Sweetreviewer’s Blog

Public Enemies is by far one of the best gangster movies that we have seen in Hollywood for a long time. This time we have a gangster movie that is not gender biased and is enjoyable by male and female.

This movie is directed by Michael Mann

Starring John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) as an outlaw —“a charismatic bank robber whose lightning raids made him the number one target of J. Edgar Hoover’s fledgling FBI and its top agent, Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale).”

This movie depicts the constant chase of the unattainable. John Dillinger along with Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd, were American gangsters that started a booming crime wave in the 1930’s. Throughout the movie John Dillinger (Depp) lives his life not caring about tomorrow, robbing banks and escaping out of jail numerous times, while filling a void with prostitutes and chasing after his love interest Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard) who won an Oscar in La Vie en Rose.

Public Enemies features the conflict of characters of good vs. evil. It makes the viewer wonder who in the movie the bad guy is. Is it John Dillinger or is it the feds? The movie illustrates that “the good” sometimes take the law into their own hands.

Michael Mann who has directed films like Collateral and Miami Vice, who were both great movies made a great comeback with Public Enemies after a couple years in hiatus.

Johnny Depp does a terrific performance with John Dillinger’s characters showcasing all of his traits charismatic, Daring, free spirit and bad guy that he was , and making us viewers feel sorry for him, while wanting him to attain what it is he’s searching for. This is definitely a whole new side of Depp’s character roles, opposed to Pirates of the Caribbean and his role as the Demon Barber in Sweeney Todd.

The cast does a stellar performance as well. The characters are very believable and it makes us viewers understand their story and feel for them. This movie is action packed, it keeps viewers interested. It takes you to a whole different era where the poor hated the rich bankers, and tried to attain what they wanted at whatever cost. A gangster movie cannot be done without great gun fight scenes, as this movie clearly has; it portrays so many different emotions, happiness, sadness, and good humor.

Dillinger’s quest to fill a void inside him made him do unconscionable things like risking freedom for love. While the other bank robbers had goals Dillinger just saw himself in the now, he didn’t care about what happened tomorrow. He didn’t know what his purpose was, but he knew it was to enjoy every moment of his life.

This movie is definitely a must see — it shows that true happiness can’t be obtained through money; it didn’t matter how many banks Dillinger robbed, he never really found true happiness.

~ by sweetreviewer on August 16, 2009.

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