Anna Daniels
If you’re not familiar with the work of Michael Mann, then you’ve got some movies to watch, and Public Enemies is as good a place as any to start. The film features the veteran director working at the absolute top of his game, calling the shots for legendary cinematographer Dante Spinotti, who has shot several of Mann’s films, including Manhunter, Heat, and The Insider. Much has been made of the fact that the flick is a period piece shot on hi-def video, which on its surface is an odd choice, but Spinotti is a fan of the format, and he’s also an absolute master at saturating his frames with vivid colors and inky dark spaces. This film looks fantastic, and it also benefits from Mann’s deliberate, yet fleet, pacing.
Then, there’s the cast, which is simply jaw-dropping. Depp crushes it in the role of Dillinger; he’s joined by Christian Bale (Ford v Ferrari) as FBI agent Melvin Purvis, Marion Cotillard (Inception) as Dillinger’s girlfriend, Billie Frechette, Billy Crudup (Alien: Covenant) as FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, and Stephen Lang (Don’t Breathe) as Charles Winstead, the Texas lawman who fatally shot Dillinger. Even the minor roles are filled with ringers: Stephen Dorff (True Detective) appears as Homer Van Meter, Jason Clarke (First Man) pops up as Red Hamilton, Giovanni Ribisi (Sneaky Pete) appears as Alvin Karpis, and none other than Channing Tatum (Logan Lucky) portrays Pretty Boy Floyd.
Written by: Looper
