Public Enemies

I like Michael Mann's films.  Heat, Collateral and The Last of the Mohicans are some of my all-time favorites.  While I can't say Public Enemies is, I can definitely say I liked it.

I do have a couple of gripes with it, though.  The first is Christian Bale, which is tough for me to admit since I like him.  While it's nice to see him step out of the Bruce Wayne/John Conner action hero role, I feel like his talents were ultimately wasted on his portrayal of Melvin Purvis.  He plays him as a passionless, rather bland man.  If Purvis really was as dull as Bale played him, then I feel like any other actor could have taken his place.  This ties in with my other complaint with the movie, which is that none of the characters have much personality.  Johnny Depp has enough charisma to make up for it with Dillinger, but everyone else feels like cardboard cutouts of old gangster movie characters.

Criticism aside, Public Enemies is an enjoyable movie.  The acting is sufficient, the story is solid, and it holds your attention.  It has a bit more soul than the average popcorn flick, but it falls short of being a favorite.  Worth a watch every now and then.