Public Enemies - A Michael Mann Film

Batutta

Batutta

Major Contributor
Depp. Bale. Crudup. Michael Mann. A crime story. Dillinger. 1930's. Sounds like it should be awesome. Then why does this trailer not do it for me? Is it the cinematography, which looks a little too digital for the period, or the music? I dunno. Seemed like it couldn't miss. Now I'm not so sure--

http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/publicenemies/

Oh, and I just noticed the first shot of Johnny jumping over the counter looks oddly digital, like his CGI face was pasted onto the stuntman. What's up with that? Depp can't jump over a counter?
 
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Trailer was great. I'll definitely go see this. But yeah, why did he have to go digital? The night scenes look terrible.
 
I'm a fan of the Mann's work. I've liked all his films: Thief, Manhunter, Last of the Mohicans, Heat, The Insider, Collateral, and even Miami Vice. So I'm completely stoked to see his take on the old school mob movie, but I agree about the digital look not really working for this. It worked great for Collateral and Miami Vice, but it doesn't look right here. What did they shoot this on, a Viper? Benjamin Button looked completely like film, so maybe Mann wanted the clean and sharp look here.

The lighting and color palette is nice though. Kinda reminiscent of Road to Perdition's palette. I see some slow shutter motion blurs that are jarring as well as too many diamond sharp shots. I would also bet that there isn't much grain unless they add some in post. Some slight diffusion would've been great here I think. I can handle the deeper depth of field since many "films" also have that look as well. I don't know what it is, but for some odd reason digital doesn't seem to work very well for period pieces. Same thing with shaky cam, except in specific cases like Saving Private Ryan or Band of Brothers, neither of which overdid it like Michael Bay did with Transformers messy shooting style. Maybe subconsciously we equate steadier camera work and actual chemical film with being old?
 
Christian Bale is my favorite active actor. Depp is just ok. But I don't know what is wrong with this trailer. I don't want to see this movie, it looks wery boring. Maybe I never saw great movie about bank robbers, thats why all bank robbing movies a dull for me, no matter what actors are in.
 
ZetKey said:
Christian Bale is my favorite active actor. Depp is just ok. But I don't know what is wrong with this trailer. I don't want to see this movie, it looks wery boring. Maybe I never saw great movie about bank robbers, thats why all bank robbing movies a dull for me, no matter what actors are in.
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You didn't like heat? :O
 
The long shootout scene from the Heat is my favorite, but the rest is not very interesting for me. It's about genre I think. Bang! Now I remember, "The Road to Perdition", great cinematography and I watched only half of the movie. I don't like old gangster films (they usually rob banks). So, it is not the banks in general, but gangster stereotypes.

EDIT: The movie "The Black Dahlia" also was very difficult for me to watch. Just no my style.
 
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yah .. .he should have shot it on Film... shooting it on digital just doesnt work for me...

i hate looking @ a trailer and clearly..seeing its video... i think DIgital has a long way to go before it looks proper or @ least..makes us think otherwise...

i enjoed collateral..and vice.. and i Mann is embracing video like there is no tomorrow...but i just dont feel it this time with this perticular film.... i'm sure it'll be a well made film... but the video will definalty throw me off.... ha
 
saturnin said:
yah .. .he should have shot it on Film... shooting it on digital just doesnt work for me...

i hate looking @ a trailer and clearly..seeing its video... i think DIgital has a long way to go before it looks proper or @ least..makes us think otherwise...
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In many cases I'd say you're absolutely right, however, films like Apocalypto and Benjamin Button looked great to me and felt like film and not digital. I think that it all depends on who shoots it. Micheal Mann doesn't care as much, he's stated in interviews that he is not after the prettiest pictures for his films, whereas someone like David Fincher probably is more concerned over the look. I think that is a big part of why Benjamin Button looked so good even though it was digital.

Even though I can't afford to shoot on it, I really don't think film should ever be fazed out. Just because digital evolves and improves it doesn't mean that film should die. There are still people painting with oil or acrylic and drawing with pen and paper while others will use photoshop and computer drawing tablets. Both can coexist. Sadly though, as the older generations who love the look of film die off, the newer ones will fully embrace digital.
 
Apocalypto...was good but i did not enjoy watching all the running in the forest... it looked so videoish... ha.. u can tell cuz of the light right...

maybe benjamin button had alot fo slow pans/track shots..i dont konw i have not seen it yet. From teh trailers i coudl not tell it was done on digital.. Apocalytpto i knew right away.
 
I liked the video shots of Apocalypto. I liked everything about that film.

Mann is one of my favorite directors so I will pretty much see anything he puts out. Including this one. I thought the trailer looked good. But Depp hopping over the counter was very strange.
 
Seems like there's a little too much modernity in a '30s period piece. Not only in terms of cinematic style, but also the way the characters act, talk, and move.
 
Ick...I did NOT like the trailer. It looked way too video for my taste. Looked like documentary work at some parts with the video motion blur...yikes. If this is the future of movies, I don't like it. The look just doesn't work for me. (Shot on Cine-Alta yet still disappoints me!)

YET, movies like Zodiac, Benjamin Button, I was hard pressed at times to find the video look, despite the fact they were shot on basically the same camera. I'm sorry but video is not ready to over-take film right now..
 
David Jimerson said:
Seems like there's a little too much modernity in a '30s period piece. Not only in terms of cinematic style, but also the way the characters act, talk, and move.
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Agreed as well, the music in the trailer totally didn't work, it feels like an action movie that happens to take place in the 30's.
 
Michael Mann is usually super anal about staying in period. I remember Will Smith talking about ALI and he said Mann stopped in mid scene because he noticed a belt buckle that was not period. out of over a thousand people he saw a modern belt buckle. But I do agree it does look modern.
 
Yea I didn't like the trailer either, it felt a tad boring. Also the Viper definitely lends a videoish feel sometimes, the cadence feels all wrong in spots. Either way I'm a fan of Mann, so I'm still looking forward to seeing what happens.
 
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