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After nearly a decade of playing mincing, androgynous fops and Burtonesque man-child freaks, it's a refreshing pleasure to see Johnny Depp play an honest-to-goodness real man again. He still runs like a girl, as witnessed in the scene set at the Little Bohemia Lodge in Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin – the actual historical site of a shootout between Dillinger's gang and the Bureau of Investigation. But other than that there is no sign of the poncey Captain Jack Sparrow or the Does He or Doesn't He Willy Wonka. He lets you in on Dillinger's swagger and charm, showing how the enjoyment of his own '30s era celebrity contributes to his downfall. You almost believe at times that Dillinger wants to get caught so that he'll have the opportunity to openly take pleasure in the macabre zeitgeist of his own mythos. At the same time Depp never shies away from characterizing this cold-blooded killer at a crossroads. Depp has a scene where he lays it all on the line in pursuit of coat check girl Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard). In those scant, swooning seconds Depp not only persuades her to go with him, but he reminds everyone how and why he is matinee idol and a movie star.

Oscar winner Cotillard (La Vie En Rose) is perfectly serviceable as Dillinger's sweetheart and moll Billie. It's not the most thoroughly fleshed-out character to play, but she's always adorably winning and her visage practically pops of the screen. Armed and attired with nothing but those eyes, that smile and a three dollar dress, it's obvious why Dillinger couldn't keep his eyes off her. I couldn't either.

There is some good supporting work that should be mentioned as well. Billy Crudup's J. Edgar Hoover is so oddly quirked and tightly wound that you just know he's got to go home and put on a dress in order to feel like a human being again. Brotherhood's Jason Clarke plays Dillinger's right-hand man Red Hamilton and has a superb moment with Depp in the third act. That scene could have well served as a combination epiphany and retirement party send off not just for Dillinger, but for his entire class of criminal.

I was disappointed with Christian Bale's performance as Melvin Purvis, the man hand picked by Hoover to head the Public Enemies Task Force. Bale's somnambulistic performance hides behind the Southern drawl he's affected and never really offers anything up about Purvis. That's three performances in a row now by Bale from which I've come away unimpressed. That includes this film, Terminator Salvation and The Dark Knight. I know for certain there is a fine actor in there as evidenced by earlier work, but I'm wondering if his characterizations of late are somehow being weighed down by the size and scope of these films and their set pieces. It may be as simple as he cannot shine when playing upstanding good guys, no matter how compromised their values and however much they may be flawed. Bale may want to next consider a small character-driven film or something where he can at least crack a smile or a joke from time to time. He's sounding the death knell for his own tenure atop the A-List by becoming boring.

Bale's lackluster performance parallels the biggest problem with Public Enemies. I don't have an issue with an adult drama that takes its time, but there needs to be adequate payoff now and then to carry interest over. The film is never tedious, but it is sometimes a bit anesthetized. Dillinger approaches his occupation with an everyday workmanlike attitude. In theory, that could be seen as admirable, but on film it makes planning a bank heist seem as thrilling as formatting a spreadsheet. I kept waiting for an adrenaline-fueled high to accompany any one of his misadventures. This moment is never fully realized. It should all add up to a great movie but it just doesn't. The combined talents of the aforementioned greats cannot seem to overcome innate problems with plotting and pacing. It's pretty; it sounds great and for the most part, is well-acted. In the end, there's too much good stuff in Public Enemies to denounce it absolutely. Even though it has its problems, it's still a well-made, thoughtful study of the American criminal underworld at a nexus. It's definitely worth a look, but it should be worth so much more than that.

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