Mesrine: Killer Instinct and Public Enemy Number One

[WyldeMan45]

Wow, I just finished with 'Mesrine' and I was blown away. Vincent Cassel is incredible as Jacques Mesrine. Anybody else out there love these films? I was quite surprised to find that no thread exists for these until now. I'd really only seen Cassel once before that I can recall, and that was in Eastern Promises, where he didn't really get the chance to shine because he was opposite Viggo Mortenson the entire time. These films also star Cécile De France of High Tension and Hereafter fame. Anyways if you have never heard of Mesrine before, I highly recommend them.

Mesrine is a two-part (Mesrine: Killer Instinct and Mesrine: Public Enemy Number One) 2008 French film directed by Jean-François Richet and written by Abdel Raouf Dafri and Richet. The first part's script was based on the autobiographical book L'instinct de mort by French gangster Jacques Mesrine, while the second part detailed Mesrine's criminal career after his escape from prison, and his subsequent brutal end.

[Todd_Gaines]

Oh Cassel is by far one of my favorite actors.

La Haine, Brotherhood of the Wolf, Black Swan, The Crimson Rivers, Irreversible he has been in a lot of great films.

As for Mesrine: One of the best modern day gangster/crime/drama flicks for sure.

In my opinion if you liked A Prophet you will love Mesrine

[octagon]

I loved the first half but the second half seemed more like a patchwork of short stories. The second half was still good but it didn't really hold me the way the first half did.

Cassel was definitely fantastic throughout though.

[Show spoiler]One thing I really did love about the second half though - there were like a thousand cops staking him out and they were all scared shitless the whole time - I don't know if that was accurate or not but it was pretty freaking cool

[WyldeMan45]

Originally Posted by Todd_Gaines

Oh Cassel is by far one of my favorite actors.

La Haine, Brotherhood of the Wolf, Black Swan, The Crimson Rivers, Irreversible he has been in a lot of great films.

As for Mesrine: One of the best modern day gangster/crime/drama flicks for sure.

In my opinion if you liked A Prophet you will love Mesrine

Oh wow, I completely forgot he was in Brotherhood of the Wolf! I cannot seem to track down Crimson or irreversible I've tried over the last few days to no avail. I have not heard of 'A Prophet'

[csdot]

these movies are awesome! the first one is a lot better than the second but the second one is still really good.

[The Dragon]

WyldeMan45, thank you for acknowledging a great story. I guess lost in the facts are that this man held The French and Canadian Police at bay for well over ten years! He was an absolute terror. Cassel played him flawlessly and if you google Jacques Mesrine you'll find they kept his story quite accurate.
Both films to me, are in my tops for this year.

[rickah88]

I just rented this from Netflix on Friday, watched them back-to-back and was very thrilled! Cassel did a great job....heck I liked him in Ocean's 12 & 13! I think he's a very talented actor.
I really like seeing the 60s(even the 70s) era on blu-ray! Much like the Mad Men season, the colors really seem to jump of the screen: clothing, cars, interior designs, etc.
My only problem with the movies was: when Mesrine & Mercier return to break the inmates out of prison...

[Show spoiler]why couldn't they just back the truck up through the fence, have they inamtes jump in the back and drive off? The firefight seemed kinda tacky, IMO...but I guess that's how it happened, so I can respect the director for sticking to it. I suppose it showed that Mesrine was not prefect in all his planning.

Anyway very good thread, for a very good movie! How long until it gets Americanized?

[WyldeMan45]

Originally Posted by rickah88

My only problem with the movies was: when Mesrine & Mercier return to break the inmates out of prison...

[Show spoiler]why couldn't they just back the truck up through the fence, have they inamtes jump in the back and drive off? The firefight seemed kinda tacky, IMO...but I guess that's how it happened, so I can respect the director for sticking to it. I suppose it showed that Mesrine was not prefect in all his planning.

That wouldn't have worked, you can only drive through prison fencing in the movies and make it out alright, they would have had to get serious speed to do it and probably would have just destroyed the radiator and the whole front end plowing through.

[bingtau]

Yea, Cassell rocks. He's got a strong body of work and he's married to one of the hottest women on the planet. Monica Belluci.

[csdot]

Originally Posted by bingtau

Yea, Cassell rocks. He's got a strong body of work and he's married to one of the hottest women on the planet. Monica Belluci.

didnt know they were married, he truly is the man.

[rickah88]

Originally Posted by WyldeMan45

That wouldn't have worked, you can only drive through prison fencing in the movies and make it out alright, they would have had to get serious speed to do it and probably would have just destroyed the radiator and the whole front end plowing through.

That's why I said they could've backed in...they cut thru the fence with wire snips so it's not THAT strong. In any event, that was my only "concern" with the movie, and it was very minor...so not a big deal.

[Tibor Lugosi]

Just picked up part 2 on ebay for $15 shipped! Now I gotta look for the 1st one...

[Al_The_Strange]

"Mesrine" is the merde!

[OrlandoEastwood]

I liked the first film, but ultimately forgot that I had watched the second film. I was like; "Did I see that one yet?" And then it was like; "Oh, yeah. They

[Show spoiler]had the police follow him in the final moments and then those thugs from the truck popped up and shot him and THE DOG and the chick lived

."