Public Enemies
Depp's Dillinger is fun, but all surface.
Nothing says historical cinematic recreation like a mobster everyone can root for. Denzel Washington did it in 2007’s “American Gangster,” and now Johnny Depp does his best in “Public Enemies” to portray bank robber John Dillinger — a cool as ice mobster who can deliver smooth wit about as quickly as he can pull a trigger.
“Public Enemies” starts right in the heart of the 1930s, when the economy was at its lowest, and crime was at its highest. Enter John Dillinger (Johnny Depp), a suave bank robber whose daring heists and escapes from jail capture the attention and heart of the American public. But FBI head J. Edgar Hoover isn’t amused, and assigns Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) to apprehend Dillinger and his cohorts.
The exciting part of “Public Enemies” lies in the recklessness in which Dillinger lives every day. Gun fights, sweeping women off their feet, fleeing to exotic cities; it’s all in a day’s work for Dillinger. But the problem is that all of these things provide no deeper insight into Dillinger the man. When he woos a woman at a club (Marion Cotillard) and is content to spend the rest of his life with her, his motives and reasoning are completely disregarded. Why he comes to such conclusions, or how they materialize so quickly is the film’s biggest let down — Dillinger seems to just do things, and the audience has to accept them, regardless of how asinine they may be.
Depp is his usual stunner, while he plays the tragic hero with expertise. The bravado and arrogance of Dillinger exudes out of Depp’s every step, and riding shotgun to his capers is an exhilarating experience. But a biopic has to go deeper than gun powder and smooth talking, and “Public Enemies” rarely ever does. In its long 140 minutes, any insight to the psyche of one of America’s most intriguing figures is usually unexplored. Director Michael Mann shows all the flash in his life but rarely any substance, and that leaves the audience feeling a bit robbed themselves.
Written by: Ted Simmons
Reviewers Rating: 6.5
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Added: 4-Jul-2009
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