Michael Mann’s Public Enemies leads the pack of “12 Big Movies Coming in 2009” featured in the new issue of Entertainment Weekly (cover date January 9, 2009). EW talked to Johnny Depp, who plays daring Depression-era bank robber John Dillinger, about his approach to the role. ”Dillinger was one of those guys, like Charlie Chaplin and Evel Knievel, that I was fascinated with at a young age,” JD told the magazine. He explained that his grandfather “ran moonshine” in Kentucky during Prohibition. ”And because of my grandfather, the character was pretty easy for me to connect to. In a way, this movie was a salute to him.”

EW thinks that Public Enemies should resonate with audiences who have just lived through the worst year for the U.S. economy since 1931. “[T]he film’s themes couldn’t be more timely,” notes EW. “Dillinger was sticking up banks at a time when people weren’t exactly rooting for the banks. As a result, he became something larger than life–a rock star with a tommy gun.” And what does Johnny Depp think of the character he plays? ”Some people might disagree, but I think he was a real-life Robin Hood,” JD said. “I mean, the guy wasn’t completely altruistic, but he went out of his way not to kill anybody. He definitely gave a lot of that money away. I love the guy.”

The Zone thanks RumLover for sharing the link to EW’s online gallery; you can read more of their story on Public Enemies HERE. For a spirited discussion of the Entertainment Weekly story, see the Zone’s News & Views forum, and to see a larger version of the Peter Mountain photo at left, CLICK HERE. –Part-Time Poet