‘Public Enemies’ is Skillfully Acted, but Weighed Down by its True Story
-----With two of Hollywood’s biggest, and most talented stars onboard, ‘Public Enemies’ was one of the most promising films of the summer. Christian Bale and Johnny Depp certainly do their job, and the latter even carries the movie through some slow patches. It is unfortunate however, that the John Dillinger story is hardly one worth being told, and it becomes a bit dry for anyone unfamiliar, or otherwise uninterested in the subject matter.
-----‘Public Enemies’ is the tale of John Dillinger, a self-proclaimed bank robber and gangster during the Great Depression. Somewhat of a hero to the public, his calm and laid back attitude even when facing prison made him all the more popular. It is the job of FBI career man Melvin Pervis to bring him in. The problem is, 1930s prisons can’t hold Dillinger, and he has enough friends to do whatever he likes.
-----Johnny Depp is brilliant as usual. Playing the cocky bank robber John Dillinger, Depp is forced to carry the film through a slow third act, and most of the runtime is focused solely on his character. He reminds us just how awesome an actor he is by playing a character radically different than most Depp incarnations we’ve seen. It’s funny to think that a laid back and charismatic bank robber from the 30s is arguably the most straightforward and normal character Depp has tackled. His subtle skill and quick flashes of violence and anger despite his charisma become a cornerstone for the film, all wrapped in a consistent, well-tuned accent. Not to mention the many close-ups that rule the film, and actually detract form Depp’s physical appeal, as he wears a scar throughout the movie, further adding to his characters intrigue. Christian Bale is also in top form in a role similar to some he has done before, but with an accent very far removed from his vigilante growl in the Batman films and this year’s ‘Terminator Salvation.’ He has considerably less screen time than Depp, but also gives a very subtle performance as Melvin Pervis, a man whose motivations often seem hidden behind a front. Unfortunately however, the hidden motivations only led to my deep surprise at Pervis’s eventual outcome as relayed in text at the end of the film. I also would have enjoyed more than one scene between Depp and Bale, but that’s just the nature of the story. Marion Cotillard plays the only other character with any substantial screen time, though hers is even less than Bale’s. She plays a common girl who becomes the object of Dillinger’s love, and appreciates his determination to have her enough to fall in love with him. It’s certainly a quick courtship, but the relationship that follows is a believable one. The strength of the cast is ‘Public Enemies’ saving grace. This is especially true in the case of Depp, who makes this true story-character study a bearable one.
-----My main beef with ‘Public Enemies’ is the lack of direction at times, due partly to its strict interpretation of the real events, and partly to poor directing from Michael Mann. Mann does a quality job setting up key scenes that become the film’s anchor, but there’s just no consistency in pace or filmmaking. A story that slightly mingles with the grey areas of justice, this only leads to nonchalance towards the leads from the audience. You certainly aren’t consistently pulling for Bale’s cause, and you even become a bit weary of siding completely with Depp’s character. In the end, you know what’s coming, but are ultimately indifferent to it. I was never heartbroken, nor was I ever very excited either. If not for Depp being intriguing in his own right and the strong supporting cast’s efforts, ‘Public Enemies’ wouldn’t even be worth one viewing. His stars all provide beautiful displays of acting prowess, but Mann never really lets you connect completely with either side, so you become but a neutral observer of the film and story. And while some may credit that to lending to the grey areas of justice, an audience just can’t engage itself without a stronger connection to the leads.
-----Technically the film starts strong but loses steam throughout the second, and most of the third act. The cinematography initially employs a 50/50 blend of picturesque frames, and documentary-style, shaky ground-level work. Mann has chosen to use a technique that makes everything very down-to-Earth, as if it were being captured by a news camera. His technique involves everything blurring upon just slight motion, as if it weren’t being filmed with top-of-the-line cameras with the ability to make everything look smooth. This works great for about the first half hour of the movie, as we’re put on the ground with Dillinger and his men as if it were actually happening. The first half hour also blends, as I mentioned, picturesque frames that put the film’s cinematography at an Oscar-worthy level. Unfortunately however, as the film goes on, these striking shots are filtered out, and the documentary-inducing motion-blur becomes very tiresome. Midway through the second act, and through to the finish of the film, the camera glides around erratically, so close to the actors that it’s often impossible to tell what’s going on, especially during the action sequences. Rising star Channing Tatum, for instance, is one of the supporting actors who you never even notice because the camera is flying around too much. Granted, some of the reason he’s unrecognizable is because he does a solid job, but the primary reason is that it’s too hard to keep track of the characters when all you can see is Johnny Depp’s face and some blurry henchmen in the background. Despite all of this, the technique still proves worthy in the occasional shot, but isn’t consistently effective. For instance, it works brilliantly when Dillinger is standing still in a shootout, bullets whizzing into his apartment, because it feels like you’re there. However, it often relies on super close-ups that have the audience looking up at the actors, whose every movie causes a slight blur to give the effect of realism; and it’s this that quickly gets old.
-----The musical score is also disappointing, starting out strong, but never capably getting the audience excited, and only working well in select scenes. The energy from the trailer is also never relived, as a rousing and fast paced score is missing, and only calm violins are effective during quiet, dialogue driven scenes. The subtlety of many of the film’s characters doesn’t help the intensity level either, as Dillinger is usually laid back, and Pervis puts up a front to hide his emotion. How I longed for Bale to go Batman on Dillinger in the prison cell, or for Depp to swoop across the screen with a Jack Sparrow monologue. And while this is a testament to each respective actor’s disciplined interpretation of their role, the musical score should have picked up the slack in the exhilaration department. The sound itself is often used to startle the audience, but only because it is loud. When gunshots are fired, and fists are thrown, Mann is sure to amp up the sound to make sure you’re paying attention. The cinematography also works with this due to the contrast between machine guns lighting up a dark screen, and booming bullets sounding off throughout the theater.
-----As far as the overall art direction goes, the film is magnificent. Often using the simplest of sets, it brilliantly puts you back in the thirties. They even make use of one of the actual locations that Dillinger used. The costumes are also done to perfection, and may even warrant an Oscar Nomination. Ultimately, it’s the acting and art direction save this film from its flaws, and make sure that there’s plenty to see, even when the story is nothing special.
-----‘Public Enemies’ is by no means a bad movie. In fact, it is one of the year’s better displays of acting, and is certainly an uncompromising production. And while I became dismayed with the techniques over the course of the film, at least it was bold enough to try new things, and works on a hit and miss basis. Unfortunately, the lack of direction and a true story I didn’t really care about weigh it down through a long third act. You never build a strong connection with either side of the fight, and therefore the story loses its potency. Mann does do a solid job of constructing the occasional moment of suspense, and the leads, despite the audience not really siding with either of them, are nearly flawless. This is often the problem with true story character studies though; great acting is hampered by an average true story that alienates the audience as the film is more about staying true to the story instead of engaging the audience. What keeps it from being a film worth heading out to see, or even worth watching multiple times is for the same reasons 2007’s ‘American Gangster’ wasn’t amazing. Both films are well made, well acted period gangster films, but neither has a true story captivating enough to be epic, or even very memorable for that matter. However, those interested in the true story of John Dillinger or already familiar with it will probably find more to like than I did. For casual viewers and fans of the excellent leads however, you can stand to wait a few months and rent ‘Public Enemies,’ a solid, but unfortunate film that only requires one viewing.
-----Oscar Watch: There will likely be a nomination for Best Costume Design, and it may have a case for a Best Art Direction Nomination too. However, while it was brilliantly acted, it’s unlikely that a summer film will get any nominations in the prestigious acting categories. However, if it does, it will be a Best Actor Nomination for Johnny Depp.
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