Alors – here’s your chance to spend more than four hours in the company of possibly the most dangerous Frenchman ever…
Mesrine: Killer Instinct - L'Instinct De Mort (15)
et
Mesrine: Public Enemy Number One - L'Ennemi Public No 1 (15)
Dir. Jean-François Richet, who made the Assault on Precinct 13 remake.
Reviewed by Matt ‘le Roast Beef’ Adcock
ONE WORD SUMMATION: legloriousbastard
Zut mon frère, Il y a un ‘two-part crim-em-up’ bio of France's public enemy number un.
Vincent Cassel steps into the large shoes of Jacques Mesrine, the craziest French crimelord you may never have ever heard of… In Mesrine: Killer Instinct we get to see this bad boy’s rise to prominence as he wheels, deals and blows people away in a bid to impress local crime boss Guido (Gérard Depardieu). Then in Public Enemy Number One we find Mesrine (still Cassel) we get to see the gangster grow too big for his boots, believing his own press and getting complacent in the arms of his hottie girlfriend (Ludivine ‘Swimming Pool’ Sagnier).
Jacques Mesrine was a crazy son of a gun who loved himself and wouldn’t let anything stand in his way… Richet directs at a leisurely pace but packs in lots of action – especially in Killer Instinct which cranks up the violent mayhem to the point that it’s easy to forget that most of it is based in fact. Not content with breaking out of maximum security jails, Mesrine is insane enough to try and break back in and rescue his pals…
Once you’ve invested in part one though, you’ll have to come back for part two, Mesrine: Public Enemy… The second film delves deeper into the man’s obsession with his own achievements. You know it’ll end badly for the charismatic froggy baddie but it’s a compelling ride all the way to the blood soaked finale.
Both films are worth your time – I rate em:
Mesrine: Killer Instinct
Darkmatters final rating of: öööööööö (8 – a joyride of criminal destruction)
Mesrine: Public Enemy Number One
Darkmatters final rating of: ööööööö (7 – decent end of the road for le gangster)
"Ludivine ‘Swimming Pool’ Sagnier"
