Public Enemies DVD and Blu-ray exclusive

Public Enemies is available December 8 on home video and the French actress shines in her role as Johnny Depp's John Dillinger's girlfriend. Through Cotillard, the audience is giving a ride into the wild world of one of the country's most notorious gangsters.

Dillinger was a charismatic bank robber whose sensational grab and dash from the nation's banks made him the stuff of legend to Americans in the grip of The Great Depression. The more he became popular, the more Dillinger was sought after by the head of the FBI and its top cop, J Edgar Hoover. Hoover (Billy Crudup) sends in his top agent, Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) to hunt down and stop the "modern Robin Hood" from making a mockery of the United States justice system.

There was also one small little problem. Should Dillinger be caught, he had a nasty habit of escaping as no one else prior.

Cotillard portrays Dillinger's girlfriend, Billie Frechette. As directed by Michael Mann, Cotillard had the pleasure of working for a director whose attention to detail knows no bounds, thus allowing her to completely explore her character on many levels.

Witnessing the story of Dillinger as inhabited by one of our generations best actors in Johnny Depp is a treasure. Public Enemies illustrates how an actor such as Depp can so effortlessly lose himself in a character. Depp's Dillinger is unlike any Depp performance you've ever seen. He is steely while charming, tenacious while thrilling and all the while -- as is always the case with Depp -- the audience forgets they're watching "Johnny Depp."

Public Enemies is the fourth of an avalanche of home video releases for December 8. Between the Lost Season Five complete set, the delicious Julie and Julia and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Hollywood has given home video connoisseurs something for everyone. (All our reviews are highlighted above by movie title.)

Where Public Enemies sets itself apart from the pack is how in a Mann film, one is completely swept into the world he has crafted. Oscar nominations abound for the director and its cast with a win in 2007 for Cotillard. So, simultaneously Public Enemies is an Oscar-caliber film that also doubles as a historical drama that feels like a popcorn movie.

It is one of the year's best.

exclusive look at the costumes & makeup on Public Enemies

In this exclusive from the Public Enemies DVD, see how the magic of the movies brought the '20s era to life.

Public Enemies extras

• Larger than Life: Adversaries -- Stars Johnny Depp and Christian Bale face off in their portrayals of the real legendary gangsters shown in the film.
• Michael Mann: Making Public Enemies -- See Michael Mann work with his cast and crew including Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and Marion Cotillard.
• Last of the Legendary Outlaws -- A look at the real John Dillinger and other notorious American gangsters including Bonnie and Clyde and Pretty Boy Floyd.
• On Dillinger's Trail: The Real Locations -- Compare the real locations used in the film through behind-the-scenes and archival footage.
• Director's Commentary -- Feature commentary with director Michael Mann.
• Criminal Technology --A study of the guns from the 1930s. Watch Johnny Depp and other cast members learn how to fire them realistically.

Public Enemies on Blu-ray Hi-Def offers these exclusive additional features:

• U-Control -- Universal's exclusive signature feature puts the viewer just one click away from going deeper into the making of the film without ever leaving the movie.
• Picture-In-Picture -- Dig deeper behind-the-scenes with production-related featurettes on how cast and crew brought Dillinger and his accomplices to life.
• Interactive Timeline -- Follow three timelines of a national crime spree that spanned 14 months from 1933-1934 and view in depth coverage on Dillinger and his gang through archival materials, historians and family members
• BD-LiveBlu-ray viewers can access the BD-Live Center through an Internet-connected player to download more exclusive content, the latest trailers and more!
• My Chat -- Use Internet-connected players to host a text chat while watching the movie with friends who also own Public Enemies on Blu-ray Hi-Def.
• My Public Enemies Commentary -- UniversalHiDef.com and the BD-Live Center together offer the opportunity to create video, audio or text commentary that can be shared with others in the BD-Live community.
• My Scenes Sharing -- Bookmark favorite scenes from the movie then share with BD-Live buddies!
• Gangster Movie Challenge -- Test your knowledge of some of Hollywood's most infamous gangsters, then see how you rank on the leaderboard.

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