where: CENTURY REGENCY 6 in San Rafael, CA
when: Thursday, July 2nd, 2009
show: 8:40 pm
costs: $10.00 ticket + $4.25 medium Diet Coke/Zero + $2.16 bulk chocolate candies = $16.41
auditorium: 6
seat: 5th row, 14th column
It is the early 1930's during the Great Depression, desperate times calling for desperate measures. The desperate men who rise to the challenge go on to become legends in the annals of American Crime History, men such as "Pretty Boy" Floyd ( Channing Tatum ), "Baby Face" Nelson ( Stephen Graham ) and, of course, the incomparable John Dillinger ( Johnny Depp ), the man who inspired the law to get tough on crime. Banks are closing and homeowners are foreclosing ( these sound familiar to you? ). Organized crime is enjoying a burgeoning business across state lines and law enforcement is stretched to the limits of its capabilities. Clearly, a harsh message has to be sent to the criminal elements. John Dillinger, the first "public enemy # 1," must be captured "Dead or DEAD!" as J. Edgar Hoover ( Billy Crudup ) unleashes on him a determined Chicago Detective, Melvin Purvis ( Christian Bale ), who closes-in evermore for the kill.
John Dillinger, a cocky, daring, charming and smart criminal with an inscrutable code of honor arrives at his defining moment which endears him in the hearts of his true love, Billie Frechette ( Marion Cotillard ), and of the disenfranchised folks suffering through the depression.
predictions: Three Oscar nominations: Best Actor - Johnny Depp, Best Actress - Marion Cotillard, Best Supporting Actor - Stephen Graham.
noteworthy scenes: 1.) The first jail-break; 2.) J. Edgar Hoover introducing Detective Purvis to the reporters and giving the audience an insinuating glimpse at his rumored sexual proclivity; 3.) John's first date with Billie; 4.) The hat & coat check counter; 5.) The second jail-break; 6.) The public service announcement at the theatre; 7.) The talk with Det. Purvis; 8.) The intense shoot-out involving the trigger-happy "Baby Face" Nelson at the hide-away; 9.) The passing of the National Crime Bill; 10.) Billie's interrogation; 11.) The casual stroll through the Chicago Police Department as a Yankees game is aired on the radio; and 12.) Going to the theatre to watch the Clark Gable movie, MANHATTAN MELODRAMA.
audience reaction: The audience was in rapt attention.
recommendation: Whenever a Hollywood movie is billed as one based on a true story, you can be sure of two things: 1.) Creative license is used to EMBELLISH the story and 2.) COMPOSITE characters are thrown-in for good measure; so that I just roll-up my eyes and moan, Oh, no, not again .... But this movie is different, as it breaks away from the pack. Anybody who is interested in American History will be well-served by this movie. Go see it.
spoiler alert! I don't know how in the early 30's they got away with an imposing black man in the car with them at a time when racial segregation was still the norm in this country. The big coward who interrogated Billie didn't get what he deserved. The unjustifiable gunning-down was a senseless act; why it happened, we'll never know.
fyi: Marion Cotillard won a Best Actress in a Foreign Film at the Oscars for her superb performance in the French movie LA VIE EN ROSE. Go see this movie if only to know what a deadly combination of smoking, drinking, and doing drugs can do to a person mentally and physically--it is a very disturbingly graphic depiction in this must-see movie about a real-life person, Edith Piaf.
Speaking of Marion Cotillard, she bears a resemblance to my second sister in her younger years.
The very first movie that I saw at this cineplex is the original X-MEN.
word of advice: Boycott the Chinese buffet mentioned below!
tidbits: It was around 6:15 pm when I arrived here in Novato, CA. I still had about an hour and 15 minutes before the scheduled start of PUBLIC ENEMIES at the Novato Century Rowland Plaza. After talking to my eldest sister on my cell-phone, I decided to eat first at Fuzhou Super Buffet just across the freeway from the cineplex, before seeing the movie. There I was returning to my seat at around 7:00 pm when I noticed that the plate that I had just finished was still on the table. I sat down and started eating when a waitress came over and told me that I hadn't finished eating all the rice left on the first plate ( about 3/4ths cup ), and that I should finish it first before I eat all the rice on my second plate! Can you believe the nerve of such a bitch? I've been eating at Chinese buffets for over 12 years now and this is A FIRST! I just snorted like a hog and kept on eating. What else could I do? I was busy eating like a pig and she was ruining the rhythm that I had going for me which involved a lot of eye-hand-mouth coordination! You've heard of bean counters, right? Well, apparently, in China they have rice counters! She'll probably save that rice and add it to tomorrow's Fried Rice!
I was so upset that my abdominal muscles constricted so that I became full before I could scarf down some dessert! So I just sat there and waited and waited and waited for my abdominals to relax because I knew I still had room in there for some more. In the meantime, the bitch kept checking-up on me to see if I ate the remaining rice on the first plate--I didn't, of course, since I was already done with it as far as I was concerned. She was messing-up my relaxation and concentration, and training ( I want to be the next hot-dog eating champion, in keeping with Vallejo's new tradition ). I missed the 7:30 pm show in the process. But there's another cineplex a few miles down the freeway with a scheduled 8:40 pm show. So I waited and waited and waited some more--but to no avail. Damn! no dessert this time--she might as well have sent me back to my room, that bitch!
So, did I leave her a tip? Nope, but I should have left her with this: Don't quit your rice-counting day job 'cause you ain't got what it takes to be a waitress--and you're not even a good-looking one. I've seen some hot Chinese waitresses before but I'm not looking at one right now!
If it's any consolation, my cookie fortune says: "You will make a name for yourself in the field of entertainment." This is no lie. I have this fortune in my wallet to show to anyone who demands proof of it.
Hey, I should apply for work as a writer at a fortune cookie factory. I'll start off with this: Confused So says, "Man who walks in front of moving car gets tired fast." Damn, I'm good!
