Public Enemy was one of the films that cemented Jimmy Cagney in the old Hollywood. No, they didn’t erect a statue and he didn’t get dropped off at the docks. It was his extraordinary career performance as Tom Powers that gave rise to the gangster picture and set Cagney up as the ultimate tough guy. This is what Public Enemies is missing… a true powerhouse performance that delivers substance, backbone and gangster grit beyond the rattle of a Tommy Gun (sorry Johnny).

The story follows legendary gangsters John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd (I know) as they evade a 1930s crime wave in a similar fashion to Bonnie & Clyde. While Public Enemies features competent, action-packed entertainment, a fine cast, an intriguing true story and top-notch production values, it shouldn’t be ranked in the same league as American Gangster, Public Enemy or Heat.

Catch the rest of the review and the trailer after the jump…

Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and Marion Cotillard headline the all-star cast with Michael Mann at the helm of this gangster epic. The problem is that Depp doesn’t have the goods on Cagney. It’s the difference between an Oscar and a pat on the back and while there’s no denying Depp’s potential… it’s just not up there with the greats. This is compounded by a reliance on the supporting talents of Christian Bale and Marion Cotillard. Their performances augment Depp’s take on John Dillinger, but it’s the sort of role that demands the classic screen lead presence of a Daniel Day-Lewis or even a George Clooney.

Depp has bullets of experience and his performance as Dillinger is good, but good doesn’t really compare with the likes of Brando, De Niro, Pacino and Cagney. Yes, crime isn’t really Depp’s forte and he’s not a typical tough guy, but one is left aching for more depth of character when the credits eventually roll. This could also be a script problem, since Mann’s vision is quite a superficial, glazed rendition of what Public Enemies could have been in the hands of a Scorsese.

Then Marion Cotillard (Oscar – La Vie En Rose) develops a budding romance between the traditional “damsel” or “broad” and our anti-hero. It’s the only real point of connectedness that the audience shares with the characters, but there’s not enough chemistry to get the audience rooting for or against Dillinger. It’s like watching CNN as events unfold, with one eye attuned to the infotainment and the other on a sense of apathy.

Mann’s trying to address the film from a historical vantage point with enough flash and style to make it cool for the kids of today. To this end he succeeds… a cult-certified cast, an epic crime saga set in the 1930s and a story to rival the Bonnie & Clyde’s of yesteryear. It’s a hit on paper, but it plays about 15-20 minutes too long and lacks the dramatic depth and integrity of a true Oscar contender.

The film attempts to pit Bale versus Depp in a second-rate re-imagining of the magnitude of Pacino vs. De Niro in Heat. Public Enemies falls somewhere between Mann’s previous efforts, Miami Vice (the movie) and Heat. It lacks the epic, character-driven depth of Heat and relies too heavily on the cool cast and style as echoed from Miami Vice.

Mann hasn’t lost the ability to tell a story, there’s just a lack of engagement with the audience. The viewer is not given a chance to identify or care for the bad guys and Dillinger just isn’t evil or cunning enough to match kingpins in American Gangster, Public Enemy or Scarface. Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd are hollow add-ons, who only contribute to the scope and atmosphere… as another target/hoodlum or two for the shoot-outs.

The shoot-outs and car chases are phenomenal and Mann delivers realistic point-of-view shots and loose documentary camera work. These scenes have nothing on Saving Private Ryan, but add an interesting video game environment to the old school take on a typical Western shoot out or car chase – giving the viewer a feel for the action.

The end result is a film that oozes with competence and quality, but one that fails to engage the audience beyond the pages of history. It’s a real shame that a movie of this caliber relies on fire power rather than finesse to give classics like Bonnie & Clyde and The Public Enemy a run for their money. It’s only slightly disappointing, because the production carried so much potential. All in all, it’s better than finding a horse’s head in your bed or spending a night with the fishes, so watch it – or else…

The bottom line: Competent.

Release date: 4 September, 2009

Watch Official Public Enemies Trailer

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