>>>John Dillinger was a violent man who died a violent death.

In "Public Enemies," we learn the story of how he evaded the FBI - even escaping from prison - to become a nationally known bank robber and Public Enemy No. 1.

You probably won't like Dillinger much. This isn't the kind of guy you'd want your sister to bring home for a holiday dinner. That doesn't mean, however, that you won't be interested in him.

In a sense, Dillinger is the criminal version of a workaholic here. He tends to business, the business of robbing banks, and that's pretty much where his mind is focused. He's not afraid or sorry when he has to gun somebody down in the process. He's strict with his own gang and shows no mercy toward fools or for foul-ups.

Dillinger lived well as a criminal, but not ostentatiously. He had little time for frivolity. Johnny Depp plays him as a serious man with a certain charisma who earned loyalty from the friends he protected and those who were willing to protect him from the law.

He wants to remain invisible, and he very nearly is. There's a great scene, based on fact, in which he saunters into the Dillinger Bureau of the Chicago Police Department and asks the agents, all of whom are listening to the radio, how a baseball game is going.

His nemesis is Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale), the G-man appointed by J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) himself to bring Dillinger to justice. Purvis knows he's going to need some help.

Dillinger's "romance," if you can call it that, involves Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard, "La Vie en Rose"). His wooing is straightforward, matter-of-fact and determined. Why would a woman such as Billie take up with someone like Dillinger? Well ... why not?

The show has an authentic feel, with its scenes centering around actual places - especially in the Midwest - and events that occurred in the 1930s, plus a soundtrack that helps establish the Great Depression time period. (You're liable to be humming "Bye Bye Blackbird" on your way home.)

Director Michael Mann is great at helming crime stories. He directed two of my favorites, "Manhunter" and "Heat." And here's another one, this time a historical drama, that's a serious film for serious viewers.