Should've been Nominated: Public Enemies

Sometimes a movie comes across that you absolutely love, but bombs at the box office and fails with the critics. “Public Enemies” was one such movie.

The true story of John Dillinger and his capture, “Public Enemies” was a good movie. Filmed on location in Wisconsin, Indiana and Chicago, the movie transported viewers back to the flapper era, when gangsters were celebrities and money was stolen, not earned (it was the Great Depression).

First the weak points of the film: It dragged in some parts. When Dillinger walks into the police department shortly before his capture, the scene slowly moves along, with shots of Johnny Depp slowly looking at pictures while cops are distracted. The ending took forever.

The good parts: the action was solid. Vintage cars with gangsters and cops with tommy guns was reminiscent of “Bonny and Clyde.” The locations were really amazing. An inn where Dillinger stayed was really used. The theatre in Chicago were he was shot at featured in the movie. The music, a combination of banjos and electric guitars, was rollicking (and apt for a 1930s gun slinging gangster flick). The direction and cinematography was superb, as the film had the feel of a black and white movie.

The luminescent Cotillard as "Black Bird"

The best part was the acting. I am by no means a Johnny Depp fan. (Fangirls, I’ll say it, he’s ugly). But he really worked as Dillinger. He had the right amount of criminality and suaveness to play the part. Marion Cotillard, a favorite of “There’s Something wrong with Esther,” was impeccable as usual. She played Dillinger’s girlfriend, “the Black Bird.” She conveyed the right amount of worry and thrill. The role potentially could have been one dimensional (say, if Jessica Biel played her) but Cotillard can give any role depth and significance. And who can forget Christian Bale? He is consistently good. Whether in big blockbusters, or small indies, he often carries his films. He played the detective that pursued Dillinger. He mixed the essence of Dean Martin-esque coolness and appeal with determination. Cotillard and Bale worked best together, especially in the scene where he carries her, crying after being tortured, out of the police station.

We think Cotillard should have been nominated as Best Supporting Actress, at least for her stint in “Nine” or this movie. Bale should have received a nomination, or at least a Golden Globe nomination. Cinematography and Original Score would have been nice too. That Sandra Bullock could get nominated for the “Blind Side” (Really, Academy? Really?) and such excellent films as “Nine,” “Public Enemies,” and “The Road” should be snubbed is a real shame.