Public Enemies (2009)
TOMATOMETER
AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic Consensus: Michael Mann's latest is a competent and technically impressive gangster flick with charismatic lead performances, but some may find the film lacks truly compelling drama.
Public Enemies Videos & Photos
Movie Info
Based on author Bryan Burrough's ambitious tome Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-43, director Michael Mann's sprawling historical crime drama follows the efforts of top FBI agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale ) in capturing notorious bank robber John Dillinger. A folk hero to the American public thanks to his penchant for robbing the banks that many people believed responsible for the Great Depression, charming bandit Dillinger (Johnny Depp) was … More
| Rating: | R (for gangster violence and some language) |
| Genre: | Drama, Action & Adventure |
| Directed By: | Michael Mann |
| Written By: | Michael Mann, Ronan Bennett, Ann Biderman, Mark St. Germain |
| In Theaters: | Jul 1, 2009 Wide |
| On DVD: | Dec 8, 2009 |
| Box Office: | $97.0M |
| Runtime: |
People Who Like this movie also like
Cast
as John Dillinger
as Melvin Purvis
as Billie Frechette
as J. Edgar Hoover
as "Pretty Boy" Floyd
as "Baby Face" Nelson
as Alvin Karpis
as John "Red" Hamilton
as Charles Winstead
as Homer Van Meter
as Harry "Pete" Pierpon...
as Agent Carter Baum
as Barbara Patzke
as Agent John Madala
as Martin Zarkovich
as Gerry Campbell
as Louis Piquett
as Clarence Hurt
as Anna Sage
as Phil D'Andrea
as Warden Baker
as Gilbert Catena
as Frank Nitti
as Carol Slayman
as Water Dietrich
as Charles Makley
as Turnkey
as Ed Shouse
as Jim Lesley
as Earl Adams
as Guard Dainard
as Viola Norris
as Sheriff Lillian Holl...
as Agent Warren Barton
as Police Chief Fultz
as Oscar Lieboldt
as Harry Berman
as Grover Weyland
as Farmer
as Officer Chester Boya...
as Senator McKellar
as Harry Suydam
as Clyde Tolson
as Angry Cop
as Torch Singer
as Agent Sam Cowley
as Agent Julius Rice
as Agent William Rorer
as Agent Hugh Clegg
as Agent Harold Reineck...
as Agent William Rorer
as Doris Rogers
as May Minczeles
as Helen Gillis
as Tommy Carroll
as Cop Eyman
as Robert Estill
as Deputy
as Herbert Youngblood
as Judge Murray
as Sam Cahoon
as Edward Saager
as Harry Berg
as Jacob Solomon
as Joe Pawlowski
as Emil Wanatka
as Agent Ray Suran
as Agent Ralph Brown
as Jimmy Probasco
as Freddie Barker
as Doc Barker
as Polly Hamilton
as Irene the Ticket Tak...
as Captain O'Neill
as Agent Sopsic
as Ella Natasky
as Doctor
as Sport
as Teller
as Doorman at Gold Coas...
as Oscar Lieboldt
Friend Ratings
No Friends? Inconceivable! Log in to see what your friends have to say.
LoginCritic Reviews for Public Enemies
All Critics (265) | Top Critics (49) | Fresh (180) | Rotten (85) | DVD (9)
The reflection of pink neon off the crimson silk of a lawman's tie as he stands in wait under the Biograph marquee; a patch of sodium-vapor orange city sky above a bridge as magnetic and floating as a square in a Rothko canvas...
The desperate times in which we suddenly find ourselves ... make Public Enemies seem especially timely.
A quiet, thoughful, almost dreamy meditation on violence, on work, on love and on death. It's The Insider with tommy guns.
On a sweltering July day in 1934, John Dillinger went to the movies and ended up dead. Now, 75 years later, the movies are killing him again.
It's looking more and more like Michael Mann will never be able to recapture that Heat hotness.
Instead of glamorizing the early 20th century thug life, it humanizes it a little too much. This drags the movie down and is not the reason I like to go see gangster movies.
Audience Reviews for Public Enemies
Great cast, great action. Excellent gangster movie took me back to the Untouchables. One of my all time favorites ..
Super Reviewer
Public Enemies is the story of infamous depression era bank robber John Dillinger who became a kind of mythic Robin Hood style figure in the eyes of the poverty stricken American public of the time. Johnny Depp and Christian Bale starring in a legendary true-life gangster story directed by the man who brought us Heat? Nothing could possibly go wrong, could it?? Errrrm...evidently, yes it could. Once again, as always seems to be the case with over-hyped Hollywood blockbusters, the script is the usual suspect when assigning blame for missed opportunities. We all know what Depp and Bale are capable of, but here they have so little to work with its difficult for me to find fault with them. The film is basically just a series of beautifully shot shoot outs and jail breaks loosely strung together by a skeletal plot involving next to no character depth or development. We know nothing about their motives or how they reached this point in their lives and seem to have no meaningful relationships with any of the supporting characters. The visual side of things cannot really be faulted however and the set pieces are expertly handled by Mann, but the shadow of the infinitely superior Heat looms over the entire proceedings. 10/10 for style, but 5/10 for substance.
Super Reviewer
Nice to finally see Johnny Depp not in a weird/cooky role. The film had a lot of action and a great story even though it was pretty lengthy. The fact that it's based on real people and events makes it all the better.
Super Reviewer
Public Enemies Quotes
| John Dillinger: | My ass. |
| John Dillinger: | We're having too good a time today. We ain't thinking about tomorrow. |
| John Dillinger: | Bye-bye, blackbird. |
| John Dillinger: | [nodding at money left by a bank teller in front of his booth] You can put it away. Not here for your money. Here for the bank's money. |
Discussion Forum
Discuss Public Enemies on our Movie forum!
