Review: Public Enemies

"Public Enemies," the first major film of July, opened last week to mixed reviews, and after seeing the film this past weekend I'd have to say I agree. It certainly wasn't a bad film. It was a good portrait of an interesting true story and it featured some really strong performances, but it was nothing exceptional. It's worth watching, but it wasn't exactly a masterpiece.

For those unfamiliar with the Michael Mann-directed film, "Public Enemies" tells the story of notorious criminal John Dillinger (Johnny Depp), who robbed banks during the crime wave of the 1930s alongside the likes of Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd. Dillinger was admired by the American public, who found him to be charming and charismatic and thought his robberies and jail breaks were exciting in light of their dissatisfaction with the banks.

This image drove J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) to view Dillinger as public enemy number one. His Bureau of Investigation, led by Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale), was charged with capturing Dillinger at any cost, along with all of his accomplices.

The film also examines Dillinger's relationship with Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard), who became enamored with Dillinger after meeting him in Chicago and spent two years in federal prison for harboring a criminal when she refused to give up his whereabouts.

Overall, "Public Enemies" is a decent film. It tells an interesting story, but it likely wouldn't have been as strong without the amazing actors Mann was able to recruit. Depp and Bale, who consistently turn in top-notch performances, shine again here, but I wish Bale's character had been developed more. The audience doesn't get to know him as well as I would have liked. So much of the film was robbery after robberty and prison escape after prison escape. It would have been nice to balance that out with some more backstory.

In spite of having powerhouse leads like Depp and Bale, the movie belongs to the supporting players. Crudup plays against type in his small but significant role as J. Edgar Hoover, and Cotillard exercises her Oscar-winning chops and adds depth to the "girlfriend" role that is usually so one-note.

The look of the film is another strong point. The scenic design, costumes, hair and make-up capture the Depression well and create a visually appealing atmosphere for the film.

My biggest compalint is that the film was too long. At two hours and 20 minutes, the film is actually shorter than blockbusters like "X2: X-Men United," "Titanic" and the "Harry Potter" films, but "Public Enemies" suffers because it felt long. The action sequences were great, but if Mann had cut those down and added just a little more backstory, the film would have felt fuller without being unnecessarily long. I'm happy to sit through a long film as long as it's worth my while. Here, I found myself wondering when Dillinger would finally be captured so I could stand up.

Universal Pictures made a smart decision in releasing the film during the summer rather than holding it until awards season. The film is not quite up to par to receive any major Oscar nominations, but during the summer it's an option for moviegoers looking for a film that's still action-packed but more intelligent than "Transformers."

"Public Enemies" is an entertaining look at an intriguing true story with some great action sequences and outstanding performances, but overall Mann's look at the life of one of America's most notorious gangsters falls short of spectacular. B-