Movie: Public Enemies * Trailer * 6 Clips * Images * Official Site	In Theaters: July 1, 2009
Runtime: 140 minutes	Directed by: Michael Mann
MPAA Rating: R for gangster violence and some language	Gecko Rating:

I wondered if "Public Enemies" would romanticize the gangster life, and it sort of does. But it also gives the other side of the story – the blood, violence, and nastiness.

Still, this movie mostly romanticizes it, mainly because Johnny Depp is just so darn cute. What girl could resist his charms, gangster or not? Plus, I think he’s actually getting better looking as he gets older. But enough of my crush…

In "Public Enemies," Depp plays notorious gangster John Dillinger in the 1930s. It’s not a life story or anything; the movie actually picks up with him getting out of prison after something like nine years. Apparently, he’s learned nothing in there, because he’s right back at it, gathering the gang back together and planning their next bank robbery.

We really don’t see a lot of the other gangsters – it’s mostly about Dillinger – but on the sidelines is Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham), Pretty Boy Floyd (Channing Tatum) and others. In a nightclub, Depp spots the beautiful Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard) and goes over to introduce himself. He wastes no time and not only strikes up a romance right away, but also tells her who he is and what he does. "I’m John Dillinger, and I rob banks." She resists his charms at first, but they’re soon involved in a torrid affair.

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Actors Hilary Swank and Jeffrey Dean Morgan are currently filming "The Resident" in New York City, and I’ve got a couple of on-set images below.

The thriller follows a young doctor (Swank) who suspects she may not be alone in her new Brooklyn loft. She soon learns that her landlord is obsessed with her. Scheduled for a 2010 release, the movie is directed by Antti J. Jokinen and also stars Christopher Lee.

Hey, it’s nice to see Jeffrey Dean Morgan playing something besides a dead guy, and Swank is great with the dramatic roles. Should be a good pairing.

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I love it when studios release movies on Wednesday, because it helps to break things up and gives us a chance to see lots of new movies in the same week!

In Theaters Today:

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (PG). Released in regular and 3D formats, this third movie in the franchise finds Scrat still on the hunt for that elusive acorn (and possibly finding love with a female sabre-toothed squirrel); Manny and Ellie expecting a baby; Diego pondering his place in the world; and Sid wishing for a family of his own. Rated PG for some mild rude humor and peril. [Trailer] [Poster] [Official Site]

Public Enemies (R). Directed by Michael Mann, this gangster movie tells the story of charismatic John Dillinger (Johnny Depp), whose bank raids made him the number one target of J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) and his fledgling FBI, including agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale). Rated R for gangster violence and some language. [Trailer] [6 Clips] [Images] [Official Site]

Images: © Universal Pictures

I’m giddy over the release of "Public Enemies" next Wednesday, July 1, 2009. Here are a few clips of the premiere, with Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard and Leelee Sobieski talking tommy guns, cars and fedoras.

Thanks to MTV for the videos, and check out all of Film Gecko’s "Public Enemies" coverage!

Johnny Depp: What motivates an outlaw? 

There’s a great story on Johnny Depp in the July issue of Vanity Fair. Here’s an excerpt from writer Douglas Brinkley, who joined the 46-year-old star on his 156-foot yacht in the Caribbean:

"I am, as it happens, a guest on the private island of Johnny Depp. For reasons that surely once made sense, this 45-acre Bahamian dollop appears on maps as Little Hall’s Pond Cay. And this idyllic stretch of sand has been re-christened by the actor as Lily Rose Beach, after his 10-year-old daughter. We are surrounded by silver buttonwood, mangrove thickets, flowering plants, and a huge coconut tree about to drop its fruit. Tiki torches flicker in the shadows."

So begins the journey on which Depp talks about his John Dillinger film "Public Enemies" (in theaters July 1), his new film "The Rum Diaries," barracudas, friend Marlon Brando and much more.

"Money doesn’t buy you happiness," says Depp. "But it buys you a big enough yacht to sail right up to it." Read the full story here, and below, watch a video of Depp and Christian Bale (who plays Melvin Purvis) at the L.A. premiere of "Public Enemies."

I just posted a little tidbit about Antonio Banderas doing nude scenes as he turns 50 years old, so I thought I’d post a few stills from "The Code" (said movie in which he strips down).

Also known as "Thick as Thieves," "The Code" bypassed theaters and went straight to DVD yesterday. The story follows a veteran thief, Keith Ripley (Morgan Freeman), who recruits a younger crook, Gabriel Martin (Antonio Banderas), to help him pull one final job so he can repay his debt to the Russian mob. But what Ripley doesn’t know is that the younger crook is actually a Miami cop working with the NYPD to bring him to justice.

Gabriel gets involved in a romance with Ripley’s goddaughter, Alexandra (Radha Mitchell). When they get around to pulling the final job, a Russian mobster kidnaps the goddaughter and demands two Faberge eggs stolen in return.

Directed by Mimi Leder (a veteran filmmaker whose credits go back to "China Beach" and "Hill Street Blues"), "The Code" is rated R for sexuality, language and some nudity. With Freeman and Banderas, it sounds like a lovely game of cat-and-mouse shenanigans. Buy it on DVD or Blu-ray.

More pics after the jump…

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Movie stud Antonio Banderas has been known for showing some skin in his movie roles – well, at least taking his shirt off! But as he gets closer to 50, he’s a little leery of getting naked on screen.

Sure, he does it for his love scenes with Radha Mitchell in the upcoming crime drama The Code, but he wasn’t exactly comfortable with it.

He told the New York Post: "It’s always uneasy when you get into bed with a woman on screen. It’s difficult because you have 50 people around, and there are some people who are sensitive to that." 

He said he wanted to be as respectful to Mitchell as possible. "At the same time, I’m nearly 50 years old, and even I start getting more wary of those scenes. Everything changes as you get older - your mind, your body, the way you view the world."

Well, he still looks darn good to me, but I think it would be really weird getting naked onscreen with someone who’s not your real-life partner. All part of the acting process, I guess.

Image: Antonio Banderas as master thief Gabriel in "The Code," courtesy of First Look Studios, photo by Eric Liebowitz; Source: WENN

The release date for “Public Enemies” is fast approaching – July 1, 2009! – and I’ve got a few new clips below. Also check out 9 images, official site info, trailers here and here, and a 30-second clip.

Directed by Michael Mann, the movie tells the story of charismatic gangster John Dillinger (Johnny Depp), whose bank raids made him the number one target of J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) and his fledgling FBI, including agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale).

The story also delves into Dillinger’s girlfriend Bill Frechette (Marion Cotillard), and his gang, including Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham) and Alvin Karpis (Giovanni Ribisi). Hoover made Dillinger America’s first “Public Enemy Number One” and sent in Purvis, the dashing "Clark Gable of the FBI.’’

Dillinger reassures Billy at the racetrack:

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Yes, it’s true. Tom Cruise and J.J. Abrams are teaming up for a fourth “Mission: Impossible” movie for Paramount. They’re looking at a 2011 release date.

I enjoyed all of the “M:I” movies, but the first was probably my favorite. By the box office numbers: “MI:1” - $452 million; “MI:2” - $545 million; and “MI:3” - $395 million.

I’ll look forward to seeing what they do with a fourth movie. Abrams has been successful rebooting “Star Trek,” so I expect he’ll bring back “Mission: Impossible” from its low numbers on the third movie.

And interesting that so many of these franchises are coming back with the original stars, like Harrison Ford in “Indiana Jones” and Bruce Willis in “Die Hard,” to name two.

Any thoughts on this? Are you onboard for a fourth “Mission: Impossible” movie?

Image: © Paramount Pictures; Source: Hollywood Reporter

“Public Enemies” hits theaters July 1, 2009, and it’s one of my most anticipated movies of the year.

Directed by Michael Mann, it tells the story of charismatic gangster John Dillinger (Johnny Depp), whose bank raids made him the number one target of J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) and his fledgling FBI, including agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale).

The story also delves into Dillinger’s girlfriend Bill Frechette (Marion Cotillard), and his gang, including Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham) and Alvin Karpis (Giovanni Ribisi). Hoover made Dillinger America’s first “Public Enemy Number One” and sent in Purvis, the dashing “Clark Gable of the FBI.’’ 

If it seems like an old West shootout, you’re not far off. Purvis brought in a crew of Western ex-lawmen and orchestrated multiple betrayals, from the infamous “Lady in Red’’ to Chicago crime boss Frank Nitti.

Are you looking forward to this movie as much as I am?

More pics after the jump…

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