Public Enemies

In Depression-era America, brilliant gangster John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) plans a series of daring bank heists across the Midwest with a band of accomplices labelled the Public Enemies. As their success turns them into folk heroes, Dillinger and his gang are pursued by Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale), the FBI's number one agent. Marion Cotillard plays Billie Frechette, Dillinger's singer girlfriend.

Ian Nathan, Empire: The genre may seem familiar, that rat-a-tat-tat of Tommy guns, molls and dapper hoods, but never with this level of immersion. If Mann's mission was simply to portray the early '30s with pin-sharp realism, he has triumphed. This is not a film about the '30s - it is a film in the '30s. Those familiar with a Mann's man - embattled souls with good skills - will spot the guile and moral slipperiness in John Dillinger. (Verdict: five stars out of five)

Nigel Andrews, Financial Times: Depp's mesmeric underplaying finds moments of stillness in Dillinger - only his eyes reflecting the surrounding mayhem - while Bale's Noh-like impassivity, and his voice delivering an accent somewhere between Fate and George W Bush, might be comical if it weren't scary. Mann, writing, directing and producing, offers the extra contrariness of casting Marion Vie en Rose Cotillard as Dillinger's girl Billie Frechette. We expect a standard-issue gangster's moll, we get a pop-eyed volatile beauty with an unplaceable accent. (Verdict: four stars out of five)

Wendy Ide, the Times: Mann's digital aesthetic seems to involve making the movie look as grimy and unpolished as possible... The sound mix is chaotic. It sounds as if the words are blurred. Key lines of dialogue are lost to random swells from the score, others jump in volume for no apparent reason halfway through… Depp takes the central role but, even with his undeniable skill and charisma, fails to invest the role with much detail other than the fact that he's a bloke who robbed banks and had a taste for dandyish clothing. Slightly more interesting is Billy Crudup's meticulously prissy portrayal of the young J Edgar Hoover. (Verdict: two stars out of five)