Movie MarauderPublic Enemies
August 12th 2009 03:42
I hate to tell ya boys but amidst all the gangster action, semi-automatic weapons and needless violence Public Enemies is actually a love story. Our tale begins when John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) smuggles a few pistols (or more accurately some pretty serious firepower) into the Indiana state prison and breaks out his buddies so that they can resume the task of robbing banks.
But all is not well for our gang of thieves. The first sign of trouble is when Dillinger, out socialising in the Mafia safe haven of Chicago, falls for a part French, part Indian coat checker, Billy (Marion Cotillard). And all thieves know that bank robbing and women just don’t mix. The second sign of trouble is when J Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) decides to put a spotlight on Dillinger as a way to gain publicity for his federal police force. He appoints Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) in charge and the chase begins.
The chase is relentless, violent and thrilling. The federal cops are brutal, resourceful and unrelenting. One by one Dillinger’s crew is wiped out, if not killed immediately, then tortured for information. Dillinger on the run, but determined to pull off the big heist so he can escape with Billy, discovers he has lost his protection in Chicago and finds himself with no place to turn (this of course doesn’t stop him from walking straight into the Dillinger Task Force HQ of the Chicago police department).
I enjoyed Johnny Depp’s performance (the man seems ageless). Dillinger is the Ned Kelly of America; loved by the public, hated by the law. Depp’s quirkiness is mostly kept hidden behind his gangster mask but every now and then it sneaks out and you just have to love it. The standout performance though was from Christian Bale. Much chastised for his angry rant on the set of the Terminator movie, watching his performance in Public Enemies, I could actually appreciate why he might have snapped. He is so determined and so strong in this performance, but so cool and controlled that you could sense how all that commitment to his role could spill over into real life. And he does a brilliant job here.
The story is fast-paced and entertaining. The costumes and the accents are outstanding. Sometimes I felt a little let down by dialogue. There were a number of great openings for one-liners but some of these opportunities were missed. The obvious exception is of course Dillinger’s ultimate pickup line "I like baseball, movies, good clothes, whiskey, fast cars ... and you. What else you need to know?"
But all is not well for our gang of thieves. The first sign of trouble is when Dillinger, out socialising in the Mafia safe haven of Chicago, falls for a part French, part Indian coat checker, Billy (Marion Cotillard). And all thieves know that bank robbing and women just don’t mix. The second sign of trouble is when J Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) decides to put a spotlight on Dillinger as a way to gain publicity for his federal police force. He appoints Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) in charge and the chase begins.
Public Enemies
The chase is relentless, violent and thrilling. The federal cops are brutal, resourceful and unrelenting. One by one Dillinger’s crew is wiped out, if not killed immediately, then tortured for information. Dillinger on the run, but determined to pull off the big heist so he can escape with Billy, discovers he has lost his protection in Chicago and finds himself with no place to turn (this of course doesn’t stop him from walking straight into the Dillinger Task Force HQ of the Chicago police department).
I enjoyed Johnny Depp’s performance (the man seems ageless). Dillinger is the Ned Kelly of America; loved by the public, hated by the law. Depp’s quirkiness is mostly kept hidden behind his gangster mask but every now and then it sneaks out and you just have to love it. The standout performance though was from Christian Bale. Much chastised for his angry rant on the set of the Terminator movie, watching his performance in Public Enemies, I could actually appreciate why he might have snapped. He is so determined and so strong in this performance, but so cool and controlled that you could sense how all that commitment to his role could spill over into real life. And he does a brilliant job here.
The story is fast-paced and entertaining. The costumes and the accents are outstanding. Sometimes I felt a little let down by dialogue. There were a number of great openings for one-liners but some of these opportunities were missed. The obvious exception is of course Dillinger’s ultimate pickup line "I like baseball, movies, good clothes, whiskey, fast cars ... and you. What else you need to know?"
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