PUBLIC ENEMIES

PUBLIC ENEMIES (Universal Pictures)
Written and Directed by Michael Mann

There just doesn’t seem to be enough reality when it comes to action/adventure flicks anymore. I know, such a genre has never teetered on everything looking and feeling completely real, but back in the day it was a bit more raw and rugged. We all remember those flicks where you could really feel the intensity build and build with each twist or turn of the camera. It's all too easy now with the emergence of CGI, too smooth and seamless, and although I appreciate how great this new technology is, sometimes I wish more directors took filmmaking back to its roots. Sure, it’s hard to do, considering all the money producers are putting up for a film these days, clearly with the idea that it needs to wow the audience visually, but there are those rare stories that thrive on old moviemaking techniques. It’s those stories that will wind up surprising you, especially if that so-called director is able to mix a little old with the new, as far as special effects and camerawork go. That’s when you have found a hidden gem and even though it may not be that often, I relish when one of these films comes around, because it tells me there’s still a few directors out there that appreciate the art of moviemaking in its most vulnerable form. Michael Mann is that type of director, and with his film, PUBLIC ENEMIES, proves there is still room for this type of film in todays CGI era.

Adapted from Bryan Burrough’s non-fiction book, Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-34; the film's story follows the trials and tribulations of FBI agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) as he attempts to catch and put away famed bank robber’s like Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham), Pretty Boy Floyd (Channing Tatum) and John Dillinger (Johnny Depp). Set during the depression era, these so-called ‘public enemies’ became cult heroes of sorts, as each would leave their mark in some special way. After catching and killing Floyd, Purvis is promoted by FBI director J.Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) and told to catch and bring down public enemy #1, Dillinger, once and for all. Of course, doing so was no easy task, as each time Purvis drew near, Dillinger got away, leading to one insane goose chase after another. And at the center of it all, laughing his way in and out of the very banks he was robbing was Dillinger, who was becoming a celebrity overnight. But, it was just all too easy and when Dillinger meets Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard), his entire world gets turned upside down. What he thought would only be another piece to his ever-growing entourage, becomes much more, resulting in his guard being lowered, leaving himself wide open to the FBI and their vastly improving tactics. And it is at this point when the story takes a turn into the unknown, leading the viewer down a road filled with good-old-fashioned gun fighting and wonder that will sure to have you fired up when it’s all said and done.

In a film that really doesn’t require a big cast, director Michael Mann sure put one together for the ages. And leading them all was the infallible Johnny Depp, who can pretty much do anything he wants in Hollywood these days. When I first saw he was going to play this role, I actually questioned it, unsure if he could pull off a character as diverse as John Dillinger. To my surprise, he did and truly impressed me every step of the way, as I couldn’t help but be engrossed in every move Depp made on the big screen. Maybe it was the crafty camerawork by Mann, but Depp had this ease at which he operated, thus making you love his character, which ironically was about as conniving a character as one could become. So no matter what great costar stepped into his shadow, Depp prevailed as the major character in and out of virtually every scene.

Costars like Oscar winner Marion Cotillard, who I thought was brilliant in her small role and one that I would have never pictured for her, came through time after time, making her presence pop alongside the screen giants Depp and Bale. And for Christian Bale, who seems to be in every other movie these days, he prevailed yet again, this time pulling off a southern accent of all things, as the head FBI agent Melvin Purvis. Other notables like Billy Crudup, Jason Clarke, Giovanni Ribisi, Leelee Sobieski and Stephen Dorff all hit their marks in short spurts, rounding out this cast, which on the surface didn’t seem to be all that packed, until you started watching the events unfold within the story.

A lot of people may not realize this, but Michael Mann is not your typical Hollywood director. He won’t just rattle off one meaningless film after another, like some directors seem prone to do. Maybe that’s because he is also a writer and producer, but either way, I like waiting for his films to come around every few years. Many have no clue who Mann is, and frankly couldn’t name more than one movie he has directed or produced, but he’s one of my favorite directors for one simple reason, which is he never does too much. You will be hard pressed to watch one of his films and find something that was overdone or not well-thought-out. And if you don’t believe me, go back and watch HEAT, ALI or even THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. I guarantee you won’t walk away thinking something was overdone, and to me, that’s the cornerstone of a great director and why I like Mann so much. Sure, he may not choose that real tough drama all the time like THE INSIDER, which in my opinion should have won more Academy Awards at the time, but no matter the project, Mann seems to always make it all feel so simple. If anything, this might work against him sometimes, but to me, it’s a prime example of why he succeeds with stories like PUBLIC ENEMIES. And after watching this film, I get the feeling he has wanted to make this story for while. It was too easy to feel Mann’s touch in places, often going out of his way with extended gun fights and action sequences, in a manner that was never too much and in-line with the era this story was built around. So even though the running time ran close to two and half hours, it didn’t deter the enjoyment you had watching this great cast move in out of some truly incredible shot sequences by a director that should be more of a household name.

PUBLIC ENEMIES certainly won’t draw like some summer blockbusters might, but it’s not meant to and frankly, that’s a good thing. Too often we expect a story to take us through a series of peaks and valleys with the notion that in the end, we will find some sort of twist or “pay-off.” Sometimes the story is not meant to do a whole lot and so with this film, Mann kept it simple and to the point, which to me worked well with what was going on. So pay no mind to all the naysayers and watch this film, for it will entertain you in a way you won’t expect.

B+