Really liked Marion Cotillard.

Throughout the movie I had an interesting time trying to determine how we were supposed to feel about Dillinger and his exploits; honestly, I didn't really like any of the main characters, including the lead cops. I really liked Winstead, the Texas cop brought in to help with the pursuit; the actor playing him did a really good job. Crudup's Hoover was likewise very well-acted.

 

[IndyJones]

Re: Public Enemies - Grading and Discussion (Johnny Depp, Christian Ba

I really liked Winstead, the Texas cop brought in to help with the pursuit; the actor playing him did a really good job.

I've never seen Stephen Lang play a part I didn't like.

 

[CaptainCanada]

Re: Public Enemies - Grading and Discussion (Johnny Depp, Christian Ba

Thinking more, the other thing I really thought was missing was a sense of social context. Dillinger came to be sort of romanticized as a Robin Hood figure by the public, and this is alluded to, but there's no real sense of the economic calamity that caused that atmosphere, nor any exploration of it.

The takedown of Baby-Face Nelson was probably my favourite sequence in the film.

 

[Dick Whitman]

Re: Public Enemies - Grading and Discussion (Johnny Depp, Christian Ba

Good but kind of dull.

Gorgeous looking movie. Some of which was shot in my home state of Wisconsin. Knowing the basic story it just seems paint by numbers. "Here it is and thats what happened" without much enthusiasm.

 

[Sagart]

Re: Public Enemies - Grading and Discussion (Johnny Depp, Christian Ba

The disappointing summer continues. I really wanted this to be great but, sadly, no. It's looks fantastic but has no heart, I couldn't care about the characters. Depp brings his usual casual brilliance to an underwritten role but Bale's part was very one dimensional (we're told at the end that he left the FBI and eventually killed himself - why did he do that? If we don't know enough about him to care during the movie, who cares what happens afterwards?) and there simply wasn't enough story to move things along.

Roll on Harry Potter for what I hope will be, at least, an entertaining movie.

 

[Goliath]

Re: Public Enemies - Grading and Discussion (Johnny Depp, Christian Ba

This film has just managed to achieve a "fresh" rating, with a score of 64%, at rottentomatoes.com.

That strikes me as pretty fair.

 

[Evil Twin]

Re: Public Enemies - Grading and Discussion (Johnny Depp, Christian Ba

All I gotta say is I hate hate hate hate HATE the camera they used to film this. Clearly digital not film, it just gave the whole picture a cheap, amateurish, low budget feel. Looked almost as if they filmed the whole thing on a home movie camera. Sorry, but it was way too distracting and pretty much ruined the movie for me.

From DVD Talk's review:

Perhaps the largest single artistic thumbprint of worry is Mann's use of HD camerawork. While I applaud the director's elaborate commitment to avoid a Bogdanovich route of painstaking, era-specific lensing decoration, the slick, smeary cinematography on "Enemies" rips the spine right out of the material. Mann pours salt on the wound by insisting on a tipsy hand-held approach, which turns an A-list Hollywood blockbuster into something resembling a junior high weekend class project from the St. Francis School for Troubled Boys. Mann shoves his lens millimeters away from the faces of the actors (Depp and Bale's nostrils should demand above-the-title billing), losing their crucial reactions in the inky darkness, and cruelly bounces the rubber camera around to remind audiences that we're watching cutting-edge technology covering ancient criminal behaviors. It's a thin-ice proposition to call out legendary cinematographer Dante Spinotti like this, but "Enemies" looks atrocious, and worse, excruciatingly obvious. There's meticulous Depression-era production design everywhere that's wasted while Mann counts the pores on Depp's face.

 

[Dar70]

Re: Public Enemies - Grading and Discussion (Johnny Depp, Christian Ba

The disappointing summer continues. I really wanted this to be great but, sadly, no. It's looks fantastic but has no heart, I couldn't care about the characters. Depp brings his usual casual brilliance to an underwritten role but Bale's part was very one dimensional (we're told at the end that he left the FBI and eventually killed himself - why did he do that? If we don't know enough about him to care during the movie, who cares what happens afterwards?) and there simply wasn't enough story to move things along.

Roll on Harry Potter for what I hope will be, at least, an entertaining movie.

Agreed. It was mediocre at best. I was a little disappointed, I was hoping to be surprised. But it really just wasnt that interesting.


I actually like "Dilinger" with Warren Oats" a little more. It was a little less accurate than "Public Enemies" (which also took liberties) but it was much more entertaining.

 

[Dream]

Re: Public Enemies - Grading and Discussion (Johnny Depp, Christian Ba

I think the movie was pretty good. Depp made the movie. Also I really loved the chemistry between Depp and Cotillard. I was hoping the characters they played would get married and have a happy life enough though I knew that wasn't going to happen. The costumes and settings were really excellent. But it could have been shorter.

I still find it a little odd that the book is about many of famous criminals of the time while the movie is pretty much just a Dillinger movie.

 

[Kirk's_Tights]

Re: Public Enemies - Grading and Discussion (Johnny Depp, Christian Ba

Saw it on Saturday, OBVIOUSLY LOVED IT. Two of my top 5 lovers in a movie together, it was sure to win.

Really liked the story and the action, it was awesome. The chick who played Billie did a great job herself.

I overheard some dimwit behind me when the movie was over say 'it was a good movie but I hoped it would end differently'.

Me thinks someone has no idea that John Dillinger was a REAL PERSON.

 

[CaptainCanada]

Re: Public Enemies - Grading and Discussion (Johnny Depp, Christian Ba

I still find it a little odd that the book is about many of famous criminals of the time while the movie is pretty much just a Dillinger movie.

Dillinger's the most famous, and the movie's long as it is, so I'm not surprised they zeroed in on the big name for a single lead.