Public Enemies

When a new Johnny movie premieres, I tend to be there opening day. So, we went to see Public Enemies this afternoon, although our local theater wasn't bothering to play it. Yes, I drove the 30 miles on opening day to check out Mr. Depp's newest work.

It was well worth it.

I won't go on about what a great job he did because anyone who has followed him knows he does, and he did. Incredible as usual. But there are many other reasons to see this film.

It's history. John Dillinger was considered a hero by much of the public in the 1930s. It was in the midst of the depression when everyone was angry about how the banks handled things so badly and people lost so much (sound familiar?). Dillinger grabbed lots of it, but never took it from individuals inside the bank, telling them he didn't want their money, only the bank's. Of course there's a bit of logic missing there since people fund the bank money, but only to an extent. They're making bunches off our money and they did then, and when they mismanage it's of course not only their money they lose. So in a time of no sympathy with or high opinion of bankers, Dillinger struck gold with public opinion.

It's societal. I don't want to say too much and spoil anything but there are points made that we need to consider as a society. Dillinger was considered Public Enemy Number One. But what of the Chicago cops taking bribes from gangsters to leave them alone? What of the police brutality? What about being overly punished for minor offenses? Those things build the criminal element, as they helped to build Dillinger's power and public sympathy for him. And they still happen.

It does not glamorize criminal life. It shows straight out the costs, very high costs, of taking that route, with no actual gain. A good lesson there.

It's artistic. This film was very well made. It's not overly gory for being a gangster film. It has beautiful effects that add to the imagery without being over the top. It truly is art, which I don't find a lot of on the big screen anymore.

It's well worth watching. It's even worth supporting, something I also don't find much in Hollywood these days.

The next one I look forward to is The Ugly Truth. That should be a riot!
-

The Demon Barber ... a safe pre-review

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

starring Johnny Depp
produced by Tim Burton

When I saw a little clip not long ago of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, my jaw literally dropped when I heard Johnny singing! I sure hoped it was more than a couple of minutes. Okay, I knew nothing of the musical before this so it was all new to me and I have no comparisons to make to the original. I don't honestly care about comparisons.

I've read a couple of critical reviews already saying his voice, and others, are thin on the soundtrack. Thin. Hmm... I'm really very critical about music and voices myself, and I was in constant awe of just how well he did with the part. He's an actor, not a singer. Okay, he was into music before acting. Still, he's not a trained singer as you get in most musicals. Neither is Helena Bonham Carter. And Sondheim musicals are particularly not so easy to sing. The parts were complex, with quick tempos and battling duets, but they were brilliant.

What do you get when you put an actor into a singing role? You get an acted musical, not only a performed musical. Johnny acted this singing role so perfectly, I was honestly on the verge of tears now and then and I did have goosebumps -- not because of the story line, but because of the performance. All of the performances were good. His was exquisite.

It is rated R for violence and sexual inuendos, and of course with the story line it is graphic violence, but it's not overly distasteful. It's "Hollywood graphic" more than "reality graphic" and I much prefer that. A "horror wimp" like myself got through it with no big issues.

There were times I was chuckling out loud and times when I was trying to help "write" the plot in my head (career hazard, I suppose), but in general, I was completely drawn in and full of nothing except the incredible film invading my thoughts. That's hard to do. Few films hold my attention that well ... well enough to shove aside my list of everything I should have been doing in order to be truly focused.

This is a must see for those who love pure expressive art, as it is a true rainbow blend of all of the arts at once. Now to find the soundtrack. And I'm hoping to find time to see it in the theater again.

Pirates at the World's End: a pre-review with no spoilers

I'm going to be careful. How I can review this movie without throwing spoilers, I'm not sure, so I think I'll do a better one later after everyone interested has had the chance to see it.
And if you're not interested, you should be.

I have to say I was shocked to find such a horrid review of it on msn last night. It left me wondering if the critic and I saw the same movie! I put it down to one reality of media: many critics think they have to be overly-critical for people to think they are doing their jobs right, or to make themselves sound more intelligent than they are. One of his objections was that we all KNEW Captain Jack didn't actually perish in the last one and would be back again. Forgive the vulgarness of the following comment, but ... DUH!

Pirates of the Caribbean is fantasy action/adventure ... fiction. We know this going in. We know we are not going to see a documentary or a drama that has to make more sense than real life. Of course Captain Jack returns. Who would go see it if he didn't??? The question was ... how does he return and what happens when he does?

The movie's opening tells us, "Hey, we're making a point about history in this film. Pay attention!" There were so many comments about the second of the series not being as good as the first. Why? Because the first was pure fun, with a few one-liners signifying they were trying to make a statement, as well. The second drew more meaning into the plot: things like the East Indie Trading Company and what it was actually doing to the world and to the working people. Things such as what happens when honor and morality break down and who is really on the "wrong" side and IS there actually a "wrong" side or simply an "other" side. Who is more villainous, really? The third adds another question, a very important question, but I won't say it here because it would be a spoiler for some.

The series is full of philosophy and psychology and history and the third one brings that out further. At World's End is nearly 3 hours long, but I found myself not ready for it to end. It's an incredible journey into so many facets of human life that one viewing is only the start. It will take several viewings of this movie to really "get" it all. It also takes a bit of brain power, and in so saying, some will not like it because of that; because it forces us to think if we're really paying attention to it. There are such incredible single lines scattered at the appropriate points that I'm in awe of the writers. It's a work of brilliance, which I'm sure will be largely overlooked. Just as literary fiction, only a handful of the population will sincerely appreciate what it offers.

Pirates of the Caribbean is not only fantasy action-adventure. It is literary fantasy action-adventure.

After three hours of the movie, combined with an hour of waiting in line first to be sure we had good seats, I was ready to buy tickets for the 10:45 show and go right back in. My kids, however, were not willing. Kids. I'll have to fight myself not to go back today. And the next day. And the day after. But I will be going back to see it and taking anyone willing to go with me.

And I'll be at the store the day it comes out on DVD.

The following quote is from a different movie, but it's really appropriate for Pirates, also:

"If we stop breathing, we die.
If we stop fighting our enemies, the world would die."
from Casablanca