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He said..

Public Enemies is the latest film by Michael Mann. In it Mann takes his familiar affection for the world of cops and criminals and plays with one of the more iconic American confrontations between the two sides of the modern era.

It stars Johnny Depp as John Dillinger, the infamous Depression era bank robber, and Christian Bale as FBI Agent Melvin Purvis, tasked with stopping his bloody rampage.

Public Enemies is essentially a very decent chase film and a slightly less enjoyable character study. Depp, who has a fondness for extravagant characters, engages the role with his considerable talents and innate likeability. He easily captures Dillinger's roguish charm and dangerous sexuality. The film easily demonstrates Dillinger's understanding and affection for nurturing his public persona. Like other of Mann's characters, such as Muhammad Ali, Dillinger masterfully manipulates the media to further his own goals. Depp also easily portrays Dillinger's hedonistic, fatalism-fueled life style. He often puts off confronting the reality of his life, fully expecting that he will not have to contend with it. He says to his girlfriend, Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard) at one point that he enjoys "fast cats, whiskey and...you." The few permanent people in his life are, however, painfully aware that his life as lived will be short and end violently.

Dillinger's nemesis, FBI Agent Melvin Purvis, is played by Bale. In Public Enemies, Agent Purvis is less vivid and compelling than Dillinger, whether this is by way of the script or performance I am not sure. He is often a simple foil for Dillinger and in some cases the new FBI authority represented by Billie Crudup's maniacal FBI Director Herbert Hoover. The character morally treads a line between Dillinger's overt lawbreaking and the covert abuse of authority by Hoover (and his minions). But yet again, Bale's performance is overshadowed by either the action sequences or other performances. He is never his own character on par with Dillinger. This makes three movies now where Bale is seemingly not up to the task of his characters or costars. With the seeming reservoir of deep intensity, I keep waiting for it to translate into a performance. He was not able to utilize it in either The Dark Knight or in Terminator Salvation. It's become disappointing to sense great talents that never are completely realized into a full performance.

Cotillard, the adorable Best Actress Oscar winner for Lie Vie en Rose, portrays Dillinger's girlfriend Billie Frechette. She is slyly attracted to Dillinger as a naive girl who has experienced little in the way of people and places. But she quickly realizes that she has been seduced by the adventure of his life. She tells him, "You're a test."

The casting of the movie is exceptional as casting manager Diane Dionne skillfully rounds out the movie with very good actors (anyone that gives Stephen Lang work has my thanks). Somehow, most of the supporting cast looks like they belong in a movie in the 1930s. I have no idea if people of the time looked different or if it's more likely that it's an affect of the movies of the time but the look of the cast is fun. It's just this side of realistic without appearing to be a creation of Frank Miller.

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