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Movie Review: Public Enemies

Public Enemies

What better holiday weekend cinematic fare than having guns, explosions, and the incredible acting skill of Johnny Depp?  Right?  Well, you’ll get all of the aforementioned in , however, all three do not make this movie as great as you would like. Public Enemies is a story about notorious bank robber, John DIllinger (Depp) and his love for Billie Frechette played by Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard and the impossibility of that love, all things considered.  Dillinger was Public Enemy number one to the United States, but also other crime syndicates, considering the heat his actions brought to the forefront.

Overall, the movie is only okay, but at times it seemed a bit too slow and if you’re the type that gets nauseous with shaky camera scenes, be forewarned.  Understand, this is a Michael Mann-directed film, so there will be a lot of pore-revealing close-ups, which actually humanizes the actors, and handheld type shots.  The acting is good, particularly from Depp, Cotillard, and , who does a way better job than he did in The Dark Knight.  In any case, the problem with the movie is that it didn’t strike a good mix between the love story and the bad deeds of Dillinger or establish certain characters and why we should care for them.

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In Theaters This Holiday Weekend: July 1, 2009

Johnny Depp in Public Enemies

Here are some possible suggestions for your 4th of July weekend:

Click to continue reading In Theaters This Holiday Weekend: July 1, 2009


Jimmy Cagney: The First Public Enemy


Public Enemies, starring and Christian Bale, isn’t the first gangster flick Hollywood has made and it certainly won’t be the last. Detailing the 1933-34 efforts of the FBI to thwart Depression-era criminals John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd, the movie will take viewers into the massive manhunt and the rampant crime that marked this period of American history. Stories of these legendary criminal figures and others (Bonnie and Clyde is one good example) have long lit up the silver screen.

The very first Public Enemy list was created in 1930, the term coined by Frank J. Loesch. At the top of the list was notorious gangster Al Capone. This became the start of the Public Enemy Era, but it also became the start for a much more benign era in Hollywood: .

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Box Office Breakdown: Audiences Agree on The Proposal

The Proposal's Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock

It seems a little skin might just go a long way.

After weeks of talking to the media about their joint nude scene, Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds saw their movie take the top spot. Was it a coincidence? Maybe. Whatever the reason, became the actress’ biggest opener ever. Prior to this weekend, 2007’s Premonition - a horrible film, btw - had Bullock’s largest debut. (That movie grossed $17.6 million, almost 1/2 less than the romantic comedy.)

Meanwhile, Reynolds is this week’s Bradley Cooper. Sandra’s leading man, like The Hangover star, has just had his second #1 film of the year. (The first being Wolverine.)

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Read More | Variety

Box Office Breakdown: Hangover Hangs on for Another Win

The Hangover's Ed Helms and Heather Graham

This is one hangover that’s taking a while to recover from.

For the second week in a row, the must-see comedy of the summer has taken the top spot at the charts. The Hangover, which already had a greenlighted sequel prior to its debut, raked in another $32.7 million over the weekend. The film has now earned over $100 million and given Bradley Cooper his second #1 entry of the year. (His first was February’s He’s Just Not That Into You.)

Sitting in third place this week (right behind Up), was , a remake of a 1974 version starring starring Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw. The action thriller, which had Denzel Washington working with director Tony Scott for the fourth time, pulled in a respectable $23.3 million. Meanwhile, Imagine That, Eddie Murphy’s latest stinker, earned $5.5 million in wide release. That gross bests the premiere of Meet Dave by approximately $200,000.

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Read More | Variety

Box Office Breakdown: The Hangover Rises Above Up

The Hangover

Unlike most Mike Tyson fights, ‘s win was no knockout.

After a back-and-forth battle with Up, Todd Phillips’ film about an eventful bachelor party edged out the animated pic by less than $1 million. Hangover - which features no major stars (unless you count the boxer) - grossed nearly $45 million on its opening weekend. That’s the third best debut for an R-rated comedy ever. (Only Sex and the City and American Pie 2 have done better.)

Meanwhile, a project actually featuring an A-lister became the summer’s first stinker. , starring Will Ferrell, Anna Friel and Danny McBride, earned a sad $18.8 million over the past three days. Although that amount was good enough for third place, the film cost an estimated $100 million to make.

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Read More | Yahoo! Movies

Box Office Breakdown: Disney/Pixar Flying High with Up

Up

The word “Pixar” always seems to generate smiles, and that’s exactly what did for Disney.

Over the weekend, the Cannes Film Festival opener generated $68.1 million, over $40 million more than its nearest competitor. The movie - which was also offered in 3D - also bested last year’s Wall-E (by $5 million) and had Pixar’s 3rd-best debut. (The Incredibles opened to $70.5 million in 2004; Finding Nemo grossed $70.3 million in 2003.)

Friday’s other new wide release, , scared up only $15.8 million for a 4th place finish. Although it originally looked as if the horror film would surpass Terminator Salvation, the final numbers were $8 million below Sunday’s projections.

Another noteworthy mention: officially crossed the $200 million mark after only four weeks in release. The Paramount feature is now the first movie of the year to reach that achievement.

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Read More | Variety

Box Office Breakdown: Ben Stiller Defeats Christian Bale

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

Was it a result of Christian Bale’s rant? The presence of that other science fiction movie? Or the lack of family-friendly fare?

When the dust from the weekend settled, a surprising entry emerged as the winner. Despite the country’s current love for action sequels/prequels, a much calmer feature - - was the choice for entertainment this holiday. Ben Stiller’s comedy follow-up raked in $70 million giving the actor his best live-action debut ever. Smithsonian also became the best PG-rated opener for Memorial Day.

Museum‘s victory meant a disappointing 2nd place finish for . Although the saga’s fourth installment earned more than T3‘s debut, its $51.9 million gross ($65.3 million since Thursday) put it nowhere near the estimated $200 million budget. The numbers did give director McG, though, his best premiere since 2000’s Charlie’s Angels.

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Read More | Variety

In Theaters This Weekend: May 22, 2009

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

Here are some possible suggestions for your upcoming weekend:

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This Week on DVD and Blu-ray: May 19, 2009

Valkyrie DVDHere are some of the options available this Tuesday:

  • 3 Days of the Condor: Blu-ray
  • Batman: Blu-ray
  • A Bug’s Life: Blu-ray
  • Changing Lanes: Blu-ray
  • Enemy at the Gates: Blu-ray
  • Fanboys: DVD
  • The Friends of Eddie Coyle: DVD
  • Lion for Lambs: Blu-ray
  • The Machinist: Blu-ray
  • Man Hunt: DVD
  • The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: DVD
  • My Bloody Valentine 3D: DVD, Blu-ray

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Read More | Amazon

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