Public Enemies - A Review

Dir: Michael Mann
Star: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard


Comparisons with 1995's Heat are inevitable with this film. One of Michael Mann's most acclaimed films, a crime saga with two big A-list actors playing big characters on opposite sides of the law who only actually meet in one scene. All of that still applies, including hopefully the acclaim, however Public Enemies is also a lot more.

Set in 1933, Public Enemies is set in the midst of the great crime sprees that precipitated the formation of the FBI. It's a true story adapted from a book by Bryan Burroughs and amongst all the cops, agents, gangsters and bank robbers, it follows John Dillinger (Depp) as the man who stood out the most. Dillinger was suave, cool and played on it all.

He was a media icon and a bank robber. He watched his headlines and played up to the press. Remember this was in the Depression, everybody was angry with the fat cat bankers and then, as now, the capitalist temple of the bank was seen as ripe for defilement.

Dillinger was a poster boy of crime, seen as an almost Robin Hood kind of figure and Depp is the perfect man to play him. I can't think of any other actor who combines the same sense of "live-for-the-moment" fun, with suave self-assured cool in quite the way Depp, and indeed Dillinger, does.

Melvin Purvis is the F.B.I agent who heads the task force to bring in Dillinger who, by this time, is Public Enemy #1. Played by Bale, the character doesn't have as much to do as Dillinger and although Bale handles it well, bringing across an air of confidence, sometime frustration and calm (also it’s nice to see him acting without the Bat-voice for change - it really was too much in Terminator), he never gets the emotional sweep that Depp is able to provide.

Depp is a brilliant actor, even without mascara and a funny hat, and films like this one prove it. If he's not up for some awards for this film then there better be some damned good movies still to come before the next award season.

The 1930's setting is well carried off and Mann's techniques, though jarring slightly with the aesthetic of the film and creating a sense of anachronism (the shaky-cam in shoot outs and cool electric guitar music over the bank robbery entrances spring to mind) they only add to the film, emphasising the sense of showman ship and cool. The shootouts in particular look reminiscent of footage taken on real shootouts in urban Iraq, very raw footage and sound, with a low slightly wavering camera, like a journalist who's cowering from the bullets.

It's a long film but I don't think it feels like it, nothing seems superfluous, the plot is very tight and though I wouldn't rely on it for a history test (the chronology of certain events - notably the deaths - is a little off) it creates a genuine seeming experience and pushes all the right buttons at all the right times. Well directed and well acted, superbly in Depp's case. In a summer of sequels, remakes and reboots this is an original film that far from being a Heat 2 is a brilliant piece of cinema and highly recommended.

9/10

Transformers: Revence of the Fallen - Review

Dir: Michael Bay
Star: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Peter Cullen, Hugo Weaving.

I just want to point out that I'm a fan of the first movie. Normally I hate Michael Bay and have never subscribed to "awesomeness = tits and blowing shit up" that seems to be his cinematic philosophy but the first film had just the right balance of crazy action sequences (this was a movie about giant transforming robots beating the crap out of each other remember so I EXPECT action), light hearted comedic relief and intrigue. This film had none of that.

No, that's not right, it had all of it (well except the intrigue) but just not in the right proportions. There's more action, more "comic" relief, more robots, more explosions, a grander scope with more locations. So why was it so dull?! The pacing was terrible. The action sequences were instantly forgettable (a possible exception being an Optimus Prime with two swords versus the entire Deceptacon force in a wood - that was quite good), the finale was a mixture of dragged out pointless moments and rushed important bits.

The coolest characters are sidelined for the annoyingly unfunny comic relief ones (the Twins, oh GOD the Twins - racial stereotype ghetto robots!). There's no sense that anyone is ever in danger (too many people come back from the dead in this film!). The Geography is questionable, the history is laughable (I can accept alien influence inspiring the Pyramids of whatever but what this film suggests in inside them - and that nobody noticed...?), the dodgy British accents, the many MANY pointless characters who could have been cut altogether without impacting the film AT ALL! (that includes the titular Fallen). Megan Fox looks terrible throughout and the rest of the cast fail to make be believe even a moment of it. Too many Baywatch-style slow mo moment (slow-mo is useful in the robot on robot fights as it lets you admire the admirable work ILM have done - I'll be fair the robots DO look amazing and you do almost forget that the best actors and characters in this film aren't even real and were never on set).

No this film is too long, incomprehensibly shot, woodenly acted and just plain stupid but its greatest sin is that it's BORING! The first film was anything but.

I normally advise people go see mediocre sequels just on the off chance they like it more than I do, or just to get closure or whatever, but this film does nothing, is nothing and offers nothing. It's a waste of time and money, ours and the people who made it.

SCORE: 2/10

Tetris DS

Tetris. It's an institution, especially for Nintendo's handheld consoles. Anybody of around our age who held a Gameboy at some point (and I mean the big clunky grey ones) probably played it at some point. Even if you missed that little cultural watershed you can't fail but be aware of the premise of the game and the simple joy stacking these little bricks to make lines can create.


Even those who don't really "get" computer games, or understand the attraction of a puzzle can sit and play tetris for a good few minutes and become entranced by the rotating falling bricks and their ever increasing speed. How many people are with me in recognising the frustration of needing that long thin piece and all you keep getting are the L shapes that aren't quite long enough. Or the anger you feel when a 2x2 square comes down just at the moment when you don't have any surfaces for it to sit on without leaving gaps.

No, there's no question that tetris was going to be fun when re-released on the Nintendo DS, the question was how were they going to justify a £29.99 price tag for a game that can now be found bundled on disposable keyring games, mobile phones and even iPods.

So what have we got? Well you've got the normal mode which is basically a brightly coloured version of the original with (if you have time to tear your eyes away from the bricks) an automated demo of a Mario game playing across the top screen with Mario classic tunes for accompaniment. Each time you get ten lines you go up a level and the speed of the game increases, the music and Mario level also changes. It's quite nifty.

The new stuff comes in the form of an assortment of different takes on the classic from the Legend of Zelda themed Mission Mode (tasks include: "clear two lines with a 2x2" or use a "blue L to clear all blocks"), Donkey Kong themed Push where two games play on opposing screens and literally push the other persons game closer to game over, this has a vs. Computer mode but is best played in multiplayer. Touch mode themed around the lesser known Balloon Flight asks you to use the stylus to drag and drop blocks from a vast tower to reach the cage of balloons at the top. Of all the modes this seems the most original and fresh, fittingly different and obviously unique to the DS's touch screen capabilities.

The final two modes are Catch Mode which is based on the Metroid game, it's a little weird, you rotate a core of blocks and catch the falling ones adding them to your core which resets when you get enough without gaps. Miss some, accidentally hit the falling Metroids or touch the top or bottom of the screen and its good night Vienna. Finally there's Puzzle Mode which is themed around the game Yoshi's Cookie. This game gives you, for example, 3 bricks and a predetermined mess of already dropped bricks and then asks you to clear it all up. It's harder than you think.

Add in a very good multiplayer, including much loved 1-card short range play (meaning anyone with a DS and within a certain range can play with you and you only need one copy of the game) and you certainly seem to have a lot crammed onto the little cart, except that you really don't.

The only downside to this game is that for the price tag I'd like to see more extras. The only unlockable features are a few new soundtracks, great as they are its not enough. There is little incentive for me to play the other modes and I keep coming back to the classic or Standard mode.

I imported this game (saving a bundle) via eBay, I have to say I do love it and it's already absorbed a lot of my time. For the money I paid I'm happy but if I had paid the full £30 price tag I think I would have expected a little bit more.

Nevertheless the falling bricks are as addictive and compelling as ever. If you DO like tetris or puzzle games in general there is little wrong with this game at all.

Overall Score: 8.5 / 10