Public Enemies

Another gem with heart and conceptual depth that many people (in the cinema, but also on FilmBooster) won't understand and will only see what is visible at first glance: a standard and routine crime story with a handheld camera and raw shootouts with a minimum of emotions. Michael Mann is still the same, but the film is incredibly cool and well thought out. A slightly weaker version of Heat, more intimate and unfortunately set in the 1930s. (25/07/2009)

I hate to do this to Mann, but I just can't rate higher this time. His Public Enemies is a stylish and very appealing film on the outside, but inside it’s desperately underdeveloped and unremarkable, passing only out of inertia and the memories of the great Heat, which is on a much higher level both in content and form, as it relies on a better script and can lean on De Niro and Pacino, whose personal rivalry is the strongest motif of the story. And that's what's sorely lacking here, because Christian Bale, however charismatic and convincing, is sidelined at the expense of Depp's gangster, who plays first fiddle and sets the pace of the story. The long runtime is also a bit of a problem, Mann uses it to create the right period atmosphere and to precisely outline the relationship between Depp and Cotillard, but it slows down the narrative and, something that’s especially noticeable, fails to establish a stronger relationship between the viewer and the main characters, so that we ultimately don't know who to root for. That said, the shootouts and the action sequences are excellent, Mann is at home there and no one can compete with him, as well as the musical score, the authentic cinematography and an the emotionally charged ending that at least partially redeems the reputation. After Heat I expected a lot, but I don't think it's possible to repeat such a film. 70% (07/02/2013)

I approached Public Enemies with distrust despite the names involved because I had read some fairly negative criticism before watching the film. Fortunately, it was only prejudice because I had the honor of watching one of the most interesting films in the gangster genre in the last 10 years. If I don't give it five stars, it's only because the competition in this area is very high; very few periods and genres are mapped as well as the world of American gangsters in the 1930s. Johnny Depp plays his narcissistic and fame-craving Dillinger with ease and gusto, and his surroundings also consist of interesting characters with good casting. The portrayal of the love relationship falls a little flat, and I can imagine a more charismatic and charming actress in the lead role. It also plays a role that Dillinger's partner was only a passive element in his life; those desperate women from the movies Bonnie and Clyde or Mesrine: Killer Instinct, who directly participated in the robberies, are simply more appealing to the viewer. The film's strengths are its music and professional direction. Overall impression: 85%. I can't help but add that, compared to Scarface, which has a much higher rating, Public Enemies is a superior spectacle in terms of filmmaking. It's like comparing a tank to a Kia... (14/12/2009)

A "Michael Mann film" with everything there is to love and hate about it. It's probably going to have a hard time getting through the movie theaters, judging by the reaction of the Johnny Depp fans sitting next to me when I was sitting in there, but it's a hot contender for the title of "film of the year." (10/07/2009)

Here we have another opus in which Christian Bale plays second fiddle. This is also one of the reasons that Michael Mann did not achieve the perfection of his classic Heat, in which the protagonists were equal. Here, the star is Johnny Depp, or rather his Dillinger, a tough bank robber with a heart in the hands of his beloved Marion Cotillard. I also perceive the disadvantages of the digital camera (cheap home-made visuals, noise) as a handicap; what worked effectively in Cloverfield, because it is a mirror of current technological development and the definition of a new sub-genre, cannot work well in a gangster film set in the 1930s. Despite that, the film has numerous positive aspects. It is an elegantly directed, manly retro crime movie with a brilliant Depp, who is the film’s alpha and omega. It also has excellent shootouts, quality set designs and costumes, as well as great dialogue between Depp and Cotillard. Mann brilliantly captures the period atmosphere, makes the film dark in the proper noir fashion and doesn’t forget to pay homage to the golden age of Hollywood. Public Enemies is not as deep as Heat, but it’s not as shallow as Miami Vice. It’s something in between and even though I expected a little bit more, I’m still satisfied. (01/07/2009)