Starring Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard, and Billy Crudup
Written by Ronan Bennett and Michael Mann & Ann Biderman
Directed by Michael Mann
Written by Ronan Bennett and Michael Mann & Ann Biderman
Directed by Michael Mann
I don't even know where to begin. There's hardly anything I liked about this movie.
The acting felt phoned in by all. Depp is notorious 1930s bank robber John Dillinger, and Bale is the government guy that wants to stop him. Cotillard is the annoying, irritating girlfriend of Dillinger, who, for some reason falls in love the bank robber despite the fact that the movie doesn't explain why. All three of these stars were bland beyond bland. While Depp and Bale were okay, Cotillard was awful (and she's the one with the Oscar!). Any scene between her and Depp made me want to fall asleep.
The movie is just so incredibly flat. Nothing really happens over 145 minutes. The final climax is a complete dud...and it drags on for an eternity. You would think that bank robbery scenes would be exciting, but every single robbery scene was shot in the same exact way by director Mann and his cinematographer, Dante Spinotti. Now, I don't usually call out anyone other than the director or the writer in my posts, but the cinematographer in this deserves a beating and Mann deserves one, too, for allowing this travesty to be shot this way on film. The modern-day handheld shooting may have been a "cool" juxtaposition against the 1930s story, but seemingly EVERY SINGLE SHOT is either (a) shaky or (b) an extreme close-up. I'd like to see whole faces to see facial expressions sometimes, not just an eye, folks!
Pretty much everything about this I hated...the musical score by Elliot Goldenthal was horrendous. The editing by Jeffrey Ford and Paul Rubell was heinous. The only thing that saves this movie from complete failure (yes, I hated it that much) is the stuff like the costuming, set design, and art direction. And even then, they were nothing special.
Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this, but this is far and away the most disappointing flick of the summer for me. I've seen worse, but at least Year One knew how bad it was...at least I think it did (how can it not?). This one thought it was something special, but it disappointed me how awful it was.
The acting felt phoned in by all. Depp is notorious 1930s bank robber John Dillinger, and Bale is the government guy that wants to stop him. Cotillard is the annoying, irritating girlfriend of Dillinger, who, for some reason falls in love the bank robber despite the fact that the movie doesn't explain why. All three of these stars were bland beyond bland. While Depp and Bale were okay, Cotillard was awful (and she's the one with the Oscar!). Any scene between her and Depp made me want to fall asleep.
The movie is just so incredibly flat. Nothing really happens over 145 minutes. The final climax is a complete dud...and it drags on for an eternity. You would think that bank robbery scenes would be exciting, but every single robbery scene was shot in the same exact way by director Mann and his cinematographer, Dante Spinotti. Now, I don't usually call out anyone other than the director or the writer in my posts, but the cinematographer in this deserves a beating and Mann deserves one, too, for allowing this travesty to be shot this way on film. The modern-day handheld shooting may have been a "cool" juxtaposition against the 1930s story, but seemingly EVERY SINGLE SHOT is either (a) shaky or (b) an extreme close-up. I'd like to see whole faces to see facial expressions sometimes, not just an eye, folks!
Pretty much everything about this I hated...the musical score by Elliot Goldenthal was horrendous. The editing by Jeffrey Ford and Paul Rubell was heinous. The only thing that saves this movie from complete failure (yes, I hated it that much) is the stuff like the costuming, set design, and art direction. And even then, they were nothing special.
Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this, but this is far and away the most disappointing flick of the summer for me. I've seen worse, but at least Year One knew how bad it was...at least I think it did (how can it not?). This one thought it was something special, but it disappointed me how awful it was.
The RyMickey Rating: D-
Ok, I was waiting for this review. I have been excited to see this film since I heard about it.... it was pretty dissapointing! I watched a fabulous show on the history channel months ago about Dillinger that told all kinds of great details, none of which were in the film. Depp was still fun to look at though :-)
ReplyDeleteI was hoping you'd respond.
ReplyDeleteIt was just really all kinds of boring to me. Admittedly, I know nothing beyond the basics about anything relating to Dillinger/Baby Face Nelson, etc. But this movie made Dillinger seem like a completely unexciting guy.
I was (obviously) very disappointed.
Film...digital...it's still shit either way...
ReplyDeleteAargh! I'm still incredibly angry at this movie...it's not even that I expected a lot, but I expected something and got nothing.
It seemed like they just shot all these blah scenes and put them together and called it a day. Nothing, not even the big shoot out scene, was all that exciting. It made me sad :-( I'm gonna be pretty pissed if the new Alice in Wonderland sucks it too.
ReplyDeleteI saw the special again on tv last night. Still better then the movie. Just ordered a book about the women of the Dillinger gang. Should be interesting!
I agree with the unexciting thing, Sheri...
ReplyDeleteThe new Alice in Wonderland, based on the few pictures I've seen of it, looks like one trippy movie...I'm looking forward to it, too.