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Public Enemies

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Depression

Jul 3, 2009 - CDT 10:23 AM
Depression
Member since:
March 2004
In a word, disappointing.

Pacing was dreadfully slow, the movie's 140 minute runtime made it feel like an eternity.

It seemed as if a lot of stuff was happening but there was no buildup. For having the names Depp, Bale, and Mann thrown into a period piece about gangsters the movie is surprisingly flat.

I also thought the HD video didn't mesh with the period sets very well.

thaggas

Jul 6, 2009 - CDT 3:04 PM
thaggas
Member since:
June 2009
Amen to all that.

I thought it was dreadfully long. Mann always produces a better product when he keeps it closer to two hours, which he could have done with PE easily! At 100 minutes, it would have been a masterpiece.


<<<<<SPOILER ALERT>>>>>




I was surprised that the movie ended five minutes after Dillinger got shot. That was refreshing. It just took too long to get there.

Henning

Jul 6, 2009 - CDT 3:53 PM
says... http://twitter.com/madeby
Henning
Member since:
February 2002
Quote:
I also thought the HD video didn't mesh with the period sets very well.


I fear this more than anything.

It actually make me not want to see it and I'm even a big Mann fan.

Heat and The Insider are among my favorite movies.

richiro33

Jul 6, 2009 - CDT 4:13 PM
richiro33
Member since:
December 2007
Henning,
Quick- Pacino in Heat or Pacino in The Insider?

thaggas

Jul 6, 2009 - CDT 4:22 PM
thaggas
Member since:
June 2009
"Pacino in Heat"

That's a scary phrase right there. Whoo-ah!

John J. Puccio

Jul 6, 2009 - CDT 5:56 PM
says... "It's crackers to slip a rozzer the dropsy in snide." --A.E. Neuman
John J. Puccio
Member since:
March 2002
"Public Enemies" is kind of a cold film, keeping the characters at a distance. Depp's Dillinger is almost a cipher--no background, no character analysis, and Bale's Purvis is like a department-store mannequin. Mann never romanticizes or sentimentalizes these characters, and there's almost no humor involved, leaving the film without much heart. That said, I still enjoyed it (maybe a 7/10) in a documentary sort of way.

Also, I didn't notice any difference between the digital photography and the conventional photography, probably because I was caught up in the action and didn't think to care or compare.

John

Gangrel00X

Jul 6, 2009 - CDT 8:06 PM
Gangrel00X
Member since:
October 2003
Quote:
"Pacino in Heat"

That's a scary phrase right there. Whoo-ah!




-Will
[Post edited by Gangrel00X on Jul 6, 2009 - CDT 8:07 PM]

csjlong

Jul 6, 2009 - CDT 9:39 PM
csjlong
Member since:
October 2004
I found it dull and surprisingly weak on a technical level. Mann sure loves his digital blur and he used it to create some moody effects in Collateral, but here it's just a distraction and looks sloppy. The queasy cam didn't create any sense of energy, just the impression of a lack of a plan. The sound mix was obnoxious too. I didn't know that a bullet hitting a tree trunk sounded like a bunkerbuster detonating. I know 'louder' is the trend for all sound effects across the board in Hollywood but this was ridiculous.

A friend of mind also swears that he heard a baseball score in the game announce as "Cubs beating the Yankees 3-2." I didn't hear the Yankees part which would have been impossible back then (no interleague play), but I definitely heard the Cubs up 3-2 part. They played the Phils that day and lost 6-5 but they could have been up 3-2 at some point. If anyone cares to watch the film again and listen to that part (it's near the end when Dilinger enters the police station) let me know what they say.

John J. Puccio

Jul 7, 2009 - CDT 12:44 AM
says... "It's crackers to slip a rozzer the dropsy in snide." --A.E. Neuman
John J. Puccio
Member since:
March 2002
Quote:
The sound mix was obnoxious too. I didn't know that a bullet hitting a tree trunk sounded like a bunkerbuster detonating. I know 'louder' is the trend for all sound effects across the board in Hollywood but this was ridiculous.

Chris,

In terms of sound, it might be the way theater auditoriums are set up for audio. You'd think these things would be calibrated the same, but I don't think they are. For instance, the one thing I liked best about "Public Enemies" was the sound. The surround information was especially realistic in a subtle way but effective way, the dynamics were strong without being overpowering, and while a few of gunshots were loud, the overall levels at the theater in which I saw it were near perfect.

That differs entirely with the sound levels of "Transformers," which I saw last week at the same theater complex, where my ears were practically bleeding after the first ten minutes.

John

Henning

Jul 7, 2009 - CDT 6:06 AM
says... http://twitter.com/madeby
Henning
Member since:
February 2002
Quote:
Quick- Pacino in Heat or Pacino in The Insider?


Tough question.

For me it is hard to call. I think "Heat" but there are scenes in "The Insider" I really like.

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