Ask Mick LaSalle: Johnny Depp calls his own shots

Universal PETER MOUNTAIN

Johnny Depp proves his abilities aren't limited in Michael Mann's "Public Enemies."

Hey Mick: Johnny Depp seems to be wasting his time too often playing a character rather than more serious acting roles. If you agree, what director would you pair him up with?

Tom Jelenic, San Mateo

Hey Tom: Johnny Depp is one of the most successful human beings on the planet, so he's not going to listen to anybody's advice. Why should he? My own opinion is that his character work - except in comic performances - is precious and self-conscious. Even in "The Tourist," which was a relatively straight romantic role, he hid behind tics and quirks and came up with something empty, designed not to inhabit a character but to call attention to his own invention. That he can do better, as in Mike Newell's "Donnie Brasco" and Michael Mann's "Public Enemies," shows we're not talking about any limitation in ability but about an actor with a certain idea of himself, which might be the wrong idea. But the question remains, why should Depp listen to anybody? His Capt. Jack is one of the most abysmal creations of the last 20 years, and people love it. McDonald's is not going to make any more money switching to filet mignon. As for directors, Newell and Mann did right by him. Maybe Scorsese would. Depp needs to work with someone tough enough to challenge him and successful enough for him to respect. At Depp's level, such directors are few and far between.

Dear Mick LaSalle: How many movies a week do you see for work? ! How many do you watch for yourself? When you do watch movies for your own entertainment, are you able to kick back and watch without having your critic eye on?

Michael Murphy, San Francisco

Dear Michael Murphy: On average, I see about four or five for review, but there are other kinds of work. If I'm researching a book, I might watch more. Once, when I was writing a chapter about Edward G. Robinson, I saw 14 of his movies in a single week - and afterward couldn't stop talking like him, see? (Yeaaahh, I was talkin' like that for days, see?) That's work, too, though no one is forcing me to do it.

Then there are DVD reviews. When I do those, that's definitely work. But I choose the DVDs on the basis of what I want to see.

In a way, with almost anything I watch, I have some work reason for watching it. But that extra work reason, in fact, makes the process more pleasurable. I'm not just killing time. Rather, I'm checking out the new "Casablanca" set; I am checking out Criterion Collection's new "Certified Copy" Blu-ray, or I'm watching "I Was at Nuremberg" on TV5 Monde, because I want to keep up with what actress Julie Gayet has been doing recently.

So some things I do are pure work - say, going to see "Dark Shadows." (I liked it, but if I weren't paid to see it, I wouldn't watch that in 100 years.) And then there is work that I enjoy, which to me is even more pleasurable than pure leisure.

Finally, you asked if I can kick back and watch movies without a critical eye. If I'm watching a movie for pleasure or work, I'm watching it in exactly the same way, which is the way anybody watches movies, with a certain openness and a willingness to enjoy yourself. On the other hand, kicking back and appreciating what's going on in a movie aren't antithetical.

My Dearest Mick: People spend a lot of thought coming up with clever salutations for your question column. The least you could do is the same, and not just repeat what the reader uses.

John Daly, Foster City

My Dearest John: It's not about being clever. It's about doling out love in precise portions, so that each person receives what he or she deserves and no one is overwhelmed. {sbox}

This article appeared on page P - 26 of the SanFranciscoChronicle