Cast: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard, Jason Clarke, Rory Cochrane, Billy Crudup; Director: Michael Mann; Producer: Michael Mann; Screenwriters: Ronan Bennett, Ann Biderman; Genre: Gangster- Action/Drama; Distributor: Universal; Location: 1930s Chicago, Florida, Miami; Running Time: 143mins;Technical Assessment: 3.5
Moral Assessment: 2
CINEMA Rating: For mature viewers 18 and above
The movie begins as 30 year old enigmatic gangster John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) reunites his gang after orchestrating a prison break. They proceed to rob banks in Chicago and living it all up in their nightlives. Meanwhile, FBI director, Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) is eager to get a boost for the agency and decides that closing in on Dillinger would do the job. He assigns special agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) on pursuing the “public enemy no. 1." However, Dillinger is smooth and popular and almost effortlessly evades being caught until a hotel personnel recognizes him when his crew takes a vacation in Miami . Dillinger is transferred to Indiana to stand trial but he escapes using a fake wooden gun. But life on the run proves difficult for him as he is forced to work with a new crew and the trigger-happy Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham), and violence replaces the cool precision of their robberies. Will Dillnger’s charisma be able to save him from Purvis’ determination and the disaster of working with Nelson?
Public Enemies is based on the true-to-life story of the 1930s famous gangster and the FBI efforts to catch him. Mann delivers a tight action drama that thrills the audience completely. The cinematography is tight and the hand-held shots bring the audience in the scene. The production design is perfect and alive from sets to costumes to props. The action is provoking and the drama is brilliant. Performances from Depp, Bale, Cotillard and Crudup are strong and honest. This is perhaps one of the best action biopic films of the year.
Like most characters of a gangster film, Dillinger is presented as a sympathetic and even lovable character, which unfortunately makes us root for the bad guys. But we do see members of Dillinger’s gang meeting tragic and horrible ends, so in a way justice is served. Dillinger has many redeemable virtues like refusing to participate in kidnapping and his gentlemanliness; however robbery no matter how non-violent is still stealing, immoral and illegal. No matter how cool, cute or popular a criminal is, he is still doing something against the law and against morality. Criminals who are glamorized as sensitive and appealing characters on the big screen may create a distorted image for impressionable young viewers. The violence in the movie focuses more on Dillinger’s complexities; however, some situations and language may not be appropriate for young impressionable viewers, especially those who love Depp’s Jack Sparrow character. The gangster theme is better suited for older viewers.
