Public Enemies (2009)

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Michael Mann goes big-booming-crime-thriller all over the story of John Dillinger and the genesis of the modern FBI, using Bryan Burroughs' 2004 nonfiction (hat tip, Fman) as source material.

The fillum was stylistically top notch; the costumes, lensing, and music-- drawing a bit too much attention to itself in spots, but a character all its own-- are impeccable.

But looking back, I'm just not sure that the story was all THAT compelling, which, considering the fertile soil it's tilling, is a damn shame. (There's a whole lot of unplumbed stuff here-- including the source of Dillinger's appeal to the populace that hides/worships him-- that gets buried under a charm attack from Depp and mountains of style, and the liberties the screenwriters took with real-life history don't do all that much to further/heighten things, dramatically.)

I'm a little disappointed, at least.


NOTE: If you get a little woozy with steadycam-less stuff like "Bourne Supremacy," watching this may feel like a ferry ride in the middle of a hurricane.

[stevejrogers]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: and the liberties the screenwriters took with real-life history don't do all that much to further/heighten things, dramatically.)

One liberty that I have know clue why they took was the fact that they removed "The Lady In Red" from the story.

Oh the person is still there, but instead of red, she is wearing a "light orange" dress, as opposed to red.

[Frayed Knot]

Already a couple of small historical inaccuracies have been pointed out by various sources.
- Dillinger is told that the Cubs vs the Yanx is the game he's hearing on the radio ... except that the movie takes place in 1933 & 34 and the only Cubs-Yanx WS was '32.
- and he's shown watching 'Porky Pig' cartoons although PP didn't debut until '35

[Vic Sage]

from the archives, my Michael Mann filmography:
http://cranepoolforum.qwknetllc.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=4148

[stevejrogers]

Frayed Knot wrote: Already a couple of small historical inaccuracies have been pointed out by various sources. - Dillinger is told that the Cubs vs the Yanx is the game he's hearing on the radio ... except that the movie takes place in 1933 & 34 and the only Cubs-Yanx WS was '32. - and he's shown watching 'Porky Pig' cartoons although PP didn't debut until '35

Another biggie is the fact that the taking down of Pretty Boy Floyd was a significant catch for Melvin Purvis that it got him the job to run the Dillinger case. Problem is, Floyd was killed a few months after Dillinger was!

[Frayed Knot]

Yeah, but stuffing the Yanquis in where they don't belong is a bigger crime than either Dillinger or Floyd ever committed.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

I would have loved to see more Hoover stuff... and, frankly, more characterization beyond moody stares and winks-- expertly delivered, but still-- behind Depp's Dillinger.

[Fman99]

Still have not seen this -- I don't get to the movies much anymore. But the book covers in depth not only Dillinger, but Nelson, Floyd, the Barker gang, Bonnie and Clyde and Machine Gun Kelly all with great detail and minus the inaccuracies and liberties taken by the filmmakers in the name of dramatic license.

I'd recommend the book to anyone -- very enjoyable non-fiction.

[TransMonk]

Haven't seen this...probably won't until it comes out on DVD.

But I was in Manitowish Waters over the weekend and drove by the Little Bohemia Lodge. The tiny towns up there are really hyping up the Dillinger connection for tourism.

[Valadius]

Visuals good... story was crap. It just meandered along without any hook. Where was the emotional, compelling pull that gets you sucked into the story? It simply wasn't there.