Personally, I thought the wide variance in cinematography style was distracting... Probably would be fine in a non-period piece, but it really took me out of the film. It is definitely not going to appeal to most people, but it was about what I expected from Mann. I'm not sure how comparable it is to his other films since the period-piece element is thrown in there. Overall... good, not great, some great visuals, some really bad cinematography, above average acting, and Christian Bale was ACTUALLY in this film featuring him for a change.

I have to agree on almost everything that you said here... but what most people seem to be missing is the:

SOUND MIX

That may be one of the worst sound mixes I have ever heard, there was dead space, horrible transitions, and un-synced dialogue that was LOCATION. The levels were constantly up and down throughout. I originally thought it was merely the theater, but my friend at another theater said it was the same way.

The cinematography was also mostly horrid. In Collateral Mann was able to make the digital medium work (from a visual perspective) as with Miami Vice (but I will not review those movies as this is not about those) Here however it was rediculously noisy and grainy, as if they attempted to UNDERLIGHT it and not just shoot without lights. I felt like Mann took the worst qualities of David Lynch (see Inland Empire) by going extremely wide angle and getting uncomfortably close to the actors for NO reason. It looked like a film student got ahold of a camera and decided to film a movie that somehow got DECENT (not good) performances.

Overall...

C+... 2 1/2 stars... 3/5

I'm right with you on the sound buddy. Technically this was not a very good movie

so true about the sound mix

I totally agree at many points through out the film i found myself wondering if a toddler had found his way on to the mixer and was playing with the levels.

I also noticed that the loudest point in the film was when Billy Crudup put down a phone after speaking to Christian Bale. So i don't know what was going on there but I'm sure it's not anything that should be in a film with budget of it's size.

I agree with the eval of the sound - just saw it on 5.1 DVD in my lounge and I thought my system was coming apart one moment, the next it was so soft I had to crank it. Shocking and very disappointing.

Does anybody have an opinion on the sound in "Heat?" For years I thought this was one of the worst sound mixes in a big budget movie. I especially hated the whispering during conversations which may have been important to the plot followed by ear-shattering scenes. Worst case but best example - the scene in which the caged dogs appear to have been individually miked!

I think the cinematography fit the way Michael Mann was telling the story. During the bank heists and the jailbreaks, it felt as if the characters were being followed by a documentary crew. Overall, I really enjoyed it.

it was a double off the top of the wall. almost a home run, but just missed

Seeing the film tonight... I've heard many fantastic reviews, most notably from Jeffrey Wells (of Hollywood Elsewhere) who called this an "art film." Very cool.

Micheal Mann has always been one of my favorite directors. This movie cemented that opinion. As some have said already, I think his style of film making is not for everyone and I can see it not appealing to some people. I think those people will enjoy it for the cast, not the crew. The story was top notch in my opinion. It transitioned very well from one side of the story to the other, with them coming together more than once in extremely well exicuted shootouts. Which brings me to the gunplay. This movie rivals Heat in those arenas, there isn't just ONE shootout that rivals heat, there are a few. The attack on the cabin at night would be the one I liked the most.

The cast was exceptional. Depp gave a very grounded, and nuanced performance, I was impressed. Bale's Purvis was very good as well, I was impressed that he kept a very nice southern accent all the way through the film and didn't use his Batman/John Connor deep angry voice.

Thanks for writing this. I've heard mixed reviews but seeing this good, descriptive review solidified a pleasant viewing experience. I just watched Miami Vice for the first time in years last night and I actually liked the digital look to it and can really appreciate the shootouts. Judging from the trailer, the gunplay seems to be one of the best aspects of it.

I'm sorry you obviously get your knowledge of gun fights from someone who tries to make gunfighting look appealing on a screen. The scene in Heat which I can only assume/hope you are referring to was dead on on a tactical level, the scenes in this god awful college thesis were none of the sort, let me remind you of the fact that sometimes, the guns had to magazines in them, or did you that miss that small detail? Or the fact they had someone hiding behind the wall in the exact spot that they showed being peppered, I'm sorry you would take a few rounds, the old thomson rifles were more powerful than common assumption. I urge you to wait until the film comes out, and then steal a copy (please I beg of you do not encourage this film by buying or renting a copy) and rewatch the scenes with this in mind. The only positive about the gun scenes were that it appeared that they filmed the actors sometimes firing actual rounds, or at least blanks, which in concept I love, but it reverts back to the sound mixing before, it did not flow well, and it was obvious because they were always solo shots and there was actual recoil.

CB is a pretentious douche.

I enjoyed the film, but the video look was odd and did not work for a period film, the hand cam worked fine for the shootouts outside the bank, but would have liked a more cinematic look and feel. The jail breakouts were great. Depp was cool as hell, Bale felt underused. The dialogue was weak, short and unmemorable. Still a very good film, with some nice action. 8.9/10

Curious...how do you arrive at a decimal? 8.9? So how would you differentiate between this and a 9.0 or 8.8? This has to be the dumbest rating I've ever come across.

Lighten up. He's just giving a review and rating it in a similar fashion to the way an Olympics judge would rate it.

people please its just a fucking movie. calm down, 9.8 or 8.8, its just a personal reveiw. its not like your on about something that matters like starwars

absolutely fantastic.
best shoot outs in a lonnng time
cinematography is annoying at first then brilliant.

best shoot outs in a long time because its the only movie with shoot outs in a long time, go watch older movies and and compare, and then ask for your money back.

Again, CB is a condescending dick.

Is this one of those observations that works in the way that it takes one to know one?

too loud, too lazy, too disappointing.

There was virtually no conversational dialog, no insight into the complexities of any of the characters, and no attempt to truly convey to the audience what was so different at that period in time that made people idolize criminals and malign authorities. Also, no insight into the dynamic and camaraderie of the criminals and no insight into how they planned their heist (the two most important and interesting parts of the Dillinger story).

Cartoonish and impish. A complete waste of the talent involved.

totally agree, the film was typical Mann Style... but without the substance....

A 2 hr movie that felt like there were huge holes in the story telling no development on why the people loved him... basically Little stroy and Character development...

I still enjoyed it but it feels empty...

Seconded.

Right on man...that's exactly how I feel about the film. The acting wasn't bad at all but the screenplay just didn't work...they had such an opportunity but nothing came of it. And that sound!! What the hell?

p.s. top marks for your name "Johnny Gossamer". KKBB is probably my favorite dark comedy.

Not really a Mann fan, but this won me over. Digital filming and period setting was a great contrast. I came in skeptical about the look of the film but fell in love - it was refreshing and lit so beautifully without being maudlin. Gorgeous, subtle and quiet performances + tight shoot outs - doesn't get much better.

To me it was one of the best of the summer so far. For me, I left with being a little pissed off at the goverment. Without any spoilers, you just almost feel for John Dillinger. Over all it was really good and Johnny Depp did it justice.

so i believe it was good. not amazing. 4sure not 12 bucks worth. the sound editor needs to be shot, and its not my theaters speakers ether... the sound was everywhere. my friends all asked if somthing was wrong with it. and the hd cinematography was annoying to me. if it wernt for those 2 things i would loved it. i gave it 6.5/10 maybe i should see it one more time just to be safe.

I'm with you on the sound. The volume kept going low and high. To me, it seemed a lot of the ADR wasn't done too well. Sometimes the voices weren't really matching the locations they were in.

yes the sound is really something awful. i got a refund because i thought the theater had messed up the mix.

I went to two different theatres and both had bad sound. I got my money refunded for both. I left within the first 30 minutes.

Sound sucked in this movie.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed that.

Just got back from seeing it, and i loved it. The cinematography didnt distract me, in fact, i really liked it, it added a sense of clarity to the movie. Depp is awesome, Bale and Colltiard (is that how you spell it?) are great as well

It was good but it wasn't Blow.

lol you are just comparing the two films because depp is in both? both totally different movies. lol your retarded thats like me saying "yeah The Departed was gooood, but definitely no Titanic!" haha dumb.

The Departed was good, but it was no Internal Affairs.

Inside Man was good, but it was no Heat.

Internal Affairs was good, but it was no Infernal Affairs.

fraggle rock is ok, but it's no the muppet show.

The Muppet Show was good, but it was not a sewing machine.

"Your retarded"

Good point.

EPIC THREAD?

haven't been on here in days but it seems u losers were easily entertained by my comment. it doesn't take much i guess lol. leave out a couple words and people jump on you like gullible children.

i meant depp's performance not the movies themselves.

and im so upset because people on /film are making fun of me. i need a tissue.

You just got made fun of quite a bit.
How do you feel about this?

im so upset im going to cry.

crying is pretty good, but definitely no weeping. ;D

On the surface, the most distracting element is the lazy, often sloppy cinematography. The root problem of the film however, is the underwritten script. There is little to no character development, and only Marion Cotillard's character had any arch at all. The shootouts were cool, and the bank heists were fun, but I wasn't rooting for Dillinger, or Purvis, and I discovered nothing about why the public thought of John has a hero. A disappointing package all together.

The fact that Baby Face Nelson shot at innocent people or the fact that Dillinger doesn't steal from the people? Dillinger had honor a code per say and everyone saw that. In his escape from jail he cheered up one of the hostage by singing him a song. That same hostage goes on radio and tells everyone that he was a great guy. Did you want them to spoon feed it to you?

Johnny Gossamer's review is DEAD ON, in my opinion.

I felt very disconnected from the characters and the inner workings of their lives and motives.

The writer missed the mark completely, for me, and the direction with the two types of picture quality/cameras was not only distracting, but felt irrelevant.

I dunno. I love Bale, Depp, and Mann, but this coulda been better.

I'm not sure the writer is to blame. I agree about the distance, but I think it had more to do with the photography than the writer. The writing, I'm talking about structure as well as dialogue, was actually quite superb and respectful (to the actor, director, and the audience). Sure it didn't have that banter-y, authorial back and forth you'd hear from a Cagney flick (or a Lacey flick for that matter), but it felt real and it left itself open for the audience to get to know this Dillinger in a real way (without emotional exposition - how many people in real life do you really know, who come up to you and vomit their internal workings to you). I'd argue that Depp, Bale and Mann dropped the ball on an opportunity to fill in the space with great acting and directing, but, ultimately, I just blame the camera elements and the editing. It made it hard to think and fill in the wonderful silences the script, bravely, provided.