PUBLIC ENNEMIES

I am rather surprised with myself as I start writing this review. I ADORE this film. It has two of my favorite actors in it. The fact that I have not mentioned it before kinda defies logic. However, blogger doesn’t lie (as far as I know) and I have trawled my previous posts to no avail. So here goes. Well, thinking about it, it sort of makes sense that you will love this film. The leading actors? Johnnie Depp, Christian Bale and Marillon Cotillard. Gangster movie. About a REAL gangster. Director ? Micheal Mann. Have I got your attention yet?

The unlikely hero of this story harking from 1930’s America is John Dillinger (Johnnie Depp). He is an old-school gangster and bank robber and boy is he getting on the police’s nerves… There are many things impeding the police from catching Dillinger: He is intelligent, cunning and an expert at getting away with anything but murder. To add insult to injury – the public LOVES him! In the troubled times of the Great Depression, Dillinger refuses to take money from the people and targets only big banks and corporations, thus making himself some rather powerful enemies. Regardless of public opinion, the FBI is just about sick of being made a fool of by Dillinger. They set their number one man, Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) on Dillinger’s proverbial tail. Purvis and Dillinger will start a deadly game of cat and mouse – but this is not all Dillinger has to worry about. The times are, as a wise man will say decades after him “a’changing” and the underworld is adapting to it. The question is will Dillinger, an old-fasioned bank-robber with is “Mol” Billie Frechette (Marillon Cotillard) on his arm be able to adapt as well?

First of all, if you thought that with quadruple Oscar® nominee Michael Man at the helm, you had nothing to fear – you would be right. The film is a good quality, old-fashioned gangster movie and it’s a movie about the real men all films in this genre were based on. Dillinger’s story is particularly fascinating seeing as it combines this fact with the changing times and the dynamics in the underworld, a place we all assume has “laws unto itself”. Actually no, it changes with the times and those who can’t adapt are left by the wayside just as with everything else… I have heard the film being described as a “guys movie” yet I’m not sure I agree… I mean yes, it’s a gangster movie but the bizarre relationship between Purvis and Dillinger – very equally matched enemies here – is interesting to watch for any lady who likes a bit of action in her movies. Plus of course, there is the fact that both Depp and Bale are drop-dead gorgeous (I’m being candid here, come on now…) And last but not least, there is the love between Dillinger and Frechette as portrayed by Depp and Cotillard. As you can imagine from actors of that caliber you will be reaching for tissues.

In short, Public Enemies very successfully combines a fascinating period film with breath-taking action. You will enjoy it – no matter what your tastes are =)