So on August 1, I started my costume drama/period piece daily watch for a month. So here I go.
I watched Public Enemies in theaters and walked away loving it. It had everything I needed to make me love this gangster flick. I don't know if I would consider this a true gangster flick though. Basically it's based on the life of bank robber and America's first public enemy John Dillinger. Not really that great of a life if you take out the notoriety that has piled on threw the years. Years spent in jail, jail breaks, robbing banks, shoot outs, getting shot, running from the cops, women, all the good stuff. It all comes to a end when he's finally brought down by the FBI. Of course that's what kinda makes him a legend today. That and what he got away with, a crook legend. A great movie life but in reality, I just don't see the appeal. But times were hard back then, with the depression and the dust bowl, certain people were drawn to that outlaw life style. The public supported Dillinger to an extent, I mean he was robbing banks and banks were not friends to the average person. Kinda still the same today.Johnny Depp plays Dillinger. I have to say it was a great match. Depp can get us to feel bad for Dillinger at one moment and then not feel bad for him. He played Dillinger's venerability well when he was around his girl Billie and showing his loyalty and ruthless side with his friends and crew.
Christian Bale plays FBI agent Melvin Purvis. He's heading the task force after Dillinger and the rest of the so called public enemies. Batman's pretty good in this. Plus, did I already mention he's hot. Once or twice already? Okay then. Loved that accent. Seriously, Bale was great. He played reserve so well, you could clearly read in his facial expression and eyes what the character was feeling, thinking when stuff went right and when stuff went way wrong, on the methods the FBI were using.What really got me was how many recognizable faces were in blink and you miss it roles. There was Carey Mulliagn (Sally Sparrow from the best ever Doctor Who episode, Weeping Angels. Oh ya, she was nominated for an oscar for the fantastic An Education.) as a prostitute. I swear she was on for a full minute before you never saw her again. Emilie de Raven (Claire, Lost) had at least three minutes. Channing Tatum had at least three too. I kept recognising faces and yelling out there tv character or movie names. Like David Wenham, kept calling him Faramir. Same thing with Branka Katic who played Anna Sage, who ultimately informed the FBI were Dillinger was the night they caught him. I was like, oh that's Ana from Big Love. I was also surprised when I saw Leelee Sobieski as Polly Hamilton, one of Dillinger's girlfriends. At that point I never saw in her in any form of adverting or pictures. Her part wasn't that big but I kinda liked that I didn't know she was in it.
I loved all the gun fights. The action was pretty good, real good. It is after all a Michael Mann film. He does his gun fights well. I love when stuff blows up in movies. Some of that stuff was just awesome to watch.
What I didn't like was Marion Cotillard as Billie. I just couldn't take her seriously. When she called one of the FBI agents a flatfoot during one of her defying scenes, I laughed out loud. Maybe it's my dislike the actress but I could of lived with someone else playing the part. I also wished it wasn't filmed in digital and instead with film. It would of looked even more gorgeous. The sets, costumes, were all excellent but the digital seemed to distort the picture at times. Though it's not a bad looking film in the least bit.I got tell people to rent the bluray or dvd simply to hear the director, Michael Mann's commentary. It's full of some good stuff. Mann knows his history, he was very knowledgeable on Dillinger and the era. It was fascinating listening to the commentary simply because Mann made it entertaining, at least for me. I totally geeked out over it. Give it a listen. I enjoyed it as much as the movie.
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