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PUBLIC ENEMIES A classy motion picture whose individual moments are greater than the whole, this period gangster saga may be filled with exciting gun battles yet can't deliver the firepower in ways that matter the most: empathy, originality, and a willingness to burrow beneath the legend. Writer-director Michael Mann captures what's most important about bank robber John Dillinger (Johnny Depp): his folk-hero appeal, and the way many Depression-era citizens would have found it possible to cheer an outlaw who spent his time sticking it to the banks. Depp possesses the right demeanor for the role, and if he doesn't register as powerfully as we would expect, that's the fault of Mann and his co-scripters, who make Dillinger more of an enigma than necessary. Still, the actor fares better than his two co-stars. FBI agent Melvin Purvis is supposed to be the dynamic point-counterpoint to Dillinger, but the role is so thinly written – and Christian Bale tackles it with so little interest – that it's hardly a fair fight. Then there's the case of La Vie en Rose Oscar winner Marion Cotillard, who, as Dillinger's girlfriend, has little to do but fret and fuss over her man's line of work. Yet what Public Enemies lacks in complexity, it makes up for in artfulness. Elliot Goldenthal's soaring score, Dante Spinotti's camera angles, and the sound team's snap-crackle-and-pop approach (gun shots are frequently delivered with stunning clarity, a far cry from the sonic overkill of that infernal Transformers sequel) support the costume and set departments to fully immerse us in an era in which a man's best friend is his weapon, and the manner in which he tips his fedora is as important as what's in his heart or on his mind. That's a remarkably shallow outlook, but with Public Enemies, that's usually about as deep as it gets. **1/2
RUDO Y CURSI Alfonso Cuaron's Y Tu Mama Tambien made international stars out of Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna, and here the pair are reunited for another rowdy and often rude movie in which the subject of male competitiveness is addressed. Yet while this new release doesn't come close to matching its predecessor – for one thing, that film's sensuality and sociopolitical context are both in short supply here – it still makes for a cheeky viewing experience, as the lads play brothers who hope that their soccer skills can carry them away from their impoverished village and straight into the big time. Beto (Luna) is the more focused of the two, wishing to devote his life to the sport, while Tato (Bernal) basically sees it as a stepping stone to his real desire: carving out a career as a singer. Separately, both make it to the top, but their own flaws – to say nothing of their heated rivalry – threaten to dismantle everything they've achieved. Writer-director Carlos Cuaron (who shared a writing Oscar nom with brother Alfonso for Y Tu Mama Tambien) arrives at the same destination as most other sports flicks – yes, there is a climactic "big game" – but his skewered vision makes the journey along the way more interesting than most. ***
THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1 2 3 Placing this new version of The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 – in which four men hijack a subway car and hold its passengers for ransom – next to its 1974 predecessor makes the current model seem about as interesting as a tarnished doorknob, but rather than belabor the point, just rent the original (both were adapted from John Godey's best-selling novel) and thank me later. As for those venturing forth to catch this update, be prepared for a moderately agreeable thriller that unfortunately flames out with at least a full half-hour to go. Here, the criminals are led by the tattooed, mustachioed Ryder (John Travolta, looking ridiculous but still exuding a small modicum of menace), who promises to start blowing away hostages unless $10 million is delivered into his hands in exactly one hour. Trapped in his sinister scenario is Walter Garber (Denzel Washington, typically dependable but not half as much fun as the original's Walter Matthau), the dispatcher who reluctantly serves as the intermediary between Ryder and the city (repped by James Gandolfini's surly mayor). Few directors are as impersonal as Tony Scott (Domino, Days of Thunder), and he exhibits this detachment once again with a picture that's more interested in style than substance – even the city of New York, the true principal player in this tale, fails to come to life, meaning this film might as well have been set in Chicago or London or any other metropolis with a sprawling subway system. For a while, Scott and scripter Brian Helgeland make this Pelham a watchable affair before piling on all manner of ludicrous developments. By the time we get to a groaner of a showdown between the two stars, it's obvious that this vehicle jumped the tracks a while back. **
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