Keep your friends close, and your Public Enemies closer

FYI if my enemy was Johnny Depp, I would be keeping him mighty close. I’ve been quite the inattentive blogging parent lately so I thought it was about time I gave some well deserved attention to a film that has been on my radar for a while. Public Enemies is a gangster flick, in essence, about the Feds as they try to take down notorious American gangsters John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd during a booming crime wave in the 1930s. Directed by Michael-I-can-do-no-cinematic-wrong-Mann, the Public Enemies trailer looks sensational (you can view here). Johnny Depp plays the leader of the gang, smooth talker John Dillinger and faces off against Christian Bale’s character Melvin Purvis, who is the federal agent in charge of bringing him down. Two of our generations strongest leading men are supported by a great cast with Channing Tatum as Pretty Boy Floyd, Billy Crudup (aka Dr Manhattan from Watchmen) playing J. Edgar Hoover, Ediath Piaf reincarnate Marion Colliard as Dilinger’s love interest, along with David Wenham, Giovanni Ribisi and Aussie fav Emile De Ravin in another strong career move. Based on true events, Mann looks like he has captured the stylish 30s vibe perfectly and Depp and Bale look like they’re performances are ball clenching. Another element, which is sure to be a standout, is the complex script and engaging plot. Mann has proved time and time again with films he has produced, written and directed (such as Collateral, Ali and The Last Of The Mohicans) that his best results are when he has his finger in every pie. Public Enemies is out in Oz on July 2 and I’m pipping this one early as a 2010 all-round Oscar contender.