American Gangster

Not to sound like I am above it all, because, of course, I also stopped at the corner of Roscoe and Clark during the shoot of Public Enemies to possibly catch a glimpse of Johnny Depp, but it is somewhat astounding how little respect people generally have for a film production. People were literally yelling out to Johnny in the middle of shooting.
Public Enemies has been shooting around the Midwest, and specifically around Chicago for months now, and not just by chance, but because it is about John Dillinger, a famous gangster who lived the end of his life in our beloved city, and who was shot right outside the Biograph Theater in Lincoln Park (A digression: I have always loved the part in High Fidelity where Rob complains about how Dillinger inevitably was caught by the police. “You know who tipped them off? His fucking girlfriend! He just wanted to see a movie.”)

Out of the maybe 100 people crowded around the shoot, it seemed that no one knew what this period gangster film was about despite the period dress and cars, and on top of that, no one knew who was directing or anyone else cast in what looks to be a pretty incredible combination of cast and crew. Besides the great Johnny Depp, the film co-stars Christian Bale, Channing Tatum, Billy Crudup, Leeli Sobieski (don’t know how to feel about that one), Emelie de Ravin, Gionvanni Ribisi, Marion Cottilard, Lili Taylor, and Rory Cochrane. That cast alone, count me in.
Michael Mann is directing, who directed greats like Manhunter, The Insider, Heat, and Collateral. He was able to freely be within feet of the crowd without a single person saying peep. It may be hypocritical for me since I also didn’t remember what he looked like, but I would think at least one other person would have recongnized him. Plus, when statements like “I might recognize the director if he was Spielberg” are made it's extra insulting. But alas, it’s Johnny’s show.