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Public Enemies - (2009)
Michael Mann wants us to see where the money went, and that sometimes gets in the way of a threadbare story in Public Enemies. John Dillinger and his gang have been the subject of so many films that we kind of bypass a lot and just concentrate on enormous sets, costumes, cars and of course a lot of action. Johnny Depp doesn't really feel threatening and manly enough, though Stephen Graham as Baby Face Nelson holds his own. Maybe style over substance was the point, because the theme of this film partly consists of how image-conscious both Dillinger and FBI head honcho Hoover are. This tells us a story about the depression era crime wave in the U.S. in a very visual style, focusing on shoot-outs and Christian Bale's Melvin Purvis and his campaign to bring down Dillinger and his gang. Marion Cotillard - who was going through a hot-streak as an actress at the time, appears as Dillinger's girlfriend Billie Frechette.
6.5/10

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Once - (2007)
A chance meeting between two musicians ends up changing their lives - it's pretty easy to sum up the plot for Once, but it's the music and the bonds of friendship forged that makes this such a popular and enduring film. I've seen John Carney's popular Sing Street before, along with Begin Again. This is the first time I've seen Once and I enjoyed it very much.
8/10

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Michael Clayton - (2007)
I love the performances from every actor in this film - they had great material to work with from Tony Gilroy. This involves the high-stakes world of a law firm, and the firm's fixer, Michael Clayton. When Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson) breaks down and goes off his medication after finding out the pesticide company he's working for hid reports of the toxicity of their product the bleep hits the fan. Clayton is brought in, but unbeknownst to him, a couple of snoops have also been hired and are reporting to company representative Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton). Crossed wires and alarm bells light a powder keg that some won't walk away from. Some great suspense which includes questions about morality in our modern fast-paced money-driven world. An interesting sub-plot involving addiction and redemption raise it another notch.
8.5/10
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