tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18360914.post1653972120478911764..comments2024-02-28T07:53:57.963+00:00Comments on Bina007 Movie Reviews: PUBLIC ENEMIES - is that it?Bina007http://www.blogger.com/profile/01622085135305501711noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18360914.post-51555416150089616952009-10-24T14:59:06.668+00:002009-10-24T14:59:06.668+00:00I agree, Bina007.
As with Mann's previous fi...I agree, Bina007. <br /><br />As with Mann's previous film, Miami Vice, I almost liked Public Enemies. It ticks all the boxes in what I consider above average cinema entertainment, yet, it ends up being less than the sum of its parts. When you go back to Mann's earlier films like Manhunter, Heat and The Insider (though that's more recent) he was still able to find those small, organic, genuine moments that manage to speak volumes and yet are only mere seconds in screen time. Those are the moments that skilled filmmakers can create in order to flesh out characters and give an audience a sense of who these people really are. However, since Ali he's lost that touch. It's a great pity because he was such a magnificent voice in Hollywood.<br /><br />It's interesting that you mention Andrew Dominik's Jesse James film, which is a modern masterpiece in my opinion. There was an example of a filmmaker creating moments, some tiny, some drawn out, that managed to convey so much but with such subtlety and nuance. Also, that was a long film -- two and a half hours -- which I adored every minute of, so my boredom with Public Enemies can't be put down to its length either.<br /><br />By the way, I think the casting was amiss here too. Depp was fine and Bale was OK, I suppose, but Cotillard and Crudup especially just didn't ring true for me. Again, not their fault. Have to lay the blame at the feet of Mann again for that.BillFenner1967noreply@blogger.com