Public Enemies (2009) **1/2

Considering that Public Enemies stars two of the biggest actors in movies and its directed by Michael Mann, who brought us that masterpiece called Heat, the film is a disappointment. The film follows John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) as he becomes public enemy number one and gets the VIP treatment from the infant FBI in the form of Special Agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale). Along the way Dillinger falls in love with a coat check girl (Marion Cotillard), robs some banks, gets shot at, repeat.

Which is the main problem with Public Enemies- it's just running in circles chasing its tail. Imagine The Godfather or Good Fellas if the entire film was shooting and getting shot at. There's plenty of gravy, but no meat in this film. It just sits there and presents itself without any real plot movement. You would think with the size of the production and the names associated with it they could have made something better than a History Channel special, but that's about all you get with this one- just with better actors.

Which is what salvages the film somewhat. Depp is very good as John Dillinger and throws off the swagger of someone that the entire nation is trying to capture and kill, but they just can't get it right. Is he our generations Brando? Maybe. Bale is also good as Purvis, yet he's underused. His character tends to appear when needed and disappears when there's no need for him. Marion Cotillard tends to steal the film, though. She definitely outshines Bale and tends to one up Depp on several occasions. Who knew in a paint by numbers gangster film like this one that the female lead would be the highlight, but she is.

You have to wonder what Michael Mann was thinking since he not only directed this but had a hand in writing the script, which as I said earlier is equal to an episode of Unsolved Mysteries. There's no flair in the script and none in the direction either. Mann, who has wowed us with his shootouts in other films, gives us action sequences that are not as spectacular as things I've seen on You Tube. Could he be losing his touch, especially after that bastardization called Miami Vice?