Hmmm...

I can't say that I approved of Tim Burton's treatment of Willy Wonka, so lets hope this one goes a bit better. Anyone else getting a bit tired of Johnny Depp being 'kooky'?

March 5th next year is the release date.

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Michael Mann takes on one of America's most famous crooks, John Dillinger, with the help of Captain Jack Sparrow. Lets just hope he doesn't go all Miami Vice on us.

Pros:

• From the first shot of the movie, it's clear that the cinematography is really, really good. So good that it makes me want to use adjectives like 'gorgeous', but I'll resist that temptation.
• Christian Bale shows admirable restraint himself, avoiding his usual 'growl-under-your-breath' style of acting.
  
• As history buffs will already know, the story is pretty fascinating. Dillinger seemed to live life with one eye on a future movie incarnation, indulging in some fairly brazen escapades which lend themselves well to the silver screen.
• Mann pulls no punches with the violence, despite the movie's fairly lax 15a rating. When these guys get shot, you feel it. No glorified movie action here.
• Marion Cotillard is excellent, and manages to tread that fine line just between 'powerful' and 'overplaying it'.
• The supporting roles are generally very well cast, particular mention must go to Billy Crudup as a surprisingly convincing J. Edgar Hoover.
  
• Thankfully, this is not an example of style over substance, as has often been the case with Michael Mann movies. In fact, it's easily one of Mann's best efforts to date.

Cons:

• The film gets straight into the action, and while that's usually a good thing, the story itself suffers a bit from lack of development.
• One of the first scenes in the movie features some bafflingly bad sound recording. How does that happen in a big movie like this?
• While not being too precious with the source material, it seems like the writers were trying to fit too many real-life incidents into the movie. Again, the story and character development take a bit of a knock here.

While flawed, Public Enemies does well to satisfy both the true-crime nerds and the action/thriller fans. Michael Mann's hit-and-miss track record can chalk up another one in the former category.

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Back on Oscar fever and...well...basically because I like movies, I'm going to post my own reviews of stuff thats out and is coming out. For reviews of Juno, There Will Be Blood, No Country for Old Men and Atonement click here but for now here's one I saw earlier

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (aka Tim Burton and Johnny Depp continue their love affair)

Whats it about?
Basically its about a fucked over barber who gets revenge on the folk of London (who did nothing to him except not have what happened to him happen to them) by slitting their throats in his barbers chair and sending them down to his psycho neigbour who turns them into pies.

Sounds gory. Is it?
Yes it is. Quite gory. Lots and lots of throats opening and spraying out crimson delights and heads shattering on hard stone.

Cool. Who's in it?
The aforementioned Mr Depp. Bellatrix Lestrange (ake Mrs Tim Burton). Hans Gruber from Die Hard and that guy who played the fat boring one in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.

Sounds good. Whats the catch?
Well.................................................................its a musical.

Oh fuck off
Did I not mention the oceans of blood?

Yes but...
So who gives a shit if they're singing? Has Johnny Depp ever steered you wrong? Doesn't Tim Burton make great movies? Isn't Helena Bonham-Carters cleavage a sight to behold?

Fine
Good now piss off to the cinema and while you're at it rent out the Sound of Music on the way home.

So basically yes Sweeney Todd is great and you should all see it somehow. While not advocating the user of Illegal downloads rumour has it that there's a DVD quality version of it online if one were so inclined and of course its in cinemas everywhere.

Have a gander at the first ten minutes if you want:

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