Public Enemies

Michael Mann has always been ahead of his time. From his near-invention of the MTV aesthetic through to his formally audacious feature films, he has continually pushed the envelope. HD has become his latest obsession, something at the heart of all that is right and wrong about Public Enemies. Another take on the story of John Dillinger (Depp), the digital photography creates a palpable sense of realism unseen in period films. Once the novelty’s worn off, however, we’re left with a story and imagery that are monotonous, colourless and unimaginative, with underdeveloped characters and surprisingly little style (the constant close-ups and low level lighting can be scarily YouTube). As a result, the action scenes are unexciting and the allegorical elements fall flat. But there’s at least an hour of good stuff here, from Billy Crudup’s ferocious turn as J. Edgar Hoover, to a final reel up there with Mann’s best work.