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A pair of low down dirty rats have seen Michael Mann's PUBLIC ENEMIES, see! With Johnny Depp, see! And Christian Bale, see!!!
SPOILER ALERT !!
Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with some early, early reviews for you. They did a test screening of Michael Mann's period gangster flick in Oregon last night and we had two people in the audience who want to tell ya' about the experience.
To say I'm looking forward to this flick is an understatement. I love gangster stories and Dillinger in particular is a fascinating character.
The consensus seems to be that at three hours long the film is need of some trims, but that there's some genius filmmaking at work. Our first reviewer, Emmet Otter, even goes so far as to draw Leone parallels. That's some pretty loaded comparisons, man. Hope it lives up to it.
Before diving in, the usual caveat applies. This is a very early test screening and a lot of fine tuning is still in the works, so make sure to read the below reviews with that in mind. Also watch out for some spoilers, especially if you're not familiar with Dillinger's story and fate. Now, enjoy!
Hey Cool Crew...
I had an opportunity tonight to catch a test screening of Michael Mann's Public Enemies.
This was in Portland, OR at the same theater that held the Watchmen test screening about 6 weeks ago... far less security & Hollywood goons this time out.
Didn't even make us sign NDA's...
They let us know that we were the second audience to ever see the film, and that there were SOME unfinished elements to it... warning us that what we were watching was a video transfer print, that the audio was not completely mixed, the skies in the film were not rendered yet, and that a pivotal "bullet to the face" scene was missing the blood. That all being said, I can genuinely say I was shocked how complete the film looked and felt as far as post production elements given that it has 6 months to go till release.
The short and not so short of it:
Depp plays John Dillinger, a gangster that looks a lot like Ed Wood... Depp's performance starts good, but gets great.
He is an elusive mouse for much of the first half of the film. Imagine if Jerry in Tom and Jerry had a machine gun. This is Depp in the first half. Running, outwitting, smiling, blowing the shit out of things.
You start to get more of a feel for him in the second half. The classic hollywood scenes that I wanted in the first 90 minutes, finally came in the final 60.
If this movie becomes a hit, it will be remembered mostly for a scene of Depp walking through a police station... classic Depp.
The capture and demise of Dillinger is the stuff that Best Pictures are made of... it is a combo of the visual flair of De Palma's Untouchables mixed with the tension of Sergio Leone's westerns.
Bale is FBI agent, Melvin Purvis, who is pursuing Dillinger across the country. For me, he was a non entity in this film and should be reduced to a supporting character.
Bale gives a one note performance throughout the film. You never feel for him, root for him, root against him, or quite frankly care when he is on screen. His character is WAY under developed.
I would seriously call this a flaw in the current cut of the film. A major chunk of the film's resolution deals with Purvis facing his conflicts with J Edgar Hoover. A conflict that is not examined with any significance earlier in the film.
Think Costner in Untouchable, a legit comparison... he had family torment in every direction, you wanted him to catch Capone, even though you kinda wanted Capone to win too. This film does NOT have that dynamic.
The Bale scene in the closing 10 minutes pulls out the rug from the emotional build up of everything prior.
Billy Crudup serves up a scene stealing performance as J Edgar Hoover. He is a pretty minor character in this film at its current cut, but I HOPE HOPE HOPE that changes.
His role, beefed up, even slightly, provides everything that Bale's character does not... he is the one who NEEDS Dillinger caught, he is the one that should be shown blowing his lid every time Dillinger escapes.
They touch on this, but split this chase with Bale... unneeded. Crudup deserves props for bringing something more to this film that no other actor in the film does. Depp is great, but doing a great Depp part. Bale is doing Bale. But Crudup is doing something you have never seen him do before and it is very fun to watch. On a side note, I will be curious to see if anyone else thinks he looks alarmingly similar to Darren # 1 from Bewitched.
Last but not least, Marion Cotillard plays Dillinger's girlfriend, Billie. Although I thought their courtship went way too fast from fling to serious.... do not be mistaken, Public Enemies is a love story.
It is for this reason I find the title to be very unfortunate. "Dillinger" is the perfect title for this film. It is about him, his heart, his passion for those important to him, above all, Billie. The emotional climax of this film has nothing to do with cops and robbers, but all about "the girl".
Imagine if the Fugitive was all about Harrison Ford's character running back to his LIVING wife.... it changes a great action film into a helplessly romantic one. Now, take that, add the inevitable fate from "The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" and you have "Dillinger".
This movie will remind some of The Assassination of Jesse James, though it not near as epic in cinematic scope, nor as lyrical.
The directing is fine, for 2 hours, but brilliant for the last 30... could definitely be improved with more cuts and story restructuring.
Make it a romantic tragedy, with Hoover chasing Dillenger as he chases the girl. Throw in some good supporting acting from Bale, and you have an oscar contender.
As it is now, it is just a really good summer film.
call me Emmet Otter
Thanks, Emmet! Now here's EccoGamer with his/her/its thoughts!
I got into a preview screening of the new Michael Mann/Johnny Depp/Christian Bale movie tonight called PUBLIC ENEMIES at the Regal Lloyd 10 (here in Portland). And as I had suspected, it is about 1930’s criminal John Dillinger and his gang. The words ‘early cut’ were mentioned before the film and the show itself was delayed almost half an hour for supposed 'sound' problems. The cut I saw did seem too long but ultimately this is a really terrific movie that I assume will be rolled out for awards season next year.
Apart from the two marquee stars, the cast is huge. As usual both Depp and Bale are great, if somewhat subdued. But there’s also Marion Cottilard (wouldn’t even recognize her from Ma Vie En Rose), Channing Tatum (small part in a chase scene), Leelee Sobieski (good to see her again), Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Dorff, etc. Oh and Billy Crudup has a cameo as J. Edgar Hoover which is quite funny.
And look, we all know how Michael Mann can excel with these crime flicks – HEAT, MANHUNTER, etc…this is his version of that in 1930’s period. In a way, it shows how violent early America gave birth to the obnoxious overseas big brother superpower we are now.
The movie hits the ground running with a great, ballsy ‘breakout’ scene from the Illinois State Penitentiary that is pure Mann: Dillinger (who has only been paroled from this same
prison 8 weeks earlier) simply walks in to the place pretending to have just been arrested before all hell breaks loose and he busts out his entire crew.
From there we go to Melvin Purvis who is in the midst of chasing down Dillinger accomplice Baby Face Nelson (Channing Tatum). Purvis the sharp shooter nails the guy with his rifle from hundreds of yards away. Later on J. Edgar Hoover (Crudup) surprises Purvis by naming him new head of the FBI in the middle of a press conference. Purvis’ sole aim from there on is to get Dillinger. And there you have what is not only an early American crime saga but also a public relations cat-and-mouse game that both sides engage in.
The movie makes some interesting – even amusing – points about Dillinger’s celebrity. It posits Dillinger as the handsome ‘jackrabbit’ robin hood that the depression era public was fascinated by. And it plays out as a sort of power struggle between he and Purvis: who is the American public more fond of this week? Press conference scenes where Dillinger manipulates the reporters and plays for the crowd are very funny. And what I love about Depp is (despite Captain Jack) he has learned when to be a character actor and when to simply service the role: he never overplays this but always nails the character’s intent. Like you can see his mind working behind his eyes.
There is also a layer of personal one-upsmanship we see between he and Melvin Purvis: even when they’ve got Dillinger behind bars, the notion of who is in control is always shifting. There’s a great line where they surprise Dillinger by telling him he’s being separated by his fellow crew in jail and extradited to Indiana. His reply is something along the lines of ‘Why would you do that? There’s absolutely no business I need to attend to in Indiana”.
I’m rushing to get this posted so I can be first so I won’t go into all the famous episodes that are depicted here: the soap gun breakout, the bank alarm system scams, and the climax where Purvis and his men plot their capture of Dillinger at the Biograph movie theater where the ‘Lady In Red’ betrayal happens. But they seem to have covered everything.
If they could trim this down to a clean 2 hours, I think this studio would have something major on its hands. I am very hot and cold on Mann’s movies (Miami Vice was unwatchable to me) but here he seems to have a clever, well honed script to work off of and the best possible cast around. Thumbs up from me.
EccoGamer
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try to be a pro and try to be witty
just give the facts and stop trying so hard. there are reasons why you arent pro reviewers -
He's so boring and smug. At least JD has a sense of humour. Have you ever read an interview with Bale? Jesus Christ, he is so serious about everything. I think it was Johnny Depp himself that said the term 'serious actor' is an oxymoron. No wonder people rooted for The Joke in TDK with that grim fucker as the 'hero'.
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Unless Bale walks in on Crudup sitting at his desk in a full length ball gown, covered in sequins, and a tiara. The true story of Hoover is one of the funniest and most terrifying in American history.
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and are there any scenes of him looking wistfully out to see, whilst an 80's style synth plays in the background?
I love Michael Mann, and its about time Depp did something cool again, I'm sick of all that Captain Jack, Willy Wonka, Sweeney Todd jive.. -
Yeah, who's idea was it to cast grim fucker Bale as Batman....what were they thinking?? I mean, he's so grim, and serious where as Batman is....errr....wait a second...
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Then you're a fucking idiot.
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mentioned before as being underplayed.Why even cast a *known* actor like Bale if you're not going to give him anything substantial to do during the film?
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Miami Vice was rather forgettable for me, but I did promise Danny Glover to give it another shot one of these days.
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and why is Bale's role so underdeveloped? Such a waste.
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Lets face it Miami Vice was great looking terrible film with a really bad love story to boot.
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..movie was filmed about 10 minutes away from my house in Crown Point, Indiana. It was funny to see all the gophers come out of their holes in the ground thinking Hollywood was going to magically pick them up and make them stars. Or maybe they just wanted to see Johnny Depp, and I'm a real asshole. Fuck me.
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He's serious in it only because the role requires him to be. He's serious as he destroys anything that gets within ten feet of him.
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I'm there for ya Grammaton!
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I wouldn't call yodalovesyou stupid, just ignorant. People think ignorant has a negative connotation when it does not. All is means is that you have no knowledge of the subject. I think he is ignorant of Equilibrium, and will be quite surprised to say the least. I'm mad though that the You Tube Equilibrium/Rob Zombie Dragula video has been removed. It was the perfect blend of movie and music for a badass song and a badass movie.
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I am there.
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That's my biggest question. I'm VERY interested how Digital HD plays out in a 1930s setting. I guess I'll have to wait for a trailer.
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... if I've seen Dillinger? Do either of the reviewers even know this little gem from the 70s exists?
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Im was disappointed in Miami Vice..not saying that the movie was bad..just though it was ok. As far as MM crime dramas..I found it way below Heat, Thief, Manhunter and Collateral.
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Being that Heat is my favorite movie, Michael Mann one of my fav directors, starring a cast that has 3 of my favorite actors (Depp, Bale, Crudup) I guess you could say I'm excited to see this. I skipped the plot points in the reviews b/c I don't want to know anything. I wonder what type of music Mann will use in this since it is a period film. The music in his movies is always great and diverse.
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But I fucking love Michael Mann.. he is so unique, and mediocre movies seem so much more interesting in his hands.. having him direct this kind of movie is exciting!
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Mann. Bale. Depp. Fuck.
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About Mann turning mediocre material and turning into something. Heat in an average director's hands would be a forgotten film. And Collateral would have never been made. The script had only been floating around Hollywood for years until Mann decided to make it.
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How can anything Gong Li be unwatchable? Ludicrousness, man. Impossible!! She is a goddess, and a great actress, to boot. Although, I'll take this opportunity to make a fool of myself, and admit that I have Miami Vice sitting on my shelf, but haven't cracked it open just yet -- Collateral's sitting right next to it, think I will watch them both in one night -- but ANY Michael Mann film to me, is still WAY more watchable than 95% of crap that comes from Hollywood these days...
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favorite films of the decade. A real shame so few seemed to dig it.
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Brilliant film.
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And Gong Li can gong me any time.
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Work in Dilliger having Grey hair, a Grey suit (when hes not wearing a black leather jacket) lame facial hair and a constipated look backed by shitty out of date music? I also wonder how he will manage to take such an interesting real life scenario and make it look and feel more like a bad late 80's television show.
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Dillenger was shot and killed - Thed End.
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are you drinking paint? Capone wanted to kill Ness's family, he was portrayed (correctly) as a ruthless, slovenly, malicious, lying, violent, ignorant thug. Ness, who in real life was more complex and less boy scout-y, was portrayed as as pure a protaganist as you're gonna get."also wanted Capone to win"...seriously? indoor or outdoor paint...that first reviewer is drinking something. or else has never seen The Untouchables...
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Dec 04, 2008 9:29:58 PM CST
With Mann, it may very well be a technically great flick....
by morganmorgan
And I like Johnny Depp as an actor enormously-- but seriously, how can anyone out-Dillinger Warren Oates?
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The score for Public Enemies is being composed by Elliot Goldenthal, so I would expect a classical score for most of the movie, possibly with a few period songs thrown in.Totally with you on your level of excitement for this film. To me Michael Mann is the absolute TOP director in movies today. There's plenty of directors I get excited over (Jackson, Fincher, Mendes, Anderson - the "Magnolia" one, not the "Death Race" one! - Cameron, Burton) and I still have a major place in my heart for the so-called "American New Wave" directors like Scorsese, De Palma and Spielberg, even if they've hit a bad run of form recently (the latter especially so!), but for me Mann is simply head and shoulders above them all, just like Kubrick was in his lifetime.Also, why are people criticising Bale for being "serious"? Come on! He's made a living out of playing serious roles, even if the movie the role was in was not so serious (a few people called out the highly underrated Equilibrium - also check out the slightly more crap Reign of Fire on that same point). As for being serious in interviews, maybe that's because he gets fed up with hack journalists asking him the same cliched questions over and over again. Harrison Ford interviews are notoriously terse occasions for this exact reason.And what's so wrong with an actor being serious anyway? I love Johnny Depp's performances as much as anyone, but his style of acting is very whimsical, very instinctive, a natural born gift. It is precisely why he is so unique. Most other actors have to work hard at a performance and in order to work hard at ANYTHING you have to take it seriously. If they don't, they turn into something like Matthew McConaughey, churning out risible shtick that amounts to little more than turning up and reading the lines. Bale, on the other hand, tries to create an actual character on screen, rather than just a repeat of himself. I would have thought that is to be commended and not mocked/
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All great films come from Mann, I watch Thief with James Caan more than most & Miami vice is one of his best. I don't get people who say it's unwatchable, think they miss the 80's version. I can't wait for this film to hit screens. Even 'the keep' was way ahead of it's time. The day Mann makes a bad film will never come......, how many directors can say all their films are near masterpieces.......not even coppola etc.
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