Movie Blog: Public Enemies

Public Enemies, July 2009

Starring: Johnny Depp, and Christian Bale
Directed by Michael Mann

Rather like my *failed* book review section of this blog, I shall try and do this *with more success* for films.

I saw Public Enemies yesterday with my mate Colette. It was bloody, it was well filmed, it was amazingly cast and ergo it equals one huge success. Mind you anything with Johnny Depp in I am a complete sucker for!! Whether it be Jack Sparrow in Pirates to Ichabod Crane in Sleepy Hollow, from Sweeney Todd to John Wilmot in The Libertine... Johnny Depp never fails to deliver. This is blockbuster stuff at its best. Romance, violence, a bit of a thrill and a bit of drama et voila! One ace film!

Hands up- I did groan at some of the bloodier scenes where blood splatters and especially the part were a bullet went through Dillenger/Johnny Depp's face. ARGH!

I laughed and I very almost cried at the end... *I shan't tell you anymore... though everyone pretty much knows what happens!*

SYNOPSIS: Based on a true story in Depression-era America, bank robber John Dillinger (Depp), whose armed robberies of banks made him the number one target of J. Edgar Hoovers new FBI whilst simultaneously proving himself popular with the masses as he flouted the banks that had caused the depression. The FBI's top agent, Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) has been assigned Dillinger. It is now his job to stop Dillenger. Purvis is outmaneuvered. From jailbreaks to bank robberies that looked doomed to fail Dillenger won over the public sympathy.

I loved the fact that they had the film Manhattan Melodrama with Clark Gable in at the end was a particularly sweet touch since it is SO ironic that Dillinger died on exiting the movie theatre after watching a gangster film. The other part I liked where he was in the movie theatre again and the commercials roll; the public there are asked to look to their left and right to see if "Public Enemy Number One" is sitting next to them. He is and no one spots him. That devilish grin says it all!

I am a fan of the 1930s and seriously love the music, risque-ness, the clothes, the attitude... This film completely captures the time and the crime. Blood thirsty, violent and completely compelling this film is definitely worth paying the cinema fees to see!!