Johnny Depp Wears a Hat: The Motion Picture

I'm almost totally ashamed that I've seen so few of Michael Mann's films. Ever since I lost my Netflix account I've been falling behind on these things, but I positively love Collateral, Heat and Last of the Mohicans. I've heard nothing but good things about Thief and The Insider. Collateral appeals to so many of my own favorite themes and aesthetic choices: two protagonists, a narrative unfolding over one night, blah blah blah. In addition, Jaime Foxx and Tom Cruise give performances that are, quite possibly, the best of their careers. Similarly, Heat was the last jolt of life in the floundering careers of Pacino and De Niro (although Pacino would get Insomnia a few years later), and has what very well may be the greatest action sequence of the 90's.

So, as I'm sure you can imagine, I was wetting myself in anticipation for this movie. Did it live up to my expectations? Yes. Yes, it politely met my expectations. Shook their hand and was on its way. It couldn't have been politer about it. At no point did this film exceed my expectations or go beyond the call of duty. But that's okay. My expectations for this film were reasonably high, and I'm very happy that my expectations were met at all.

Public Enemies weaves the tale of John Dillinger, notorious Indiana bank robber who essentially ruled the fantasies of Depression-era America and his cat-and-mouse game with the original FBI G-Man Melvin Pruvis.

I don't know how true-to-life this movie is, but Melvin Purvis shot himself in 1960, and if we're going by the movie's characterization of him, I imagine that the only reason he did that was so that he could personally punch Satan in the balls. After Satan fell over on the ground and started crying, Melvin Purvis tore off his wings like a kid playing with a fly and strapped them to his back. According to my research, Melvin Purvis then became Satan and created the modern vision of Hell, basing it on his recurring nightmare of bears that can read.

Christian Bale is a much better actor than people tend to give him credit for these days, and while that's pretty understandable after his incredibly static, black hole of a performance in Terminator Salvation, he seems inclined to become cinema's new whipping boy. He isn't about to blow audiences away in Public Enemies, but he does remind us why his slow drawl and steely gaze make him such a brilliant leading man. But Jesus Christ, according to this movie, Melvin Purvis was single-handedly responsible for taking down every bank robber in the world, ending the Great Depression and winning World War III.

Johnny Depp, similarly, is more energetic and charismatic, making him a great Dillinger and an even better foil for Bale. In fact, they're really a perfect match-up and is a great example of how great casting can improve the drama of a film. He's a very good Dillinger, but he doesn't set the world on fire. It's probably the straightest Depp has played a role since Finding Neverland. That doesn't make it a lesser performance, it just means that it lacks all the exciting ticks and quirks that make Johnny Depp one of the premiere actors of his generation.

And I'd comment on Marion Cotillard, but I'm pretty sure the fact that I'm in love with her makes me biased.

But let's shoot the elephant in the room: the cinematography. It wasn't as jarring as I thought it would be most of the time. The opening scene is very rock-and-roll and the clarity of the digital photography is almost other-worldly. The dialogue scenes and action scenes looked fine for the most part, but tracking shots really brought out the motion blur-free effect that is the most noticeably ugly aspect of the process.

There's a trade off, though. The night scenes look beautiful, and the digital cameras capture muzzle flashes like nothing I've ever seen before. I simply wish the day scenes would be dressed up to look like traditional film or shot on traditional film like Mann did in Collateral. When I could tell it was digital, it was because it looked ugly.

But none of that matters because this film contains what may be the greatest action scene of the summer in a shootout that takes place in a cabin. I immediately wanted to watch the entire film again just to see that scene for a second time. Further proof that Michael Mann can blow my mind without even trying, and it bears his distinctive fingerprints.

Ultimately, it's a bit of a sterile experience, but it's got some interesting experimentation, a trio of very good performances at its center and the best action of the summer, and that's good enough to justify my $7. No one is doing the best work of their career, but when you have a group of artists this talented, they don't have to be doing the best work of their career to outshine most other things out there. It was fun and interesting at the same time, which is something that more summer movies should aspire to be.

8/10