Public Enemies

Good thing that I had a day off today so I didn't have to wait to see "Public Enemies", which was among the summer movies I wait the most.






Do I really need to say the reason is exclusively Johnny Depp ?

The Story

During the Depression, John Dillinger and his gang rob banks in Chicago and escape the police. Even when they are arrested, they do not remain in the jail for a long time. That was enough to make the gang the major target of the FBI. The main task of the Bureau became to arrest definitively Dillinger.

The Actors

Beside Johnny Depp as John Dillinger (note the common initals "JD", which is how Depp signs his paintings ... nothing to do with the movie, I just noticed), we found Marion Cotillard as Billie Frechette (Dillinger's love interrest), Christian Bale as FBI top agent Melvin Purvis and Billy Crudup as FBI director Hoover. This interresting cast also includes Emilie de Ravin (Lost), Giovanni Ribisi and even a cameo of Diana Krall.

What did I think ?

I don't know yet exactly what to think.

On one side, I liked it as I think I could like any Johnny Depp's movie ... I mean, I think it should be very bad before I dislike one of his movie (I even liked Cry Baby ... but I was a teenager at that time ... yes, it is a good excuse).

But on another side, I didn't enjoyed it as much as I expected.

It wasn't bad at all but I didn't find anything very exciting. However I still enjoyed it.

Johnny Depp has a character who very well fits him : sort of a bad boy but still with good feeling ... does the term "romantic gangster" exist ? That's how I would describe it. So, he cannot be bad ... and every single scene he is in is an eye-candy. But, even if this kind of character fits him, I prefer him in characters with a crazy side (Jack Sparrow, Willy Wonka ... and I can't wait to see him as The Mad Hatter).

In the things I liked, I would add the chemistry between Johnny Depp and Marion Cotillard. They did a very nice couple. Sounds like Depp knows what to do with French women ;-) Seriously, they're doing great together. And Cotillard didn't disappoint me at all. She doesn't do a performance as extraordinary as in La Vie en Rose but still, she does great. There was only a scene where I didn't like her a lot ... when she's questionned by the FBI, she makes the exact same "tortured" face as she did in some scenes of La Vie en Rose. Anyway, that wasn't a big deal.

Actually, most of the actors do well. No outstanding performance but good.

Being released now is a good timing for the movies as we can relate to the economic situation. And it can be interresting to see how people reacted in the time of Depression. Actually, Dillinger didn't seem to be seen as an ennemy by the population, and he even was popular (because he robbed money from banks ... not from people ...). Most people didn't seem to care for the robbed banks, which were seen as partially responsible for the situation (see how it relates to the situation we live now).

Technically, the movie is well "polished", apparently it is all made in HD and it looks like. However, sometimes the faces of actors seemed a little "waxy" ... I don't know if it's because they used too much make up or if it's just something weird in the photography.

In fact, I think the weakest part of the movie might unfortunately be the scenario. We're always floating between great scenes (for instance a jail escape) and boring scenes that brings nothing to the movie. Once again, I felt the movie could have been easily 30 min shorter, it would have taken nothing away from the movie, actually it could even have improved it by cutting the boring part.

So I felt a little disappointed as I expect it a lot but, in the same time, it's always such a pleasure to watch Johnny Depp on screen. So go to see it and judge by yourself ... don't expect a lot but if you like Johnny Depp, you will probably like it anyway.