Mix feelings resulted after my initial viewing of Public Enemies a few weeks ago. On the one hand, Johnny Depp gave a stand-out performance, and on the other hand the movie’s central feature of heavy artillery tired me endlessly. Gun-lovers with a reverence for violence will pee their pants with excitement, but the sissy pacifist within me was just a tad overwhelmed by the excessive bullets.

Of course, what was I expecting right? The film’s called “Public Enemies” and it’s a story about John Dillinger, infamous bank robber/tabloid fodder running from an FBI squad determined to take him down. Merciless machine guns were to be expected. Anything less would’ve been too civilized. Fair enough. That’s not even my main complaint, it’s just a simple observation on our culture’s obsession with violence – but that’s a whole other topic, reserved for a whole other time.

Let’s just get straight to the core of Public Enemies, starting with the highest point: Johnny Depp. The movie should’ve just been called “John Dillinger” because every memorable scene happened when he was in it – the elaborate bank robberies, the ingenious prison escapes, the awesome line recitals (”They ain’t tough enough, smart enough or fast enough. I can hit any bank I want, any time. They got to be at every bank, all the time.”) The tone and inflection in that phrase alone is a testament to his incredible talent. The man just oozes coolness with every stride and every smirk taking the charismatic attitude to a whole new altitude.

This is by far Johnny Depp’s best performance. The movie shines whenever he takes front and center – where he displays his gifts of charm and his deliciously seductive appeal, his smooth coolness and the way he effortlessly wins over supporters – including the press, the public (the irony) and of most importance, his lady love Billie Frechette played by Marion Cotillard, as seen in the captivating restaurant scene. Badboys are actually the antithesis of what I like, but even I could not deny Johnny D if he came on to me the way he did to her. Honestly, who wouldn’t want to be JD’s girl?

Others have stated that Depp and Cotillard lacked any true chemistry which I found hard to believe, considering their love-story was among the more interesting angles as well as the most magical. They had a spark that lit up my eyes whenever they appeared on screen – and this is apart from their superior good-looks. A friend of mine found Cotillard’s acting questionable, considering her Oscar-winning status, but I blame it on the awkward script – (”When my boyfriend finds out what you did to me, you’re going to be in big trouble.”) and then she says “fat boy”, and the whole thing came off sounding kind of silly. But Cotillard admirably injected both innocence and strength into the central female character, a coat-check girl who suddenly finds herself in the heart of John Dillinger’s notoriety.

I was originally excited for this movie because of Christian Bale, because he never disappoints, and he certainly did not as Melvin Purvis. But honestly, all I kept thinking was “outta the way, you!” (The way Homer Simpson said it when he pushes aside that little lamb) Bale was great as always, but his character was just too wooden, too naive, too spineless and too forthright to be admired. That is, until the end of the interrogation scene, when Melvin is guided by compassion instead of ruthless determination. Of course one can’t blame Christian for Melvin’s character, and from the viewer’s perspective, Melvin is not the man we root for, because our spirit lies with Johnny’s survival. The funny pants he wore won’t win him any points either.

Which leads me another point altogether – the period pieces were quite astounding – the costumes, the cars, the set, the aesthetics all came to life under the skilled instruction of Mr. Mann. The camera will be (has been) a source of contention among many film-goers and critics primarily for its HD-in-your-face clarity. Personally, at times I felt like I was watching one of those British television dramas. The ones that would prompt me to quickly change the channel. But I eventually got used to the technique and I appreciate the insider-like glimpse into the fast life of Mr. Dillinger.

I’m not qualified to judge the artistic merits of the movie, but I am able to subjectively assess whether it was enjoyable, and while I could endlessly praise Johnny’s presence, it wasn’t enough to catapult the movie into classic status. The truth is, I got bored. It’s as simple as that. I just lost interest. It peaked then it plateau’d, it delighted then it dragged. And somewhere between this beefed up bio of the intriguing, albeit seemingly fictional man, I got lost in a blaze of fierce firework and fire-cracker-like bullets.

Michael Mann was obviously very ambitious and confident in his ability to recreate, or retell Dillinger’s ill-fated tale. For the most part, it’s all very entertaining and fully-engaging. But something was missing. The entire project was a big under-taking with big stars, big guns and big egos. But where the film shines with star power, it dulls with drab dialogue. I can’t help but feel that it could have used a little more conversation and a little less ammunition – a little more soul and little less rock and roll.

My motivation’s been M.I.A lately even though Blockbuster season is in full swing. It just feels kind of pointless to write anything worth reading when you’re pretty certain your audience base is smaller than the latest iPod incarnate.

But I think I’ve been submerged in self-pity long enough – there’s no point in stalling anymore. I mean, hey, YOU’RE reading this right? And that’s all that matters . Plus, the movie-viewing world needs my opinions or the motion picture industry as we know it will collapse. So I’m back.

Okay, I’m kind of lying. I actually have to credit the lack of updates to my feelings on Terminator. I saw it not too long ago but I couldn’t figure out exactly what I wanted to say about it.

How do you approach a movie that you’ve waited so long to see, but were severely let down by? How do you evaluate the performance of your favorite actor who’s image is now obviously tarnished by an infamous incident on the set of said film? What do you do when you don’t want to criticize a movie that pretty much sucked quite badly? Well, a fair critic would objectively analyze the film, pointing out its flaws and defending its merits. But as you know, I’m not really a film critic…

So here’s my completely biased, pseudo-review of Terminator: Salvation.

Christian Bale was awesome. The movie was spectacular. All the top-notch special effects, man against machine fight sequences, killers on wheels, menacing air crafts, full-bodied explosives and the raw, gritty feel of the post-apocalyptic landscape combined to create a timeless masterpiece. Not to mention the extensive character development, the thoughtful dialogue, the nifty plot twists and the human-cyborg love angle. And to top off this cornucopia of awesomeness was the commendable end quote “There is no fate, but what we make.” That’s really all I have to say. Four stars, two thumbs up, hands down the best blockbuster of the season, bolstered in no small part by Bale’s magnetic screen presence. I sure hope he meant it when he said “I’ll be back.”

Hmm. I myself can’t tell if I’m being sarcastic. Maybe I really did like the movie. Perhaps it wasn’t all that bad. I guess it’s just a matter of weighing it against expectations, and initially mine were as high as a T-Rex on stilts. Maybe I should go back and re-watch it, this time tuning my expecto-dial to zero, so that I could emerge fully satisfied at having witnessed a relatively laudable cinematic accomplishment. Yes, it deserves a second viewing.

Honestly, I don’t really need an excuse to do a Christian Bale double-take. Man, I am such a girl.

(more…)

I click on the Youtube “video” tab as I always do when I want to check out the latest viral “it” vid, and what’s the popular item at the moment? Christian Bale’s ballistic outburst – yes, the one where he’s NOT acting, but screaming and cursing like a little bitch. There I said it, I can’t believe it. I mean, I stood by and defended him against all the abuse allegations, because I refused to believe it and because I was so hopelessly enamoured with his acting ability and superstar street credibility. Not to mention that deliriously handsome mug of his. But this, this self-righteous lunatic-afflicted verbal lashing is just way out of line. Way out of line. For real man… a simple “Hey assh-le, stop trashing my F-ing scene!” would’ve sufficed…but no, he had to excessively deplore, decry and deride the poor dude! I mean geez…holy semantics batman!

Anyhoo, anyhoo…so I’m just gonna go ahead and post the Terminator trailer here.

What, was this whole tirade supposed to lead to a Bale-fest boycott?? Heck no! I still intend to watch this movie. Yes, the legit way. Love you CB – hate your misery!

I havent really come across much exciting movie news, nor have I viewed any new films worth mentioning. Except, of course, that little box-office record smashing blockbuster beast, we refer to simply as “the bat-man.” But praising the movie would just be reiterating everyone else’s sentiments. That it was the greatest super-hero movie ever made. That Heath Ledger’s Joker was the most amazing character portrayal ever in the history of comic-book movies. That none is more suited to embody the batman than our beloved Christian Bale (not even Michael Keaton, and especially not you, George Clooney) That it merits multiple viewings because one simply isn’t enough and that the score was so good, I had to Youtube each and every one of the tracks just to re-live all those pivotal moments. I could go on, but I’ll leave it at that. (Ok, maybe that last one is just my own personal revelation) but the end theme (Track 14 “A Dark Knight”) still gives me shivers whenever I listen to it.

It conjures up residual memories of Batman fleeing from those ferocious hounds like a shadowy vigilante escaping his fate, vanishing into the darkness. The orchestra wails a commanding masterpiece, like a roaring gust of wind ascending from beneath his cape, lifting him from the murky depths of a dark, despondent city only to have him diminish into the shadows – banished into an oblivion, a fate unfitting for a hero. Because he is, as the narration goes, ” the hero that Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now”, and the music thunders on, tumbling like the stony hedges off a rocky mountain. “And so we’ll hunt him, because he can take it”, the symphony escalates, suspending my heart like a pendulum swaying slowly, heavily to the haunting ambient. “He’s not a hero”, the vibrational forces now pulling me into a gripping entanglement of awe, anticipation and calm excitement, “He’s a silent guardian, a watchful protector… A DARK KNIGHT”. (Oohhh! In your face, Spiderman!) An epic ending befitting a grand tale of destruction and salvation, of a protagonist waging an internal battle between good and evil, condemned to endure in solitude the haunting echoes of a city consumed by crime, continually caught in the crossfires of fear and chaos.

Wow. Quite an extraordinary movie indeed, bolstered by an astounding soundtrack.  And as the last scene demonstrates, the music really is the element that makes it all happen.