Public Enemies left me with that particular kind of disappointment you feel when you see a great director fall short of his own high standards. Based on Bryan Burrough’s non-fiction book ‘ Public Enemies: America’s Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933–34 ‘, it explores the FBI’s attempts to capture the gangsters who are robbing banks all across the Midwest during the Great Depression . The principle focus is on John Dillinger (Johnny Depp), his girlfriend Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard) and Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale), the federal agent entrusted with catching him. For director Michael Mann , this is familiar territory featuring many of his favourite themes: crime, extreme conflict, good and evil, obsession and the male psyche. Given that this film saw him re-teaming with cinematographer Dante Spinotti... [read full story]
