A minor classic from over a decade ago is finding new life on Netflix.
The streamer has released its Top Ten list for the third week of March, and while there
were a good number of holdovers from the week prior, there were also a few surprises. Perhaps
the biggest shocker is the appearance of Public Enemies, the 2009 historical drama centered
on the final years of the infamous bank robber John Dillinger, all the way up at #3.
"Let's go to Chicago and make some money."
It's been fascinating to watch the comings and goings of all of the Netflix originals,
animated flicks, and half-remembered features of yesteryear since the Top Ten list was rolled
out by Netflix in February 2020. The streamer famously doesn't release its viewership numbers,
but with the new feature, we at least have some idea of what our friends and neighbors
are feverishly binging.
Gracing the Top Ten this week are the Netflix original flicks The Wrong Missy at #1 and
John Henry at #5, along with the family animated features The Willoughbys at #6, Madagascar:
Escape 2 Africa at #7, and The Grinch at #10. And yes, it's nowhere near Christmas, so we're
not sure what to make of that last one either.
The documentary Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics sits at #9, and then there
are the surprises: The unheralded 2012 French sci-fi actioner Lockout at #8, the 2011 sports
drama Soul Surfer at #2, and Public Enemies at #3. While the latter flick was a minor
commercial success upon its release, it didn't exactly set the world on fire which is honestly
a bit puzzling, because its pedigree is nothing short of sterling.
If you're not familiar with the work of Michael Mann, then you've got some movies to watch,
and Public Enemies is as good a place as any to start. The film features the veteran director
working at the absolute top of his game, calling the shots for legendary cinematographer Dante
Spinotti, who has shot several of Mann's films, including Manhunter, Heat, and The Insider.
Much has been made of the fact that the flick is a period piece shot on hi-def video, which
on its surface is an odd choice. But Spinotti is a fan of the format, and he's also an absolute
master at saturating his frames with vivid colors and inky dark spaces. This film looks
fantastic, and it also benefits from Mann's deliberate, yet fleet, pacing.
"Boy, you are in a hurry."
"If you were looking at what I'm looking at, you'd be in a hurry too."
Then, there's the cast, which is simply jaw-dropping. Depp crushes it in the role of Dillinger;
he's joined by Christian Bale as FBI agent Melvin Purvis, Marion Cotillard as Dillinger's
girlfriend Billie Frechette, Billy Crudup as FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, and Stephen
Lang as Charles Winstead, the Texas lawman who fatally shot Dillinger.
Even the minor roles are filled with ringers: Stephen Dorff appears as Homer Van Meter,
Jason Clarke pops up as Red Hamilton, Giovanni Ribisi appears as Alvin Karpis, and none other
than Channing Tatum portrays Pretty Boy Floyd.
Public Enemies received mixed reviews during its theatrical run, with some reviewers noting
that the flick lacked the tension and drama that they had expected from Mann, whose modern
classic Heat is among the more tense films ever made. Those critics who recommended the
film, however saw it for what it was: An exhaustively researched, incredibly detailed film sporting
great performances from top to bottom.
Of course, it was Depp who was singled out for the most praise. In his review of the
film, the great Roger Ebert wrote,
"This Johnny Depp performance is something else. For once an actor playing a gangster
does not seem to base his performance on movies he has seen. He starts cold. He plays Dillinger
as a Fact... This is a very good film, with Depp and Bale performances of brutal clarity."
In marking the film's tenth anniversary last year, some critics opined that it was time
for a serious reappraisal of Public Enemies, which seems to be a recurring theme with Mann's
filmography.
One such piece in the Washington Post astutely pointed out that very few of the director's
films have been instant smashes upon release, as their distinct style of craftsmanship seems
to take awhile to catch on with general audiences.
Perhaps this is why, with so many of us stuck at home and on the prowl for something really
great to watch, this once-neglected gangster flick is finally getting its due.
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