Public Enemies

***1/2 Stars

In this moment of time in America, no film is more appropriate than Public Enemies, a gritty and ultra-cool middle finger to the shitacular showcase that is Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

No, I'm not done bashing that movie. This is a time where I'm making everything personal. And nothing pisses me off more that Public Enemies is already considered a letdown before almost anyone has seen it, where Transformers is being considered a success after almost everyone has already saw it. Where is the justification in that?

Alright, I admit Public Enemies is not the best film of the year, but it sure is a cut above the rest. Johnny Depp is perfectly cast as John Dillinger, the infamous bank robber who will rob a bank without question, but make sure you don't pay a dime. That is why the film's release date is perfect. PERFECT. In a time where every American believes that those responsible for our economic meltdown deserve to die a traitors death, Public Enemies ironically offers both that satisfaction and an important historical lesson from the Great Depression. Plus, adding Depp who is considered one of the biggest movie stars in the world, and you have a Hollywood epic to the fullest degree.

Director Michael Mann, a God amongst the crime genre, shot Public Enemies in complete digital format. While many will find it f#&%@* distracting (OH GOOD FOR YOU!), I found it explosively real. When you have Depp as Dillinger and Christian Bale as his nemesis (he plays Melvin Purvis, the man who took Dillinger down after several failed attempts) nothing seems more mesmerizing, for me at least, then to structurally shove a halo of gunfire in your face. Instead of Mann giving us the personal life story of Dillinger, we get the public life story of Dillinger (hence the title). We live in a time where evil is more evil when we are unaware of its origin, and how vulnerable we are to empathize for the enemy. We want Dillinger to escape and rob banks even though we know he was at one point the most wanted man in America.

So for those of you who see the Transformers sequel for a second time this weekend instead of Public Enemies, to hell with you. And for the many people who know me when it comes to movies, I usually encourage second viewings. But not this time. Not for the film that after seeing Public Enemies looks like a Uwe Boll/Ed Wood collaboration. When watching the vast difference between the two films, I am left with a morose feeling in my stomach. In the movie, Dillinger says to his girlfriend Billie on their first date (the absolutely fantastic Marion Cotillard): "I rob banks." Then it hit me. John Dillinger robbed banks, and Michael Bay robs people. So when you head to the theater this weekend, who will you rob?