Depp Sizzles As Dillinger

While Mann makes the movie look pretty without big budget effects!

The tale of John Dillinger is known to an extant in the modern world. Most would recognize the name but very few would actually know his story. Director Michael Mann (Heat, Miami Vice) has set out to change that. Not only did he direct but also co-wrote the film with Ronan Bennett (Lucky Break) and Ann Biderman (Primal Fear) who based their screenplay off Bryan Burrough’s book Public Enemies: America’s Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI. Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy) plays John Dillinger while Stephen Graham (Inkheart) and Channing Tatum (Fighting) star as the other notorious gangsters Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd. Billy Crudup (Watchmen) is J. Edgar Hoover, the head of the FBI, who gives the task of finding John Dillinger to Melvin Purvis portrayed by Christian Bale (The Dark Knight). Rounding out the spectacular supporting cast is Marion Cotillard (A Good Year), Giovanni Ribisi (Perfect Stranger), Stephen Dorff (Blade), Leelee Sobieski (88 Minutes), Jason Clarke (Death Race), Shawn Hatosy (Alpha Dog) and Branka Katic (The Englishmen).

To say this is a John Dillinger bio-pic could be misleading. Mann chose to tell the tale of Dillinger’s final years. It is a very interesting lead-up to his demise but we never find out what drives the man. “I rob banks” is what Dillinger states throughout the film and he is good at it. We are never given any insight as to why he robs banks. So if you go in expecting to find this information out you will leave disappointed.

That being said, this film is fantastic looking. Mann knows his way around a camera, better than any other director in my opinion, bringing us beautiful angles, landscapes and gun battles. Even if this was a bad film I could watch it over again for the detail that Mann puts into it. A unique choice that Mann made was not telling us in big bold letters across the screen “TUCSON”, instead he carefully dropped that the gang was going to meet there next and showed us cacti and desert to imply where they are. A few times in the movie this was used and it is never jarring and very easy to figure out exactly what city they are currently residing in.

The sprawling amount of cast members in this movie was surprising. I knew Mann had brought quite a few actors on board that could hold their own with Depp and Bale but I couldn’t believe how deep a cast it was. The best part about it, not a single person was miscast. Everyone was as convincing as the next. I want to say that Bale might have been the weak point but I think that had to do with the lack of growth his character received throughout the film. On the other hand Depp brings his persona and turns it into Dillinger’s (even looking quite like the real John Dillinger). "I like baseball, movies, good clothes, fast cars... and you. What else do you need to know?" spews Dillinger, and Depp delivers his line so perfect as the overconfident, smug outlaw.

I found only two things really wrong with this film. One may not have actually been the film itself but the theatre and the crappy sound system. In the beginning minute when Dillinger is escaping from the jail with his gang, a few of the men spoke from the back seat and you could hardly hear a word they said. Only a few seconds later one of them spoke again, louder than the sound of the gun shots from moments ago. Later in the film, and I found this problem with Mann’s Miami Vice as well, there were moments when the film really slowed down. Mann could have made some edits which could have solved this problem.

Since I saw the first poster of Depp as Dillinger I knew I wanted to see this. Honestly, this was probably my most anticipated film to see this year. I would watch the movie trailer almost weekly. Now, after seeing the film, I can say that it was a good film but it did disappoint a bit. It was not the great film I expected but it is definitely worth watching and I will be buying this when it comes out on DVD (or maybe I will have upgraded to Blu-Ray by then). Mann shoots Depp and his co-stars so beautifully that even if this was a bad film I would tell you to go see it.

4 out of 5
Colin Enquist

Upcoming movies that could knock our socks off in the first half of 2009

While a few of these movies won’t be big box office hits. These are the movies I am most looking forward to watching coming up this New Year. It looks like May will be the busiest month with a movie every week. Guess I should go get my popcorn ready! I would also like to thank Trailer Addicts for making the movie trailers easy to place for your viewing pleasure. Check back shortly after the movies come out as there more than likely will be a review for it.

The Unborn – Jan 2 – David S. Goyer hasn’t succeeded as a director as he has a screenwriter, but the trailer looks good enough that I will check it out.

The Plot: Haunted by strange dreams and recurring ghostly visions, Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman) turns to a spiritual advisor (Gary Oldman) for help. Together, they learn that Casey had a twin brother who never made it to term, and that her intended sibling is tied to a curse that requires Casey's death in order to manifest itself in our world.

Notorious - Jan 16 – A bio pic of the West Coast rapper looks good from the strong cast and with newcomer Jamal Woolard playing a young Notorious B.I.G. looking to make a name for himself. Derek Luke plays Sean “Puffy” Combs who I was surprised didn’t play the role himself.

The Plot: A chronicle of Christopher Wallace's (Woolard) rise from the streets of Brooklyn to become Notorious B.I.G., one of biggest and best rappers of the 1990s, under the tutelage of mentor/producer Sean Combs (Luke)



Watchmen – Mar 6 – Another comic book based film that looks like it could be really good given the director loves the material and didn’t want to do a disservice to it. But with a lawsuit between WB and Fox on who owns the rights the movie has a possibility of the release being pushed back.

The Plot: Set in an alternate vision of the year 1985, the murder of an ex-superhero causes a vigilante named Rorshach (Haley) to look into the matter, an investigation that reunites him with his surviving old colleagues -- all of them former superheroes themselves -- and gradually unveils a conspiracy with links to their shared past and catastrophic consequences for the future.



X-Men Origins: Wolverine – May 1 – With Hugh Jackman returning as the character who made him a household name and his arch nemesis Sabertooth (Liev Schreiber) returning in this prequel we could be looking at another great X-related film. Although the first trailer didn’t make it look fantastic, it definitely looked better than X3.

The Plot: An origins story that follows the early life of James Howlett (Jackman), also known as Logan, and best known as Wolverine. The chronicle of his younger years as a mutant connects to his relationship and eventual falling out with Victor Creed/Sabretooth (Schreiber), and his fateful entry into the Weapons X project, the governmental program that turns willing and unwilling beings into living weapons.



Star Trek – May 8 – I have never been a huge Star Trek fan but after hearing JJ Abrams was going to be taking the helm I was intrigued. And after seeing the first trailer I will be going to see this one in the theatres.

The Plot: The origin story of Captain James T. Kirk, Spock and the crew of the USS Enterprise before they had boldly gone where no man had gone before.



Angels and Demons – May 15 – May will be a busy month already without the sequel to The Da Vinci Code being released. I enjoyed Angels and Demons the book over The Da Vinci Code so I have high hopes for this movie.

The Plot: Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) finds himself in Rome, where he has to race against time to prevent the Illuminati, a secret society, from putting in motion a terrorist act that could destroy the Vatican. He's aided in his quest by the beautiful Italian scientist Vittoria Vetri (Ayelet Zurer).



Terminator Salvation – May 22 – Christian Bale looks like he is more than ready to step into John Conner’s shoes, with McG at the helm and a solid supporting cast of Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin and others. Another movie franchise I was never fond of looks like it could draw me in for a look see.

The Plot: John Connor (Bale) is joined in his attempt to defeat Skynet and its army of Terminators by Marcus Wright (Worthington), a man who apparently has been rescued from the past, though Connor wonders if instead he's been sent from the future as a foil to his plan. As Connor and Wright push deep into the heart of Skynet, they get closer and closer to learning the secret behind the organization's mission to wipe humankind off the planet.



Up – May 29 – Another Pixar movie taking to the skies, this one literally. Until Pixar makes a bad film I don’t think you can go wrong walking into the theatre to see this movie.

The Plot: By tying thousands of balloon to his home, 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen sets out to fulfill his lifelong dream to see the wilds of South America. Right after lifting off, however, he learns he isn't alone on his journey, since Russell, a wilderness explorer 70 years his junior, has inadvertently become a stowaway on the trip.



Public Enemies – Jul 1 – Johnny Depp and Christian Bale star in this Micheal Mann film base of the real life gangsters of the 1930s. Also has a fantastic supporting cast.

The Plot: The incredible and true story of legendary Depression-era bank robber John Dillinger (Depp)the charismatic bank robber whose lightning raids made him the number one target of J. Edgar Hoovers fledgling FBI and its top agent, Melvin Purvis (Bale), and a folk hero to much of the downtrodden public. No one could stop Dillinger. No jail could hold him.

Transformers Revenge of the Fallen – Jul 3 – Not much is known about the plot yet and no trailer or poster has even been released at this point. But with everyone from the original reprising there roles I don’t think you can not go see this unless the trailer looks god awful.

The Plot: Decepticon forces return to Earth on a mission to take Sam Witwicky prisoner, after the young hero learns the truth about the ancient origins of the Transformers. Joining the mission to protect humankind is Optimus Prime, who forms an alliance with international armies for a second epic battle.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince – Jul 17 – I have liked each movie more and more in this franchise so my hopes are rather high for this movie. After being pushed back from a summer 08 release it will finally see the light of day.

The Plot: In his sixth year at Hogwarts, Harry Potter discovers even more about the evil Lord Voldemort's past, thanks to his mentor Dumbledore and mysterious textbook marked "This book is the property of the Half-Blood Prince." By the end of the year, nothing will ever be the same.



Colin Enquist