Despite its run time of nearly 2 1/2 hours, by the end of Public Enemy you don’t care about any of its characters.  Marion Cotillard, a talented actress, struggles to bring humanity to a romantic interest that just isn’t interesting enough to root for.  Depp looks sexy, as expected, in the brilliant costumes designed by Colleen Atwood, but again - as charming as his Dillinger is, it’s the same chorus again and again. 

Once you pass the 45-minute mark of the film, it’s just noise.  The next scene feels like the last one - lacking any humanity to keep you engaged - yet drags on for another hour and a half.  By the end, the watches in the audience were as tired from overuse as the viewers themselves of watching the same scene - where you think Dillinger’s going to get caught, narrowly escapes, another friend picked off by his side. 

Technically, the movie is solid.  Dante Spinotti‘s cinematography is beautifully lit, and the often handheld camerawork puts you in the world well. 

Despite her struggles to bring dimension to a dimensionless role, Cotillard does succeed to be cute and charming.  Thank God for that.  In the hands of a lesser actress, it would have really destroyed the film’s watchability.  Depp is Depp; his charisma is enough.  Bale is solid as the relentless cop, Billy Crudup has great fun with J.Edgar Hoover, and the supporting cast is studded by stars who accept very small roles (Channing Tatum, Giovanni Ribisi, Leelee Sobieski).

Michael Mann, one of my favorite directors, falls flat here - due largely to a weak script.  Every film can’t be The Insider...