That movie looks awesome.

::crosses fingers for Goldenthal score release::

--Brian

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Originally posted by sean:
This trailer makes the movie look pretty damn cool (except for that goofy techno music):
http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/publicenemies/hd/

Also, Andrew, didn't you tell me Michael Mann was going to shoot this on film? 'Cause it definitely wasn't--at least, most of what's shown in the trailer isn't film.

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You know, I don't mind movies like Collateral and Miami Vice being digitally shot... but this... it seems as if something is lost. The dirty gritty grain you get on film should be present on this film. Sadly it doesn't look that way. Mix that with the odd look that motion has...

Mann and crew used the Sony CineAlta cameras, which Fincher also used for Benjamin Button. He used the Viper for Zodiac, and, frankly, should have stuck with it.

Here are my thoughts on the movie and such...

The actors were perfect. I think Depp, Bale and Crudup should all be nominated for Academy Awards, especially Crudup who I barely recognized in the film. This was a nice change of pace for Bale as well. He was more reserved in this than his other films. And Johnny Depp... well... who can say anything bad about him ever?

Now onto the negative:

I felt shooting this digitally was the wrong way to go. A lot of it looked perfect as far as sets and costumes, however the digital photography took you out of that feeling any time there was a pan or anything. I wouldn't have minded if they used it for certain/specific scenes, but the entire movie shouldn't have been filmed that way.

The sound was terrible. I am about 99.9% certain it was the mix and not the theater as the previews sounded normal and it's all digital so it's not like the soundtrack on the film got messed up somehow. The entire file would have to have something wrong with it. But dialogue was nearly impossible to hear in multiple scenes. The sound effects sounded normal, however certain spots seemed to have little to no sound. I am pretty sure that was their intention but it was distracting and unrealistic.

The editing felt wrong. This carries over from the sound because of the use of music. Some tracks faded too quick and you could hear them chop off the end of the track. There'd also be moments when a cue would be going and you could tell there's more to it but they fade it out too soon. All these things make the film feel disjointed.

The score... Could it have been more obvious that they used The Thin Red Line as a temp score? Track 15 on the CD is clearly temped from Journey To The Line. But it gets better... They actually use John Powell's "Beam" from the soundtrack to The Thin Red Line in the film. It was actually somewhat distracting. None of the score seemed to flow either. There wasn't much of a theme (if there was one at all, I didn't pick up on it).

As for the CD. I am glad they included the song from the trailer on it. However, the song, score, song, score, song, score layout of the CD is terrible. It's impossible to get into the score because it gets interupted by a song every other track. I would've liked all the songs at the beginning or maybe had more score on the CD (not that much is missing) and did what Thomas Newman does where you have a few score tracks, then a song.

Now, the thing that has been bugging me for about a year now... CAN PEOPLE REALLY NOT GO 2 HOURS WITHOUT TEXTING?! This was one of the worst audiences I have ever had the displeasure of seeing a movie with! The worst was Star Trek though... But people last night kept texting, one guy even opened his cell phone and just left it open. Then there were people litterally slapping eachother! SLAPPING! And they kept laughing and being loud! I shushed them as did the people behind us but they still acted like morons. Have people become so selfish they don't realize there's other people around them in a theater? I don't think I can go to the theater anymore. At least not until a film has been out for a few weeks and the idiots are done seeing them...

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Originally posted by sean:
I liked the movie a lot, but it's not as good as Miami Vice. Hans Zimmer is actually thanked in the end credits, presumably for the use of The Thin Red Line. Goldenthal's attempt at Zimmer's "Journey To The Line" is a bit hard to swallow, especially in such an impressive sequence. The score is no Heat, that's for damn sure.

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Like I said, I think I have to give this another go at home. The theatre enviorment is just too crappy now-a-days. I can't wait for the Blu-ray. I forgot to mention that one of the girls from the slapping group was also blowing bubbles with her gum... yeah...

But yeah, his take on Journey To The Line didn't work so well for me. The scene was excelent, but the score felt somewhat wrong. Perhaps if there was more score throughout the film, that peice would've been more powerful. But I did see Zimmer get thanked at the end! I was like "yeah they totally used The Thin Red Line as a temp score."

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Originally posted by sean:
Clayton, that's what I loved so much about Miami Vice: How ridiculously serious everyone is in the film, it's absurd, but it works! Colin Ferrell twitching his moustache is outrageous and downright hilarious, since he clearly ain't used to having one and Foxx's "Let's take it to the limit one more time..." is constantly funny for me. Also, you know what's hilarious is the scene, in Public Enemies, where they're trying to decide what movie theatre John Dillinger will be at! HAHA!!! (Got me thinking of what theatre I'd be cornered at. The one playing Up or the one playing Superman: The Movie.) Mann should just hire Zimmer for his next film, it seems they constantly just brush paths... I believe Zimmer and James Newton Howard were originally paired for Collateral, in the distant past.

[Message edited by sean on 07-03-2009]

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I think you're right about Zimmer and Howard on Collateral. I forgot all about that! But to me, that was one of Michael Mann's best movies. That and Heat.

The absolute worst idea was the one to make a 1930s piece look like a 1980s home movie: Oh look, blades of grass shot on video. Oh look, blown out lights with fringing shot on video, in 90% of the shots no less. Oh look, I didn't light this scene properly either, but it's video so it doesn't matter. I can't imagine that a $100+ million film looks worse than some YouTube productions.

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Originally posted by nuts_score:
Here's Nutso's quick take on Mann's Public Enemies:

The best film of the year. I doubt they'll make one better.

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Originally posted by nuts_score:
Sean: watch out for my essay soon to be published on the front page of FSM. I'm hoping to open your eyes.

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http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/daily/article.cfm/articleID/6306/%3Cem%3ECahiers-du%3Cem%3E-Mann--Notes-on-%3Cem%3EPublic-Enemies%3Cem%3E/

Yet another film to use 'Bye Bye Blackbird'

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Originally posted by Camillu:
I experienced the same problem - low volume on the dialogue, normal volume on everything else.

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Originally posted by franz_conrad:
Brilliant film! Some unusual sound mixing choices at moments, but no moment-breakers there for me.

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Originally posted by franz_conrad:
I did, glancingly, before seeing the film. I must read it again now.

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Great news! Enjoy.