Michael Mann directed “Heat,” “Manhunter,” “Thief,” “Miami Vice,” and “Collateral.” The man knows his way around a crime story. (He even executive produced the short-lived NBC TV show “Crime Story” from 1986-88.) So he’s the perfect choice to direct “Public Enemies,” about John Dillinger and the FBI’s relentless pursuit of him, right?
I guess that depends what you want out of a Johnny Depp-Christian Bale vehicle. Mann has crafted an alternately frustrating and invigorating portrait of Depression-era crime and the birth of the FBI. Perhaps bored with such ho-hum theatrics as plot development, he takes the audience hostage and peers into Dillinger’s inner circle. Is it what you’re expecting? Probably not. Is it worth seeing? Absolutely. Read Eric’s review of “Public Enemies” here.
