Public Enemies

Crime film maestro Michael Mann goes back to the 1930s for his latest, the characteristically hypnotic and moody Public Enemies. Johnny Depp does amazing things as John Dillinger, the infamous bank robber who should’ve opted for a nice summer drive rather than a movie on a hot night in 1934. Mann continues to be a master of stylistic crime drama. Public Enemies stands alongside his Heat, Collateral and Manhunter as a masterful entry to the genre. Depp, even though he is 15 years older than Dillinger was when he died, is right at home in the role. Anybody who has seen a picture of Dillinger’s smirk from old photos will know that Depp has the man’s look and attitude nailed in this movie. And when Dillinger is seen smiling his menacing smile as he watches Clark Gable in Manhattan Melodrama just moments before being gunned down in the street, you can see Depp reveling in the moment.