Showing posts with label Johnny Depp. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Johnny Depp. Show all posts

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Public Enemies


Michael Mann: Public Enemies (US 2009). Johnny Depp as John Dillinger.

Public Enemies / Public Enemies.
    US 2009. PC: Forward Pass, Misher Films. Released by Universal. P: Michael Mann, Kevin Misher. 
    D: Michael Mann. SC: Ronan Bennett, Michael Mann, Ann Biderman – based on the book Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933–34. DP: Dante Spinotti – camera original: 35 mm (Kodak Vision3 500T 5219) Super 35 and HDTV: HDCAM SR – Digital Intermediate 2K – released on 35 mm anamorphic and D-Cinema. M: Elliot Goldenthal. 
    CAST: Johnny Depp (John Dillinger), Christian Bale (Melvin Purvis), Marion Cotillard (Billie Frechette), Channing Tatum (Pretty Boy Floyd), Giovanni Ribisi (Alvin Karpis), Billy Crudup (J. Edgar Hoover).
    141 min
    Released in Finland by Finnkino with Finnish and Swedish subtitles.
    D-Cinema viewed at Tennispalatsi 2, 28 Aug 2009.

I watched the first 40 minutes only to get an impression of the D-Cinema presentation. I regard Michael Mann very highly and intend to catch the whole film later. These comments are just on the D-Cinema qualities, which had been praised by Mr. Kalle Kinnunen, always sober in his assessments. Yes, the technical specs are excellent in all departments. But: this is a 2K picture. Yet: it looks ultra-sharp and brilliant. There is no problem with the close-ups of faces and eyes. The picture starts in the prison, and there is no disappointment in the cinematography of the prison circumstances. The gangster theme and the urban milieux are opportune for digital. The night cinematography looks great, the black tones are fine. The trouble starts as soon as we get into the woods, into the thickets, into the greens. They don't look bad, but the lively, organic, juicy feeling of the photochemical image is missing. The 2K projection of a picture based on 2K intermediate still looks more like brilliant plastic than a good photochemical presentation.

Friday, March 07, 2008

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street


Tim Burton: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (US/GB 2007). Johnny Depp as Sweeney Todd.

Sweeney Todd: Fleet Streetin paholaisparturi / Sweeney Todd (Swedish title). 
    US/GB © 2007 DreamWorks / Warner Bros. D: Tim Burton. Based on the musical (1979) by Stephen Sondheim (music and lyrics) and Hugh Wheeler (book). DP: Dariusz Wolski - shot on 35 mm Panavision DeLuxe - digital intermediate master format - 35 mm screening format. PD: Dante Ferretti. Starring: Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd), Helena Bonham Carter (Mrs. Lovett), Alan Rickman (Judge Turpin), Timothy Spall (Beadle Bamford), Sacha Baron Cohen (Adolfo Pirelli). 
    116 min
    Rated 18 in Finland.
    Released by Sandrew Metronome Distribution Finland, Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Janne Staffans. 
    Viewed at Tennispalatsi 3, Helsinki, 7 March 2008. 

Top talent in a top production. The actors sing themselves, quite well. The digital look is consistent and aesthetically well-judged. This splatter musical has gotten top reviews, but I'd like to comment that it is 40 minutes too long and although Depp is intense, it's a one-note performance. The story of the man brutalized by vengeance is familiar in horror movies; I expected more. Helena Bonham Carter at her best on her journey to the dark side. I keep thinking that she's never recovered from the remark of Eddy and Patsy in Absolutely Fabulous where they call Saffron, Eddy's highly proper daughter, "Helena Bonham Carter". She has spent years to demolish that image.