Fun list. And glad Reign of Fire is included; that film is so underrated.

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Is Christian Bale Overrated?

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Chronicling the last years of the famed robber, Mann relies on his particular flavor of filming, usually involving tight, staticky shots and unstable framing — a technique that creates an air of intimate frenzy. The style works quite effectively in his previous crime dramas like Heat, Collateral and Miami Vice; but in Public Enemies, it feels wholly opposed to the ’30s environment and tone. In Miami Vice (2006), for instance, the filming has a nimble, citizen journalist-like finish to it that audiences can easily digest considering today’s technology and the modern setting and subject matter of the film. But taking that sensibility into a period piece like Public Enemies gives you a sense that this is perhaps footage from someone’s hand-held that was on set that day. The scenes feel like behind-the-scenes, which in turn, never give you a real opportunity to immerse yourself in the environment, story and characters. That’s not John Dillinger, that’s Johnny Depp in a fedora.

And even though I now know that Christian Bale has better pores than Johnny Depp, I have little sense of Dillinger’s 1930′s. Mann spends so much of his film staring characters in the face. Not only is his filming technique misplaced, but so too is what he chooses to film. Audiences need to feel that they’ve been taken back 70 years. An extended smirk from Depp or a dull stare from Bale doesn’t effect this journey back. Paradoxically, Mann’s short-range style of filming gives you a feeling of great distance from the actual story.

This is a sad fact, since John Dillinger’s story is a pretty interesting one. The notorious bank robber of the early 1930′s, also know as the “Jackrabbit,” Dillinger was regarded as a modern-day Robin Hood who hit nearly two dozen banks and escaped from jail on more than one occasion. Mann’s film appears to hit many of the pivotal moments of Dillinger’s last years, and Depp characteristically does the role justice. Nothing remarkable by any stretch, mind you; that is if you don’t compare him to Bale, who plays the lead FBI agent after Dillinger, Melvin Purvis. As our recent poll on the site indicated, Bale’s appeal may be wearing thin. Mann’s fixated takes do Bale no favors, and cause him to come off flatter than a stack of flap-jacks. The only member of the extensive cast (which includes Channing Tatum, Billy Crudup, Giovanni Ribisi, David Wenham and more) that stands out is Marion Cotillard as Dillinger’s girlfriend. Cotillard manages to avoid the film’s shortfalls and imbue some genuine depth and color in her character.

Historical grounding and a banner cast, however, doesn’t save Public Enemies from being a pretty ordinary affair. Mann is better suited to modern-day dramas that allow him greater license to craft his particular tone and environment. You expect a story such as Dillinger’s to carry a certain gravity and perspective. If you’re looking for a film that does that well, go rent The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. The two films have fairly parallel tracks, both tracing the final years of their respective notorious robber. The differences in quality, however, are striking. Public Enemies will certainly outdo Jesse James at the box office, but the latter film should sit above it on your list of most wanted.

It probably goes without saying that T2 was the best of the Terminator movies to date. Somewhere between the action sequences, the character development, and Linda Hamilton’s bulging biceps, nirvana was found. However, McG has created a fine addition to the series in Terminator Salvation, though he does explosive heat better than burning heart.

To read the rest of Tim’s review, hop on over to Metro Weekly, where his article is currently running.

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Obviously, The Dark Knight’s intensity is enhanced by the incredible performance of the late Heath Ledger. His ability in Brokeback Mountain is something else. His turn here is almost too wicked for words. Put plainly, Ledger’s Joker is one of the most frightening, smart and well-played villains ever. Ever. Believe me when I say I’m not being hyperbolic – it’s just unavoidable. What makes Ledger’s clown so amazing is the sheer awareness and purity he brings to the role. The Joker isn’t a bad guy, so much as a perfect, un-bargaining force of chaos and anarchy. And he knows it. Throughout much of the film, the Joker delivers some of the best existential answers I’ve ever heard. “He’s like a dog chasing a car. He’ll chase it forever, but wouldn’t know what to do if he catches it.” The Joker is that unwavering and motivated. He simply follows his instincts for mayhem and disorder. Ledger not only disappeared into the Joker (as many reports have lauded), but he also caused the Joker to disappear into unmeasurable destructive purity.

What makes The Dark Knight so compelling is the mind-wrangling dichotomy of Batman and the Joker. Despite their near super-human abilities and diametrically opposed natures, neither wants to kill the other. Batman cannot premeditatedly take a life, while the Joker won’t destroy his only worthy adversary (or play thing). In essence, the two exist because of each other. Congrats to Christian Bale for stepping up his game, then, and bringing a new brooding quality to Gotham’s protector that is complementary to Ledger’s performance. Batman grapples with his own character, battling his obligations to the city, what it means to be a hero, and how to handle someone who is his complete antithesis, physically and mentally. Both have a rage that motivates them, but in entirely different ways.
Speaking of opposites side of the same coin, sitting smack between the two is Harvey Dent played by the very capable Aaron Eckhart. While Batman and the Joker remain on their respective sides of good and bad, Dent manifests what it’s like for someone to shift, painfully, from one side to the other. As Dent gains political prominence in Gotham, Batman begins to retreat from the spotlight as the city’s hero. Dent is poised to be the shining knight of Gotham – that is until the Joker systematically breaks the optimistic crime-fighter down, poisoning him with resentment, anger and the desire to act. It shouldn’t come as a spoiler that Harvey Dent eventually becomes the villain Two-Face. If you look at the moral poles of the film and Dent’s inner turmoil, the division of his face takes on a wonderfully complex meaning. The Dark Knight is riddled with so many intellectual wells like this, you’ll be dissecting the film for hours.

The Dark Knight certainly has a dark shadow cast over it because of Ledger’s death. However, I would venture to say that seeing him in one of the last roles of his career is almost a fleeting concern. The truth is, it’s not Ledger in the film. The young actor delivers such a dark, forceful and complete performance that you don’t discern the actor behind the make-up, but rather see only the hypnotic chaos within. There is not enough that can be said of Ledger’s performance, and yet, at the same time, there are no words. But to be fair, Ledger is just one part of the film. At two-and-a-half hours, believe me when I tell you the The Dark Knight feels short. Everything from the supporting cast (Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine) to the cinematography to the score come together to create a thick, poetic and realistic drama unlike any other. Well done, Christopher Nolan! Well done!