The regret of inevitability -- is the film too slow or is my attention span too short?

          Tonight I watched Public Enemies for the third or fourth time. The first time I saw it, I didn't know what to think of it, despite the cinematic setting. Historically, Michael Mann had created something beautifully accurate. Everything, even down to John Dillinger and Johnny's Depp's matching clothing sizes, made the film a legitimate piece of history. Why then, may I ask, didn't this film go over better with the public. Why didn't the box office take a bigger leap? Is the American viewing public so obsessed with action flicks that a crafted film doesn't stand a chance? Maybe it's just the sap in my that makes me love this film so much, but, in my personal opinion, it deserved louder applause.

          For starters, Public Enemies is straight up eye candy. And, no, not because it stars Johnny Depp (though that detail definitely doesn't hurt). Visually, the costumes alone are enough to make me lose my breath. Whether it's the long, dark, and mysterious trench coats or JD holding a Tommy gun with convincing attitude, Enemies dropped me into another time and place. Even if the writing and/or direction of this film had not sufficed in keeping my attention, the visual aspect might have managed the job on its own. Luckily for me, however, I feel the writing was outstanding. Will this film keep every viewer's attention? No. No film, that I know of, can accomplish that fete. What's more, bio/history-pics don't exactly own the box office. Gems like Saving Private Ryan and The Patriot are good examples of different times history ruled the hen house; however, I would personally question how much those box office numbers were influenced by the amount of action portrayed in those films. Don't read me wrong here, I love both of those flicks (I mean I really love them!), but if they had lacked in the action category, I suspect they would have had fewer returns. Not that I'm complaining. I'm a fan of the action genre myself, but I'm saddened to think that many accredited films have been tossed aside merely because they demanded an attention span that an action-saturated audience couldn't keep up with.

          In my own perfect film world, action films only have the amount of action necessary to effectively convey the story, and slower films aren't polluted with needless action sequences in order to seduce ticket-buyers.

          Ending on a lighter note, how amazing a job did Johnny Depp do in this movie! Amazing. He may make one heck of a pirate, but this is the type of role that shows off his real acting abilities.