“Public Enemies” Review

Before seeing Public Enemies, it seemed like a mix between American Gangster and Catch Me If You Can ― but I was pleasantly surprised to see a new type of movie. This film was based around the life of John Dillinger (Johnny Depp), an infamous bank robber and the most wanted American public enemy.

Well-liked by the public because he was polite and respectful even when robbing banks, Dillinger and his friends seemed able to hide anywhere and do anything, until a special police unit was created ― its main purpose to find and catch Dillinger. The task force was led by Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale), the most successful field agent at the time. Unknown to Dillinger, the task force was slowly finding their way toward him while he continued to rob banks. The only challenge Purvis must overcome to find Dillinger is getting more competent police on his team.

Dillinger even had time to fall in love with a woman, Billie Frechette, played by Marion Cotillard. As his friends are killed and connections lost, Dillinger does whatever he can to hold on to what he has left and try to make it out alive.

Depp played a different role than in most of his other movies, and he played it well. The actors’ great performances and different looks than in other movies gave them each a new character completely. The unusual cinematography included varying sound levels, first-person views, unique angles, unsteady cameras and close-up shots. Mixing these with what seemed to be old footage made the different scenes enjoyable. However, it would have been better with more subtle transitions between different effects and sound levels.

Sometimes, the fighting and shooting scenes were too over-the-top and made the movie seem like part of a video game. Overall, however, the differences between Public Enemies and most other movies made it worth watching.

Rating: R
Grade: B+

― Daniel Risner