Public Enemies (R16)
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A skilful rendering of a story about a popular outlaw caught in a vice between two opposite forces – a grimly determined federal agent (Christian Bale) and organised crime which increasingly saw him as a threat – and caught out by his own bravado and cockiness.
Focusing on the last two years of Dillinger's life, it also depicts how a nightclub coat-check girl (Marion Cotillard) became the love of his life.
While captivating in performance and production, this crime drama is ultimately an example of surface shine concealing a hollow centre.
There's plenty of action (jailbreaks, pursuits and gun battles) but this tale of gangsters and G-men, tommyguns and crimebusting, seldom connects emotionally.
Dillinger remains a mystery as the movie concentrates on his public persona but doesn't speculate on what made him tick. It's this detachment from understanding Dillinger that stops a good gangster movie from possibly being a great one.
- Reviewed by David Manning; DVDs for review supplied by United Video, Nelson.
- © Fairfax NZ News
