Even if Depp is kept in mind pretty much all the time, there's something to be said for the supporting performances. They are enjoyable in that they jab in and out when needed. The likes of Stephen Dorff, David Wenham, James Russo, Billy Crudup and Stephen Graham all provide fantastic support to highlight Depp even more than he does on his own.
At a lengthy 140 minutes, Public Enemies may stretch the average moviegoer who is looking for nothing but gunplay, but even at that length, the film is still bursting at the seams with details. The sheer depth of the piece should find similar filmmakers green with envy. It may take a few viewings to fully observe what Mann has presented us with here, and so for the first watch it's best to just let it all wash over you and to enjoy the thrills and drama it offers.
There's a lot going on in Public Enemies, but Mann covers all the bases with great aplomb. I admit that for some people the thrills related to the crime aspects (the bank robberies in particular) may overshadow the drama, but I found the film dealt with both aspects with equal success. The bank robbery scenes are very well done, Mann spends enough time with them (after all, that's what Dillinger did best) but stops short of wallowing in them. Mann knows how to choreograph an action scene, and there's one forest action sequence in particular that rivals his genius shoot-out sequence in Heat. The scene here provides a fine balance of drama and thrills, excitement and tension, which is pretty much the full package as modern crime/gangster films go.
Elegant, classy cinematography can be found here from Dante Spinotti, who marks his fifth collaboration with Mann. In spite of its rugged, rough-around-the-edges style and because of the digital and hand-held camera work, Spinotti gives the film that much needed sophistication.
Where I felt Public Enemies skips a beat is in the side storyline of Dillinger and his girlfriend Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard). The inclusion of the relationship between the two, particularly the fact that it just comes in from nowhere, feels a bit rushed and unfinished. Billie is the catalyst for much of Dillinger's actions ("Sooner or later she will go to him, or he's gonna come for her," Bale's Purvis confidently states at one point), but the emotional hook never quite is enough to support the thread. The film relies on that emotional connection, and since it's not entirely there, the piece feels a bit cold in its conclusion.
But in spite of that one misstep (which in its entirety doesn't amount to anything too damaging), Public Enemies is a brilliant piece of modern crime filmmaking from one of the best in the business. The movie is raw yet sophisticated with an equal dose of thrills and drama, and features a superb performance from the ever-impressive Depp. Michael Mann's best work may still be Heat (which this actually feels like a period version of in certain ways), but Mann can rest assured that with Public Enemies he has continued to prove just how good he really is as a director.
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