Martin's Musings

During the Great Depression, John Dillinger gained national attention for his thrilling bank robberies. Hailed as a modern-day Robin Hood, Dillinger was slick, suave, and cool, and the media, while covering his violent crimes, also augmented his legend. Dillinger took money from the banks, but respected the common people, who were hurting financially. And despite the public’s love for his exploits, Dillinger hid from the feds right in plain sight. Michael Mann’s Public Enemies details the attempts by FBI agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) to capture Dillinger (Johnny Depp), and romanticizes the high-style life that Dillinger lived and the excitement of his robberies — with Dillinger often leaping over the counter and getting away from police by narrow margins. The movie is elegantly filmed at times, thrillingly told at others, and quite muscular in sound, what with all the heavy gunfire. It even has a heavy dose of authenticity, since much of it was filmed in the same locales the real-life Dillinger had visited.

If only the movie had more dramatic tension. Unlike some of Mann’s other films (like Heat and The Insider), the mano-a-mano just isn’t as compelling here. Depp, with his charisma, his confidence, and his charm pretty much runs away with the movie, and Bale never quite measures up as a worthy opponent. Even Oscar winner Marion Cotillard feels wasted in the thankless girlfriend role. In addition, there’s not enough character development, so as a result, we get to watch some cool robbery scenes, some good chases, and some fun prison breaks, but there’s not much more to the film, no real arc that makes us invest more in Dillinger and feel a sense of loss when he does eventually meet his end. I’m only going to give Public Enemies a B, because Depp’s always great fun to watch, but it’s a crime that this film doesn’t really make good on its promise.

No doubt the title of the new film (500) Days of Summer (which hits theaters in mid-July) has to sound like a bit of a fantasy for all of us here in Boston, where it’s been a pretty bad summer so far weather-wise, what with the rain and cooler temperatures that have lasted into late June.

The tough news to share is that this movie does not offer sunshine and warmth; it’s actually a bit of a cold shoulder.

But the good news is that should the weather stay miserable, (500) Days offers a decent alternative to walking around town with an umbrella. Continue reading →

It’s just another day in New York City when the message comes in that a subway car has been taken hostage. And so begins The Taking of Pelham 123, a remake of the 1974 film that starred Walter Matthau. In this update, Denzel Washington is subway dispatcher Walter Garber, and John Travolta is the mastermind behind the crime, a man who identifies himself only as “Ryder.” Also in a high-profile role is James Gandolfini, who plays the lame duck mayor and at one point says he won’t call a press conference because “I’m not running for president. I left my Giuliani suit at home.”

There were moments in this movie where I wished Washington and Travolta had switched roles, and where I wished Gandolfini was less of a caricature and more of a power player. Also, there were times where the plot and characters tried my patience — the kid and his girlfriend on their webcam, for example. But as summer popcorn movies go, Pelham is a fast-moving, effective thriller. Director Tony Scott infuses the movie with an urban feel that doesn’t get diluted by the big stars at the center. The film is very New York, and despite that, it’s a good time. I’m giving Pelham a solid B.

I’ve been to Las Vegas twice, but thankfully, I’ve never experienced anything quite as crazy as what you’ll see in The Hangover.

This movie — a sort-of cross between Very Bad Things and Dude, Where’s My Car? — is about a bachelor party gone very wrong, and how the morning after, three guys attempt to piece together what happened the night before (and find the groom, who has gone missing).

The unlikely trio of Bradley Cooper (Alias), Ed Helms (The Office), and Zach Galifianakis (Between Two Ferns) generate plenty of laughs — to spoil any of them would just be cruel, although there are a bunch of clips available on the web that ruin a few surprises.

No matter. Continue reading →