An internet conversation regarding Public Enemies.

Rick posted:

I don't know why, but the general consensus seems to be one of disappointment towards this movie. I'm not sure what people were expecting, but aside from an over reliance on steady cam shots and a preference for video vs film, both of which are among the few faults Mann has as a director, the movie delivered everything I expected from it, which was largely great performances by great actors as interested characters during a time period that I absolutely adore. Depp as always is phenomenal, which ironically, much like the Pirates movies, works to the films detriment. The movie absolutely shines when Depp is center stage and he looks like he is having an absolutely blast playing the legendary bank robber. However, he is so good that when he's not on screen you kind of sit there being bored until he comes back. It's not that the other actors and characters aren't interesting, it's that they are mostly FBI agents, and as usual the bad guys are just more fun to watch. The only other problem is that which every other historical drama comes across... you know how it's going to end. So despite all the fun you may have along the way, you know the character is in no real danger up until the end and then you know that it is all going to fall apart. Public Enemies is by no means a perfect movie, but for what it is, aside from Up, I think it might be the best movie that this summer is going to see.

I commented:

Besides UP? I would choose Star Trek over Public Enemies! It was a decent movie, but not amazing. It was disjointed and hard to follow. I'll start with the two-tone score: using an instrumental score through the movie, but also a banjo/bluegrass score? Also, the music didn't match in a couple of the scene, it totally distracted me. Michael Mann thought we knew way more than we did - I got the big ones, Babyface Nelson, Hoover, etc., but I don't think he really gave me the big picture about Dillinger. He gave me a year in the life. Which is the most exciting year, but...who knows? Maybe it's all I needed to know - but, it still made me curious. And finally, related to that note, Depp is a great actor by all means, but I don't think the movie gave Dillinger much depth at all - ("Deppth"???) - there were moments of blatant trying ("He is a man all alone") but it all felt too obvious and "said" as opposed to demonstrated or acted. This is where Mann surprised me - because he can make the best out of the inner emotional struggles of a person in The Insider, but Dillinger just seemed flat. All that said, it was entertaining and provided some good action and wry laughs. (AND COSTUMES!) I'd give it a B-.

Rick e-mailed me:

You're absolutely right, Star Trek was better than Public Enemies... though I still do think it is among the best movies we are going to see this summer, which is really more of a testament to how crappy this summer has been for movies than an endorsement of PE as a great film. Also there is a good chance that my opinion of the movie was artificially inflated as the last thing I saw was Transformers 2... now THAT is a movie with no character development.... at all...

I e-mailed him:

I can't believe you watched the hogwash that was Transformers 2. All I know is that I saw an article entitled "The Ten Biggest Plotholes in Transformers 2" - hahahaha! Because apparently it's not just ten. I mean, Public Enemies was a tad more enjoyable for me because I could look at the mug of Johnny Depp most of the time and be completely satisfied. But I have reason to believe Megan Fox (and her motorcycle humping derrier) couldn't do the same for Transformers 2.

That said - have you seen the preview for the new Diablo Cody written flick, "Jennifer's Body"? Starring M. Fox? It looks decent and also stars one of my Veronica Mars faves Lily (Amanda Seyfriend) and that old darling Adam Brody. Also, I may be mistaken but I think I also saw Beaver from V.Mars?

PS Kristen Bell has a twitter, FYI. (IMKristenBell) Except she already dropped a tweet with her bf's Dax's name in it and I can't believe she's still dating him. THAT IS ALL.

He replied:

This is my favorite "review" of transformers... wherein a guy interviews himself about the movie and hilarity ensues

I have indeed seen the Jennifer's Body trailer.... not sure what to think, it doesn't look terrible, but I hate Megan Fox, and I think Diablo Cody may have had a fluke with Juno... because the rest of her writing that I've been exposed to (which consists solely of her EW column) is not very good. But hey Brody and Seyfried may warrant a watch... and honestly when do I ever say no to going to the movies (see aforementioned Transformers 2)

All of my celebrity crushes let me down with their taste in men...

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And now all I can think is finally a dude who can say that Megan Fox blows chunks!

I've seen right through and underneath.

What a phenomenal weekend! The worst part? I basically have zero pictures from it - I was so taken with the entire weekend, there was no time to document it. But, I figure there's got to be a way to invigorate my post with something pretty to look at. And since I saw Public Enemies over the weekend, I think that something pretty will be Johnny Depp. So, there may be no relation between the words and the images in this post, but I dare you to complain.

On Thursday, Erica and I left for our Connecticut paradise, aka Catherine & Steve's house (her aunt and uncle). We arrived only to promptly head back out for Mexican and margaritas. And a grocery debacle.

In Connecticut, you can't buy alcohol past 9pm. After dinner, we went to a grocery store to pick up some BL Limes for the weekend, and it was nearing 9pm when the cashier began swiping our loot. One 12-pack scanned, followed in the next moment by the second 12-pack, which didn't scan. The cashier told us it had turned 9:01pm between scans and that we couldn't buy the second 12-pack because the register doesn't register alcohol after 9pm. Technology!

On Friday, Erica and I were leisurely in getting up, and spent most of the day in the sun and reading and drinking lots of water in premeditated hydration, and then Kells arrived! We handed her a hot dog and a drink and she joined us in our reveling. And then the sky clouded and we napped. (Seriously this is my idea of an awesome weekend, I kid you not.)

Soon more of Erica's family arrived, and we then gathered ourselves to go see Public Enemies. The movie wasn't all that brilliant - but what I could do for two hours is watch Johnny Depp, as he sometimes alludes my memory until I actually see him and then I remember how nice he is to look at. Back to the movie. It's interesting for all the weird one-line bit parts played by recognizable actors, but the the film itself felt disjointed both by its score and by what the writer/director thought the audience knew about John Dillinger. If anything, it made me want to read up on a little Dillinger history, because all I knew about him was that he was a bank robber in the '30s and there's a band called the Dillinger Escape Plan. He wasn't a figure deeply covered in my high school or college history books.

On Saturday morning, I was reunited with my true, unreplaceable number-one love Jesse, as he had flown in from San Diego on Friday night and took a train with Sean to join the festivities. We soon thereafter embarked on lawn games of bocce ball and bag toss! Our friends Lauren, Sam, and Jim drove in for the 4th of July celebrations, too! And there was a belated ice cream cake for Erica's birthday! And uno! And margaritas thanks to Steve and Catherine's purchase of a Margaritaville Margarita maker! And Apples to Apples! And delicious flank steak! And lots of other stuff that involved exclamation points!

We woke up on Sunday to a delicious cheesy breakfast casserole, and continued with lawn games, some Friday Night Lights season three (almost done, ALMOST)...and then we had to bid adieu...how sad, how sad. Luckily, Kells came via automobile and we got a ride home instead of having to deal with trains and subways!

So, I'm putting a thank you out to Erica, Catherine & Steve, Kells, all of Erica's family, Jesse for finally coming back for a good long while (yay!), and Johnny, thank you -