Public Enemies - not as bad as reported

[Pasquali56]

Finally caught this and enjoyed it. It's certainly no Bonnie and Clyde, but I was never bored. I don't understand why most everyone hated it.

[doubler83]

I saw it recently, too. I agree. Enjoyed it, never bored. Although Bale's accent was starting to grate on me by the end.

[THEUGLYDUCKLING]

i don't get it either, i liked this. it kind had that road to perdition feel. the problem i think, might have been is that people might not have liked johnny depp, he wasn't really likeable and to make this movie really work i had to like his character a little more.

[HLTassin]

I liked this movie also. I thought Depp was good, and I really enjoyed Christian Bale's performance as Melvin Purvis.

In a lot of ways Purvis's character was more interesting. I watched the Bonus deal at the end of the movie, and was suprised to see that the case really broke the man and that he later took his own life.

Despite the accent, I would have liked to see more of Purvis.

[Signal30]

I didn't see the movie, but I recall my grandmother (who grew up then) telling me that Dillinger was more of a folk hero than public enemy, least to a lot of folks during that era.

So, yeah... I can see where coming off of that might have harshed Purvis' mellow.

[snwrist]

Good film. In my top ten of 2009, albeit on the lower end. Don't understand the backlash either.

[Pasquali56]

For what it's worth, I also enjoyed Cinderella Man, another movie in the same era. I know many didn't care for it, either.

[Biohazard]

I agree with Bill Martell.

[wcmartell]

I think there's a major difference between seeing something in a cinema and at home. In a cinema there is nothing else but the movie - nothing else to look at, no one to talk to, no other noises or things that allow your mind to wander. You can't glance over at something in your house or even the clock or wonder what your SO is doing in the kitchen - you only have that movie, so if it isn't involving 100% of every minute, you get bored easier than if you are at home. You can't hit "pause" and pee... you have to hold it.

So a movie at home often seems better than it did in the cinema.

Not to mention - I think digitally shot movies look better on a home screen than on a massive cinema screen, where every freakin' pore on everyone's face shows in perfect detail and hot women often look kinda normal.

My biggest problem was that there is a version that is a million times better out there already... and it was made as a junky low budget movie by AIP.

- Bill

[Signal30]

That's why I didn't bother... I like Johnny Depp, but he sure the hell is no Warren Oates. I didn't need to see it to know he couldn't be believable trying to play Depression era.