I saw this film last Thursday. It is a great movie- Christian is amazing in it of course. My only criticism is that (IMO) Michael Mann should have developed Purvis’ character more, and romanticized Dillinger a bit less. Although I concur Hoover was a self-serving administrator, many G-Men who worked for the FBI under Hoover’s reign were good and decent men (like Purvis). I think that Mann almost portrays all of the G-men as incompetent “bad guys”, and Dillinger as this “hero.” He was a violent killer after all. Maybe not a “psychopath” like Babyface Nelson, but a killer nonetheless, who used innocents as human shields while escaping from his bank robberies. Mann also leaves out the bit of info (during one scene, when Dillinger is talking about his first arrest for “stealing from a storekeeper”, that that storekeeper was in fact beaten to near-death by Dillinger during the robbery. That’s why he was in jail originally! Don’t get me wrong, I am the first in line to see ANY Michael Mann film because I am a huge fan of his directorial style, and always has amazing soundtracks to boot. I just thought this film was a bit “soft” on who Dillinger really was- a violent criminal. I won’t give away my favorite CB scene, so as not to spoil for others who haven’t seen the film yet, but you’ll know it when you see it- let’s just say CB can really sweep a girl off of her feet when it comes to assisting a damsel in distress… SWOON!!

i will see the movie saturday.A good friend yet saw it he said it’s “the real good cinema with real actors”.

@ Veronica

Have not seen the movie but after seeing the trailers, and read his comments, I see it as soon as possible. And only to know that CB is acting, the film deserves to be seen now!

I haven’t seen it yet but Veronica, I expected that romantization of Dillinger for it is, afterall, Hollywood. I also think it is annoying to put a cold blooded murderer as a hero and the law enforcement as bad guys. We know there are 2 sides to everything, but in this case we all know the truth, that Dillinger was a cold blooded murderer and that the G-man, even going sometimes through ways that weren’t absolutely right, were trying their best to protect the innocent and stop a vile criminal. Unfortunately this is Hollywood and they want to attract people to the theaters, so I think the producers wouldn’t accept to put the oh-so-famous Depp as a villain, with the star power that he has he had to be a hero… annoying. I also think a movie with the main focus on Purvis would be far more interesting to watch, also a movie that was more true to the real characters. I love Michael Mann, but this focus on the villain as a hero frustated me a bit with him too. Cruise’s character in Collateral was always quite clearly the villain, a bad guy, he didn’t try to redeem the guy as a poor victim of society or of the justice system. He could have adopted the same view with Dillinger instead of puting him as a hero, doing that makes me feel his movie was a vehicle of promotion for Depp, that he gave to the producers and marketing to earn more money with “jack sparrow” as a gangster. Frustating.

@Veronica
After reading your words I am more and more anxious and I canĀ“t wait to see the movie…Chris assisting and damsel in distress…my God! oh my God!

i think like Veronica on Dillinger character.
i saw the movie and it’s really a great movie but there is one problem:Depp’s Dillinger is too “likeable” ,not really menacing,i didn’t believe in the dark side of his Dillinger so Dillinger is a few(much?) dull for me.Happily Depp is charismatic because he’s on 80% of the movie .
Marion Cotillard is touching in realistic lover and i like her scene of “questioning” because she shows Frechette isn’t only a sweetheart.
I love the light,chlothes,cars,style…the movie isn’t far of perfection technically.
And on Bale,he has only a supporting character(you see him few in screen)but he has the most interesting character (real depth):”a pitbull under a good education”,he’s very calm and really intense in same time.
He’s full of contradictions (i can’t explain it:need to see the movie for understanding).He’s terrific in Purvis “bad guy” .
i know i’m a fan so i’m not objective but after seeing the movie,my friends and me,we talked only about the beauty of the movie,Marion Cotillard and Purvis character(never on Depp’s Dillinger).And as said a friend “Bale is superb in suit in this movie”
And my fav scene with Bale is when he learn the cops lost Billie,he’s close to weep with rage and you feel his rage.