Public Enemies

Name: Public Enemies
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, Thriller, Romance
Released: July 1, 2009
Duration: 140 min
Rating: 70
Cast: Christian Bale, Johnny Depp

2009

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 35 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 557 Ratings

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7.5

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7.5	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 557 Ratings

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Public Enemies

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Movie Details & Credits

Universal Pictures | Release Date: July 1, 2009 | R

Starring: Christian Bale, Johnny Depp

Summary: No one could stop Dillinger and his gang. No jail could hold him. His charm and audacious jailbreaks endeared him to almost everyone—from his girlfriend Billie Frechette to an American public who had no sympathy for the banks that had plunged the country into the Depression. But while the adventures of Dillinger's gang thrilled many, HooverNo one could stop Dillinger and his gang. No jail could hold him. His charm and audacious jailbreaks endeared him to almost everyone—from his girlfriend Billie Frechette to an American public who had no sympathy for the banks that had plunged the country into the Depression. But while the adventures of Dillinger's gang thrilled many, Hoover made Dillinger America's first Public Enemy Number One. (Universal Pictures)… Expand

Director: Michael Mann

Genre(s): Biography, Drama, History, Thriller, Romance, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 140 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Empire Ian Nathan

Intelligent and challenging: Mann's crime epic could take two viewings to fully absorb, but it's worth every devoted minute. Read full review

Kenneth Turan

Simultaneously an art film and a crime film, Mann's latest work may not give you a ton to hang on to emotionally, but the beauty and skill of the filmmaking keep you tightly in its grasp. Read full review

Michael Sragow

Without ever telling viewers what to think or how to feel, it raises more questions about the corruption of crime and crime fighting than any expose or thesis. Read full review

Premiere Robert Calvert

This is better than your average bio-pic. The dynamic established between the motivation of Bale’s and Depp’s characters is really what makes this film. Kudos also go out to Channing Tatum as Pretty Boy Floyd. Read full review

Lisa Schwarzbaum

As filmmaker Michael Mann takes pains to emphasize in his handsome, underheated gangster drama Public Enemies, the gent may have been murderous, but he had style. Read full review

Joe Neumaier

You see the spark of 'this is cool!,' but you don't sense a purpose. The underconceived Public Enemies suffers from that lack of drive, though Johnny Depp is so urgent and charismatic as John Dillinger, he provides enough firepower to make the film legit. Read full review

Dan Zak

It's also a double-barreled bummer. There's no excitement in the bank-robbing, no thrill of the chase, no emotion over justice served or thwarted. Depp's Dillinger is neither charming nor despicable, nor does he occupy that delicious gray area between the two. His spree unspools dispassionately, cold as a Colt .380. Read full review

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User Reviews

StevenF

May 21, 2013

Honesty is a rare and often sought after trait in any individual, and when we see Johnny Depp portray one of the most notorious criminals in American history, we see exactly what Depression era bank robber John Dillinger was all about, upfront and straight to the point...honest.
Whether heHonesty is a rare and often sought after trait in any individual, and when we see Johnny Depp portray one of the most notorious criminals in American history, we see exactly what Depression era bank robber John Dillinger was all about, upfront and straight to the point...honest.
Whether he was a bad person or a man simply following what he was good at is anyones guess, but Michael Mann brilliantly focuses on exactly what Dillinger was known for, holding up banks. We don't need a backstory or a setup for how he took on such a job, we just see what we expect to see, but with Dillinger we see someone who isn't someone we would expect.
After a daring escape from a penitentiary, Dillinger and his friends, including Red (Jason Clarke) and Harry Pierpont (David Wenham), Dillinger is already setting up his next heist, during a great crime wave in the midst of the Depression.
Dillinger uses his charm to woo Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard) who he is entirely honest with in his robbery prowess. She accepts his life and his determination to be with her, while Dillinger and his friends continue to evade the Bureau of Investigation, leading the hunt is Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) who took down Pretty Boy Floyd and is now on the hunt for Dillinger.
After several near misses and even a capture, Dillinger brims with confidence at how everyone seems to be at his feet, which Depp perfectly encapsulates. He brings the slick, handsome and straight cut personality to the role that we know from the history of John Dillinger, but with so much more, a scene where he walks freely through the department searching for him is tense, wonderful and also a perfect rendition of how Dillinger liked to live his life. But to quote the film, bank robberies are not getting any easier to pull, and when the Bureau lands down hard, tragedy and blood follow Dillinger wherever he goes. But his only wish is to be with Billie.
Shot in digital high def, Public Enemies looks truly dazzling, the cinematography added with the intense close-ups create a documentary type feel that is reminiscent of the story that is on show. The big cast includes Channing Tatum, a very underrated yet brilliant turn of J. Edgar Hoover by Billy Crudup, Stephen Dorff, Giovanni Ribisi and Stephen Lang.
We can only go by what we are told by the history books, but Dillinger was indeed a colourful character nonetheless and Michael Mann has told an excellent story and created a moving and focused film.… Expand

8 of 19 users found this helpful811

Annie

Jul 1, 2009

Excellent film. Johnny Depp is pitch perfect as Dillinger with a wicked gleam in his eye. Christian Bale is toned down and tightened up, as the G-Man with a conscious. The romance between Dillinger and Billie is both sweet and passionate. You may not agree with her decisions, but you Excellent film. Johnny Depp is pitch perfect as Dillinger with a wicked gleam in his eye. Christian Bale is toned down and tightened up, as the G-Man with a conscious. The romance between Dillinger and Billie is both sweet and passionate. You may not agree with her decisions, but you certainly understand why she fell so head over heels for the gangster, and why he loved her from the moment he spotted her.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

SamL.

Jul 1, 2009

Intriguing, well acted, and great visuals

0 of 0 users found this helpful

Tss5078

Nov 12, 2013

The producers of this film would like you to think it is a modern version of the Untouchables, but anyone who has seen this film will tell you it's far from it. It's not that Public Enemies was a bad movies, but a lot of people panned it because they expected a lot more from a 100 millionThe producers of this film would like you to think it is a modern version of the Untouchables, but anyone who has seen this film will tell you it's far from it. It's not that Public Enemies was a bad movies, but a lot of people panned it because they expected a lot more from a 100 million dollar movie, starting Johnny Depp and Christian Bale, and they have a point. The story was flawed right from the beginning because the true story behind it really wasn't that interesting. The filmmakers tried to get people to watch it, by saying that Dillinger and Purvis were comparable to Capone and Ness, but that's not true. In reality, they had almost no interaction with each other and in the movie, whenever they were together, all they did was shoot at each other. There wasn't any chemistry between them, because their supposed rivalry was a fictions element added to an otherwise true story. The film should have focused on infamous bank robber, John Dillinger, but instead it focuses on the FBI hunt for him and his life on the run, long after the bulk of his crimes had been committed. Johnny Depp portrays Dillinger in an attempt to go back to being a legitimate actor instead of a Disney puppet, and he fails miserably. This guy can be one hell of actor, when the role fits his personality, but John Dillinger does not. Depp is an emotionless mess of mumbled lines that almost completely destroy the film. Thankfully, Christian Bale was much better and far more interesting. Public Enemies had big expectations, an all-star cast, and a huge budget, but it turned out to be an average film. That's what had people so upset, because had this been an independent film, they would have been okay with it. The fact that Public Enemies was billed as the next Untouchables, but fails to deliver even a single memorable scene just destroys any credibility the film had going for it.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Snarkk

Dec 11, 2019

Plutôt lisse, voire fade par moments. C'est dommage, vu toute la ribambelle de poids lourds du cinéma engagés dans ce film. Malheureusement, la reconstitution historique sent vraiment la naphtaline arrosée de fantasmes. Les dialogues, quant à eux, sont à un niveau franchement abyssal, c'enPlutôt lisse, voire fade par moments. C'est dommage, vu toute la ribambelle de poids lourds du cinéma engagés dans ce film. Malheureusement, la reconstitution historique sent vraiment la naphtaline arrosée de fantasmes. Les dialogues, quant à eux, sont à un niveau franchement abyssal, c'en est désespérant.

Les acteurs semblent parfois en roue libre, comme s'ils trouvaient un moyen d'exister un peu au milieu du carcan étouffant de classicisme. Ah ça, on a de jolis plans ! Mais au final, qu'est-ce qu'on s'emmerde !… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

CydneyS.

Jul 2, 2009

Ridiculously violent.. dialogue too muddled to hear. What a waste of 140 minutes.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

feelmethere

Jul 1, 2009

This movie is not what I expected. I expected a good movie. I guess I'll just watch Juno again. The acting is extremely mechanical especially from Christian bale, he was the worst. There was nothing left at the end if the movie, I felt empty. Since the oscar has changed the best pictureThis movie is not what I expected. I expected a good movie. I guess I'll just watch Juno again. The acting is extremely mechanical especially from Christian bale, he was the worst. There was nothing left at the end if the movie, I felt empty. Since the oscar has changed the best picture nominees to ten movies I thought for sure this is gonna be one of them. If there's humanity in awards thus movie will be left alone, as it it should be. Wasn't worth my time. Just gave me a negative opinion. If this movie was Santa he'd be very hated.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful

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29	#29 Most Discussed Movie of 2009
34	#34 Most Shared Movie of 2009