Public Enemies: #1

Michael Mann may be one of the best directors who believes in putting style over story. This may be why he has so many very good movies, and even a few great ones. Manhunter, The Last of the Mohicans, and Heat are all classics in my book. I worship Miami Vice the television show (the movie less so). And Collateral was on a path to becoming a personal favorite until that wretched final act. This is a director who is very humorless. He commands his projects with the utmost respect and seriousness. This guy does not mess around. Now he has released one of the most anticipated projects of the summer, Public Enemies, the story of John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) and Melivn Purvis (Christian Bale), the criminal and the cop whose paths were to cross more than once.

The story basically is nothing fancy, just meat and potatoes. Dillinger robs banks with his crew, and Purvis pursues them. That is, in all honesty, most of the film. Nothing really original or flashy in terms of story, but the style, performances, and shootouts all hit the mark. This movie feels like Bonnie and Clyde in a couple different ways. First, Dillinger and his gang were cornered by Purvis several times, and yet still managed to escape. There are at least three different occasions where they found Dillinger's hideouts, resulting in massive and explosive shootouts. Not to mention the two times Dillinger and his crew become incarcerated, and manage to pull daring escapes. These guys just refused to be caught. Second, I feel that in the thirties people were either much tougher, or bullets did far less damage. Just about every character gets shot (sometimes in the head or face), but their demise is never immediate.

To be fair there is a subplot that I thought might drag the story down involving Dillinger's meeting and eventual relationship with Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard). This relationship angle actually gives the film a boost because the two actors play off each other so well. She is a strong and defiant character that is a perfect match for him and he sees that too. The scene where he tracks her down at the coat check station is a marvel. He sets up the ground rules for their relationship and she agrees to them, but not without a fight first.

The Melvin Purvis character was a surprise to me. Christian Bale plays him with such a strict and hard demeanor. He is either totally emotionless or so angry that he suppresses all emotion throughout the course of the film. He is so determined to catch this criminal that he acts more like a man possessed, there is no joy in his character. This is a good performance because Bale knows how to reign it in, refusing to go over the top. Depp of course is the standout as Dillinger, living today like there will be no tomorrow. He was aggressive and took what he wanted when he wanted it. He lived the criminal life like a celebrity. The movie theatre scene, when the house lights come up while his mug shot is plastered on the screen, is excellent.

I can't say much more about this one without telling you everything. Even John Cusack's character in High Fidelity reveals Dillinger's fate. To me it is quite unfortunate: "He just wanted to go to the movies." With Public Enemies, you will too. B+