Public Enemies

[Plainview1981]

I loved the look of the movie. Not everybody is a fan of digital, but I didn't think it hurt the movie at all. On the plus side, it contains some very solid shootouts and the performances are good considering the not so great script. The first half is very boring I thought. Despite it's running time, characters aren't really developed that well as you're sort of thrown in the action right from the get go. In a movie of this length you expect will developed characters and that just doesn't happen here. The relationship between Billie Frechette and Dillinger feels kind of thrown together. It all comes together so quickly. It's basically, you look good and I look good.... So let's get it on and be together forever. Which is a far cry from the Heat days when the characters were textured.

I thought Bale delivered a solid performance considering what he had to work with. His character is mostly a by the book guy that pretty much bottles up his feelings and just follows orders. Honestly, he really doesn't get a lot of screen time as the movie mostly follows Dillinger around as he gets more wrapped up in the hype that follows him. Even though Bale's performance is solid,his character kind of stays in the background, which never allows you to become interested in his character.

Other than the underdeveloped characters, the movie really doesn't make note of the depression era it's self. It's too busy following Dillinger around as he struts his stuff while going from place to place. It's like it wants to be sort of an art movie, but it also wants to be mainstream and not really change the viewer in any sort of way. The movie really is about as shallow as it could get. Which means it's basically passable entertainment. It does pick up in the 2nd half with some nifty shootouts and the occasional one liner. But none of it even comes close to matching the shootout in Heat.

it's a real letdown. I wasn't expecting a masterpiece, but I expected more from the director of Heat and Collateral. I expected more than the shallow passable tale that I got. After this and Miami Vice, I got to say that my confidence in Michael Mann is not there anymore. I have to feel now that he is no longer at the top of his game.

Despite the performances and the look of the movie along with a decent second half... I'm afraid a 6/10 is the best I can give this movie. What a shame. I can truly see why the critics are mixed on this. It leaves you wanting so much more.

[ATLJA316]

I absolutely hated the movie.

While I loved the casting, the characters were under-written, and as you said, under-developed.

If you're gonna cast Bale and Depp, dont slap us in the face with crappy writing.

The movie was beautiful, and aesthetically pleasing throughout, and i enjoyed the soundtrack, but the audio was very poor.

The studio even sent out a letter to theaters requesting they raise the volume a whole 30% (which by theatre standards is extreme).

Also - I thought there were WAYYYYY too many characters in this movie. I guess they decided to go the buffet route: quantity over quality.

SPOILER (kind of)

Everyone knows the story, Dillinger dies...but when it happens in this movie, you dont care. it's not bothersome when the main character

of the movie dies, simply because you do not develop an attachment to him over the course of the movie.

That's a problem.

I've never been a Michael Mann fan, and my dislike is even stronger now

[Plainview1981]

I absolutely hated the movie.

While I loved the casting, the characters were under-written, and as you said, under-developed.

If you're gonna cast Bale and Depp, dont slap us in the face with crappy writing.

The movie was beautiful, and aesthetically pleasing throughout, and i enjoyed the soundtrack, but the audio was very poor.

The studio even sent out a letter to theaters requesting they raise the volume a whole 30% (which by theatre standards is extreme).

Also - I thought there were WAYYYYY too many characters in this movie. I guess they decided to go the buffet route: quantity over quality.

SPOILER (kind of)

Everyone knows the story, Dillinger dies...but when it happens in this movie, you dont care. it's not bothersome when the main character

of the movie dies, simply because you do not develop an attachment to him over the course of the movie.

That's a problem.

I've never been a Michael Mann fan, and my dislike is even stronger now

A lot of it is supposed to be subtle. You're supposed to read facial expressions to figure things out. The more I think about Bale's character and how he is handled. I approve of that. You can tell what he is... He is a 90% by the book guy that just wants to get the job done and he tends to bottle up his emotions. He does have old western values such as not putting your hands on women. It's easy to figure this out if you have the ability to read characters.

What I don't like is the lack of development in the Billie/John relationship. I get what they're SUPPOSED to see in each other. But me... This is a movie and I wanted to see him court her a bit before she jumped on board, you know? These are the main characters (Way more so than Bale's character) so you want to see a relationship develop between these two so that you care about their fates or at least have some passing interest in their fates. I didn't and it left be cold to what SHOULD have been a very impactful ending.

This movie failed because of that relationship not being flushed out. What else is there to latch onto other than the shootouts? This movie makes no statement on the depression era. So it's got nothing to offer from that angle either.

[DrReality]

I thought you were seeking input about people we thought were public enemies . . . . . . and I was going to say Diesel. Oh well.