This, the latest Michael Mann film showed unabashed and blatant ties to two significant films: Bonnie and Clyde and Heat. All three films include some iteration of the phrase 'We're not here for your money, we're here for the banks,' merely providing evidence for the similarities and downright translations from film to film. In addition, just like Heat, Public Enemies pits a not-so-good good guy against a not-so-bad bad guy, showing us the depth of both characters and blurring the lines between right and wrong. Now films bounce plotlines, characters, etc. around like some sort of materialistic Hollywood espionage (A Bug's Life and Antz, Mall Cop and Observe and Report, Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line), but Michael Mann directed both Heat AND Public Enemies, chalking this carbon copy up to mere unoriginality. Regardless of the similarities to previous plot structures, this film pulled out great performances by a wide range of actors, most notably Johnny Depp (who never ceases to choose amazing characters) and Marion Cotillard, emphasized through fantastic set design and costuming. Technically, the film exhibited Mann's aggravatingly consistent handheld camerawork, as well as quite obviously a range of high end film to prosumer cameras. This film was entertaining, even captivating, but lacked the originality and technical achievements to make it a truly noteworthy film.
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1/13/2010
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