Public Enemies

2009. Dir: Michael Mann. Starring: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard, Billy Crudup and Stephen Dorff. ●●●●○



The future is here. Forget about James Cameron, Pixar and the whole 3D gimmick, Michael Mann is ushering in the greatest change to cinema since the creation of widescreen. The future (even when it's the past) is digital. And it's crisp and beautiful.

So, I went to see Mann's latest on Friday, and spent the weekend considering the film and how it affected me. Plotwise there is little I can tell you that you can't find out from Wikipedia. Johnny Depp plays John Dillinger, the folk hero like American bank robber from the 30's, Marion Cotillard the coat-check girl he falls for and Christian Bale the G-Man chasing him down.



But the story, and it's inevitable end, is scarcely the point. Mann excels at showing the relationship between the criminal and the cop, at highlighting the differences and similarities between the two. In Heat we understand the dedication that both sides have to their profession, in Collateral we sympathise for both Tom Cruise's hired killer as well as the dogged cops frantically trying to stop him.

The film certainly doesn't disappoint here, we see how Dillinger and Purvis are both driven and exacting men. They both understand the importance of planning the job in detail, and choosing the right team. However we don't get under their skin in the way we have with Mann's back catalogue. The feds are essetially ciphers with no back story or emotions. Dillinger fares better with some interesting insights into his brushes with fame, and the moral exactitude he brings with him to his work; as opposed to the ambitious mafia and pshychopathic mobsters he mixes with. Depp works fine with what he has, the trademark half smile he carries giving the audience a taster of the depth of character, but it's only a start to understanding the man.

Instead it's up to Marion Cotillard (as Billie Frechette) to carry the acting honours. She beautifully conveys how out of depth she is with the world of gangsters and the variations in her attitude are perfect. Another stand out is Stephen Lang, as one of the seasoned Southern agents Purvis calls up. He manages to convey more depth with a look and a way of standing than Bale does throughout the film. I look forward to seeing more of him soon (he's in Avatar).

The screenplay is better with the action scenes. The robberies themselves may seem rushed and interchangeable, although I expect that's deliberate, but the Prison break at the beginning and the woodland shoot out are incredibly tense, and fully draw you into the action.

Kudos to Mann's direction for making these scenes really work.

Congratualtions are also due to the sound mixers, the gunfights sounded exceptionally real and dangerous (and the crowd scenes so alive with rhubarbing) that I was hooked to every pindrop. I'm ashamed to say I completely forgot Elliott Goldenthal was scoring, so I don't expect it's one of his greatest efforts.

I started the review talking about the digital cinematography, and this for me is the highlight of the film. Mann has proved that hand-held camera techniques and up close digital filming can work in a period setting, and can be gorgeous. Every shot seems to be perfectly fit, every angle worked out. With digital film it feels different to the viewer, more immediate, more real. I love that.

Overall this is an incredibly film to watch and listen to. It's just a real shame I didn't feel more about the characters.