Depp and Bale as Public Enemies

[Colin]

Depp and Bale as Public Enemies

But the best rejoinder to Public Enemies is Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal video, which I watched again after the singer-dancer’s inevitable, untimely death. It’s a tommy-gun gangster fantasia with a touch of Guys and Dolls, and it’s everything Public Enemies isn’t: madly inventive, genre-bending, a passionate tribute to the artist as outlaw-loner.

http://nymag.com/daily/movies/2009/06/the_incidental_pleasures_of_pu.html

[Colin]

I can not remember so many restless fans at any big budget motion picture as this one. People got up for bathroom breaks, cell phone calls and greasy smelling popcorn.

But that is not the story. The story of Public Enemies is not the smooth and stoic good looks of Johnny Depp and Christian Bale either. The story is writer/director Michael Mann.

Mann has after all, created some enduring pieces of colloid art. He pitted Tom Cruise against Jamie Foxx in Collateral. He gave us Will Smith in Ali. He exposed Big Tobacco in The Insider with Russell Crowe.

But most importantly, Mann brought the heroic epic of great American literary writer, James Fenimore Cooper, to the screen with an incredible performance by Daniel Day Lewis in The Last of the Mohicans.

It is that masterful blend of music, courage, Madeline Stowe’s good looks and the sheer beauty of a raw, untouched wilderness - all of which are ripe with the potential for a rich, prosperous future - that Mann attempts to recapture with Public Enemies.

Billie Crudup, who saw in Almost Famous, gives a performance as a young, tough J. Edgar Hoover, with ever present Clyde Tolson by his side, that should give a serious notch up in his career.

So like Mohicans, this is three grim, determined men striving for their objectives, against all odds, regardless of cost. Unlike Mohicans however, this epic suffers.

Here there is no Stowe or wilderness beauty. Marion Cotillard gave a Oscar winning performance as singer Edith Piaf in the engaging La môme (2007), but her talent is wasted here as Dillinger’s girlfriend. With a few exceptions, she just does not have the lines or the beauty to vault this over the top as another extra-ordinary Mann epic.

Depp? Of course, he is wonderful. Both he and Bale enjoy long close-ups that should make their agents happy. Yet there are little to endear either the Dillinger or FBI man Purvis characters to us. As Dillinger, Depp is no charming Warren Beatty, for example, in Bonnie and Clyde. We don’t see his youth, or his scenes with his mentor.

Same with Bale. Mann uses Bale’s narrow jaw to indicate Purvis’ resolute determination to catch the bad guys, even if it means using techniques that a modern, enlighten citizenry finds squeamish, possibly immoral. But we never learn anything personal about Purvis. Otherwise, Bale does have a lot of emotion or catchy lines either.

Here the musical score does not uplift the tale. It fills quiet scenes with heroic feeling, only to be punctuated with the incessant pop-pop chatter of Tommy-guns. Not even an appearance and song by smooth jazz great Diana Krall can lift the music of this film.

Lest you think “the lady doth protest too much,” this is still a good film. I simply don’t think it is worthy of a $10 go-see-it-now on the big screen ticket. Better make it a rental. One where you can go for bathroom breaks, cell phone calls and greasy popcorn without missing much.

[jbsl]

Lest you think “the lady doth protest too much,” this is still a good film. I simply don’t think it is worthy of a $10 go-see-it-now on the big screen ticket. Better make it a rental. One where you can go for bathroom breaks, cell phone calls and greasy popcorn without missing much.

This summer I went to see Star Trek, Terminator at the theater after just renting movies and watching them at home for the last 3 years.

Now I remembered why I don't go to theaters. You forgot the smelly guy around you the cost of ticket, and treats, also at home you control the volume.

But the main reason is after spending the money on a home theater don't see any reason to go to a movie theater.

Now you can rent movies for $1 out of the vendor machines so it's even cheaper to watch at home.

Then again when you add up the cost of the home theater you probably break even in the long run.

[Just_Strummin]

Going to see it tonight!

[Mr. RF62]

DVD.

[WMcD]

Since Colin went to so much effort to write, I'll put in the effort to agree with him. Smile.

LotM is a favorite and given the unique combinations which Colin describes well --- it is a tough act to follow. Let me talk up the music too. I saw it at the then best theater in Chicago (per Ebert) and it was stunning.

On the weekend of July 4 I needed serious R&R and saw three movies at the AMC River East Cineplex. Contrary to the experience of others, the audiences were not a problem at all.

Public Enemies: Any movie filmed in Chicago is welcome. It is nice to figure out the shooting locations. We have sort of nice criminals and sort of not nice police in the movie. Overall okay.

Star Trek: Worth seeing for how a pre-quel can be accomplished. A lot of the elements and characters were worked in. But where were the Tribbles?

Up (by Pixar): The other two pale in comparison. Very clever, very funny, and very sad -- often all at once. There is something existential about the widower and scout both tethered by a garden hose to an old house supported by toy balloons while treking through the Lost World pursued by an alpha-dog with a squeeky-voiced vocoder and looking for a snipe bird, which does exist. Everyone sat through the credits in silence.

Wm McD