Movie Review: Public Enemies (2009)

Public Enemies (2009)

No one does it quite like Michael Mann. Whether it’s sex or violence, or both, no one will saturate the audience so well in the intended scene of adrenalin more so than he, who is truly a unique filmmaker. And that’s something that constitutes its own film classification. Similar to Quentin Tarantino, a Michael Mann film really is Michael Mann’s take on something, something in his signature style. But where Tarantino will intentionally take the hyperbolic/campy route, Mann will journey along the cinéma vérité highway (and probably at night), picking up a few tricks along the way. Of course, this is all old news, and the quality, craft, and innovation that we’ve come to expect from Mann is certainly alive and shooting in Public Enemies (2009).

Public Enemies tells the true events surrounding the escapades of notorious depression era bank robber John Dillinger (a surprisingly docile but very likable Johnny Depp) and his eventual downfall at the hands of detective Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale, thankfully sans Batman mode). Dillinger’s roguishly good looks and quasi-Robin Hood complex served to both provide a media spectacle for needed escapism from the depression, and justify the true establishment of the FBI with the fearless “G-Men” leading the way. Purvis, of course, is the law man for the job, at the request of J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup, capturing the closet OCD psycho perfectly) himself. What ensues is a frustrating cat and mouse game that covers much of America’s mid-west and then some, with Dillinger always one step ahead of the Feds. One could argue that Dillinger’s Marian, Billie Frechette (an always beautiful Marion Cotillard), is the reason for his increasingly sloppy behavior and eventual demise; but really, no one robbing banks can truly expect to live forever, can they? The acting is no doubt solid on all levels. Surrounding the strong leading cast is literally a legion of very capable supporting character actors, providing a rich base for both the narrative and the setting. But therein lies a bit of a problem: there are too many characters to be concerned about, which ultimately inhibits any real character development. This is no fault of the actors; it’s just that the direction of the film effectively barricades the audience from really getting into the lead characters, thus preventing the film from achieving anything excellent.

It’s been the better part of two decades since Mann last tackled a period piece (1992’s epic The Last of the Mohicans), and it certainly shows. Since then, the director has migrated toward a more personal and intimate film style, picking up a few digital cameras along the way. While that might sound like the recipe for porn, it has, in fact, turned out to be a further level of distinction for the filmmaker. That being said, it makes for one different kind of period piece. Truth be told, filming in digital makes the film seem all the more realistic, as if a documentary filmmaker was following every step of the investigation, and this is where Public Enemies excels. In addition, the film treats the audience to several meticulously crafted shootout scenes; some that rank among Mann’s finest, especially with the digital veil only multiplying the tension. By the time the film’s inevitable conclusion rolls around, it’s clear that Mann has made his point.

In the end, Public Enemies is a solid dependable Mann film, even if it isn’t his best. While it has certainly built upon the visual and technical blueprint set by Collateral (2004), it ultimately falls short of Mann’s predecessor, the exquisite Miami Vice (2006), where the digital canvas fit perfectly with the film’s grainy night scene (and where the characters had not a crevasse to hide in). Because of its successes on both the visual and character fronts, Miami Vice will most likely be Mann’s definitive offering of this decade, but Public Enemies is still a more than worthy parting gift and a fine product from one of the most innovative and unique major studio directors of the last thirty years.

3.5/5

McS