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Public Enemies (Michael Mann, 2009)
This is something rather shocking to me. This is like something resembling Michael Mann trying to do an "arthouse" movie. Now you should check my comments about art house cliches if you haven't. I did not see Mann's last flick, which I believe to be his version of his iconic TV show Miami Vice. But this is unbelievably horrid on almost every level imaginable. To wit, there is no character development, the cinematography borders on putrid, the film is basically incomprehensible (now whether it's because of the visuals or the storytelling, what difference does it make?) Additionally, I don't even think there's any acting in the movie. Can somebody tell me a single scene where anybody acts? This film has an enormous cast, but the film is so friggin' dark that it's almost impossible to tell the difference between many of the significant characters. Besides that, what difference does it make when the editing constantly takes you out of the moment? Supposedly, this is a flick about Dillinger (Johnny Depp) and Melvin Purvis, G-Man (Christian Bale), but from what's on screen, it's almost impossible to tell. There is no doubt in my mind that this is one of the most pathetic attempts at a mainstream summer film I've ever seen. How in God's Name did this piece of tripe almost earn back its budget in domestic box office?
Note - This was my original review; I've subsequently watched Miami Vice and this thing again. This is better [] than I wrote here but Vice is pretty lousy. HA!
This is something rather shocking to me. This is like something resembling Michael Mann trying to do an "arthouse" movie. Now you should check my comments about art house cliches if you haven't. I did not see Mann's last flick, which I believe to be his version of his iconic TV show Miami Vice. But this is unbelievably horrid on almost every level imaginable. To wit, there is no character development, the cinematography borders on putrid, the film is basically incomprehensible (now whether it's because of the visuals or the storytelling, what difference does it make?) Additionally, I don't even think there's any acting in the movie. Can somebody tell me a single scene where anybody acts? This film has an enormous cast, but the film is so friggin' dark that it's almost impossible to tell the difference between many of the significant characters. Besides that, what difference does it make when the editing constantly takes you out of the moment? Supposedly, this is a flick about Dillinger (Johnny Depp) and Melvin Purvis, G-Man (Christian Bale), but from what's on screen, it's almost impossible to tell. There is no doubt in my mind that this is one of the most pathetic attempts at a mainstream summer film I've ever seen. How in God's Name did this piece of tripe almost earn back its budget in domestic box office?
Note - This was my original review; I've subsequently watched Miami Vice and this thing again. This is better [] than I wrote here but Vice is pretty lousy. HA!