So, today I spent the best part of five hours brushing with the Tinseltown elite. It has been one of those days when being an online writer really pays off. In fact, I would say today is up there as one of the greatest days I have had as an online journalist for, well, let's say the last five years. Today, I, and a handful of other online journos and newspaper outlets, were given access to a screening of the Michael Mann film PUBLIC ENEMIES (in cinemas this week), as well as access to the critically acclaimed director of HEAT, ALI and MIAMI VICE and this film's star, a little known actor named Johnny Depp. Oh yes, it doesn't get any bigger than this.
I want to kind of write about the movie, but more about the experience
of today too. The day started with a call to be at the MPC (The Moving
Picture Company) in London's trendy Soho by midday. We were to be
treated to a screening of the new cops and robbers movie PUBLIC ENEMIES
a full 24 hours before its general release (a little late for any
reviews to have any effect, and usually a sign that a film sucks). I am
pleased to say that this one does not.
Johnny Depp stars as the infamous bak robber of the 1930's John Dillinger, a character that has been imortalised on celluloid many times, including the 1945 Max Nosseck flick DILLINGER, and the later 1973 film of the same name by John Milius with Warren Oates as the title character. as previously mentioned PUBLIC ENEMIES, based on the novel by Bryan Burrough, is set in the early thirties in a time when the banks were in a worse way than are today. People were broke and a quarter of the population are unemployed - the Depression. One man, Dillinger, fails to take it any more and takes it upon himself to sort said banks out for himself, by stealing all of their money. However, hot on his heels is J. Edgar Hoover's fledgling FBI and its top agent, Melvin Purvis, here played by Brit Christian Bale. Dillinger fast becomes a folk hero to much of the downtrodden public , and the object of affection of the beautiful Billie Frechette (played by Oscar winner Marion Cotillard). Dillinger is America's first Public Enemy Number One (hence the title).
I had read hardly anything about this movie prior to today's huge event. I knew that two box-office heavyweights (Depp and Bale) had been pitted to star opposite one another, however, after seeing the film I have to say that they literally share just the one scene together (because of the fast-paced cat and mouse plotline). So don't expect any A-list cock-fighting up there on the screen. I also knew that Mann employed the superb camerawork and filmmaking style (the film is shot in HD rather than 35mm). I love it, especially when you see the actors fir those machine guns (it is so perfectly lit that as they fire, the flashes light their faces perfectly), and it really adds to the style of this flick. In fact, I loved pretty much everything about this flick.
Think of it as a distant cousin of Mann's earlier work HEAT, but set sixty years previous and with a lot more bang and rat-a-tat machine gun action. Mann really packs a lot in to the flick's massive 140 minute running time, which by the way passes extremely quickly. He uses some superb locations, some where much of the real-life action took place nearly 80 years ago, some fantastic visuals, banging sound effects that will literally bursts you eardrums (I had a ringing in my ears for hours afterwards - a bit like when you leave a club at two in the morning) and tons, and I mean tons of bank job set pieces. There are some stunning costumes (from Academy Award winner Colleen Attwood), brilliant acting -- all of the way down to the minor supporting roles and some killer one liners, mostly from Depp's Dillinger. Depp is the stand out talent, there is no doubt, but Bale is also extremely convincing as the FBI agent Purvis -- but for me, the excellent Stephen Graham once again was the real crowd pleaser as Baby Face Nelson. This guy is fearless, and here he delivers an all but brief performance with a perfect Chicago accent (the guy is from Liverpool). Brilliant. Let's get this guy into more films like this -- and for longer. Easily his best role since THIS IS ENGLAND.
So as you can see, I am a huge fan. In fact, I am struggling to find faults with it, and because of that I will stop sitting here trying to think of any. It's a great lads movie, but there is something for everyone. Engrossing, action packed and a great crowd pleaser.
So, that's what I thought of PUBLIC ENEMIES. Following the screening we were hastily whisked off across London to the swanky Berkley Hotel in a trio of Mercedes Benz people carriers for a date with the filmmaker Michael Mann and his two lead actors Johnny Depp and Marion Cotillard. We arrived shortly before 3pm and were asked to book in ahead of the three planned press conferences (one with each of the talents). I was at the back of a queue of around 20 journos, all starving for food and thirsty for some kind of liquid - any liquid!!! We had to book in with our names and outlets (just to gain access). Everyone went through with no issues -- except for myself. I was asked to hang around until after the Marion Cotillard conference had ended as, being a representitive for a 'gossip' website, was not allowed access to the Oscar winner's part of the promo tour. Which kind of flummoxed me. Here is a press day with arguably the biggest movie star in the world, as well as Hollywood's biggest directors and I was denied access to the film's littler known female lead, but welcomed to sit in with Mann and Depp. So, for the next hour I was confined to the press holding area to munch on the gourmet sandwiches and drink the free coffee and iced water (which was refreshing given that today's temerature's hit over 30 degrees in the capital).
So I waited... and waited until finally I hear rapturous applause coming from next door followed by the door opening saying that I could finally enter the hotel's main ballroom to sit in on the Johnny Depp and Michael Mann conferences. Within minutes Michael Mann entered the room, a surprisingly short-ish gentleman who had a lot to say about his new film. He is one of those guys who will say ten words when one would have done, but really is a joy to sit there and listen to for twenty minutes...
Then, just after 4pm Mr Johnny Depp entered the room - the man who is now officially my favourite actor on the planet. There is a natural coolness and humbleness about this guy's character, and he really seems to still shocked just by how big a star he is. In fact, he revealed that despite attending last night's premiere of PUBLIC ENEMIES, he is still yet to see the film, and in fact, hardly watches any of his movies at all. The guy is just in love with the process of acting and not anything more than that. The fame is just something that comes with it. At one point he pointed to the huge poster of him in character and simply said, "That's not me." A true gentleman.
By 5pm we were back on the street and my brush with Hollywood was again at a temporary close. I am at the moment going through the tapes from the day and will get up the interviews with Michael Mann and Johnny Depp in full. For now, please check out the trailer for film and duly trust me in saying that this is not just the Film of the Week, but quite possibly one of the films of the year so far...
Johnny Depp stars as the infamous bak robber of the 1930's John Dillinger, a character that has been imortalised on celluloid many times, including the 1945 Max Nosseck flick DILLINGER, and the later 1973 film of the same name by John Milius with Warren Oates as the title character. as previously mentioned PUBLIC ENEMIES, based on the novel by Bryan Burrough, is set in the early thirties in a time when the banks were in a worse way than are today. People were broke and a quarter of the population are unemployed - the Depression. One man, Dillinger, fails to take it any more and takes it upon himself to sort said banks out for himself, by stealing all of their money. However, hot on his heels is J. Edgar Hoover's fledgling FBI and its top agent, Melvin Purvis, here played by Brit Christian Bale. Dillinger fast becomes a folk hero to much of the downtrodden public , and the object of affection of the beautiful Billie Frechette (played by Oscar winner Marion Cotillard). Dillinger is America's first Public Enemy Number One (hence the title).
I had read hardly anything about this movie prior to today's huge event. I knew that two box-office heavyweights (Depp and Bale) had been pitted to star opposite one another, however, after seeing the film I have to say that they literally share just the one scene together (because of the fast-paced cat and mouse plotline). So don't expect any A-list cock-fighting up there on the screen. I also knew that Mann employed the superb camerawork and filmmaking style (the film is shot in HD rather than 35mm). I love it, especially when you see the actors fir those machine guns (it is so perfectly lit that as they fire, the flashes light their faces perfectly), and it really adds to the style of this flick. In fact, I loved pretty much everything about this flick.
Think of it as a distant cousin of Mann's earlier work HEAT, but set sixty years previous and with a lot more bang and rat-a-tat machine gun action. Mann really packs a lot in to the flick's massive 140 minute running time, which by the way passes extremely quickly. He uses some superb locations, some where much of the real-life action took place nearly 80 years ago, some fantastic visuals, banging sound effects that will literally bursts you eardrums (I had a ringing in my ears for hours afterwards - a bit like when you leave a club at two in the morning) and tons, and I mean tons of bank job set pieces. There are some stunning costumes (from Academy Award winner Colleen Attwood), brilliant acting -- all of the way down to the minor supporting roles and some killer one liners, mostly from Depp's Dillinger. Depp is the stand out talent, there is no doubt, but Bale is also extremely convincing as the FBI agent Purvis -- but for me, the excellent Stephen Graham once again was the real crowd pleaser as Baby Face Nelson. This guy is fearless, and here he delivers an all but brief performance with a perfect Chicago accent (the guy is from Liverpool). Brilliant. Let's get this guy into more films like this -- and for longer. Easily his best role since THIS IS ENGLAND.
So as you can see, I am a huge fan. In fact, I am struggling to find faults with it, and because of that I will stop sitting here trying to think of any. It's a great lads movie, but there is something for everyone. Engrossing, action packed and a great crowd pleaser.
So, that's what I thought of PUBLIC ENEMIES. Following the screening we were hastily whisked off across London to the swanky Berkley Hotel in a trio of Mercedes Benz people carriers for a date with the filmmaker Michael Mann and his two lead actors Johnny Depp and Marion Cotillard. We arrived shortly before 3pm and were asked to book in ahead of the three planned press conferences (one with each of the talents). I was at the back of a queue of around 20 journos, all starving for food and thirsty for some kind of liquid - any liquid!!! We had to book in with our names and outlets (just to gain access). Everyone went through with no issues -- except for myself. I was asked to hang around until after the Marion Cotillard conference had ended as, being a representitive for a 'gossip' website, was not allowed access to the Oscar winner's part of the promo tour. Which kind of flummoxed me. Here is a press day with arguably the biggest movie star in the world, as well as Hollywood's biggest directors and I was denied access to the film's littler known female lead, but welcomed to sit in with Mann and Depp. So, for the next hour I was confined to the press holding area to munch on the gourmet sandwiches and drink the free coffee and iced water (which was refreshing given that today's temerature's hit over 30 degrees in the capital).
So I waited... and waited until finally I hear rapturous applause coming from next door followed by the door opening saying that I could finally enter the hotel's main ballroom to sit in on the Johnny Depp and Michael Mann conferences. Within minutes Michael Mann entered the room, a surprisingly short-ish gentleman who had a lot to say about his new film. He is one of those guys who will say ten words when one would have done, but really is a joy to sit there and listen to for twenty minutes...
Then, just after 4pm Mr Johnny Depp entered the room - the man who is now officially my favourite actor on the planet. There is a natural coolness and humbleness about this guy's character, and he really seems to still shocked just by how big a star he is. In fact, he revealed that despite attending last night's premiere of PUBLIC ENEMIES, he is still yet to see the film, and in fact, hardly watches any of his movies at all. The guy is just in love with the process of acting and not anything more than that. The fame is just something that comes with it. At one point he pointed to the huge poster of him in character and simply said, "That's not me." A true gentleman.
By 5pm we were back on the street and my brush with Hollywood was again at a temporary close. I am at the moment going through the tapes from the day and will get up the interviews with Michael Mann and Johnny Depp in full. For now, please check out the trailer for film and duly trust me in saying that this is not just the Film of the Week, but quite possibly one of the films of the year so far...
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