Jacques mesrine pronounced meyrine became french public enemy no. Jacques mesrine was a french criminal responsible for numerous murders, bank robberies. The story of notorious french gangster jacques mesrine. Its often hard to decide when in the midst of this twopart, blockbuster crime saga, whether its really about the truelife story of notorious french gangster jacques mesrine, or really just about the actor vincent cassel. Now back in france, mesrine is finally in police custody and facing justice for his. Public enemy number one, detailed mesrine s criminal career. Jacques mesrine is back in the second part of jeanfrancois richets two part riveting biopic on the infamous french gangster. Mesrine repeatedly escaped from prison and made international headlines during a final period as a fugitive when his. John patterson applauds their good taste in bad eggs.
Great acting by all elevates this movie to greatness, an essential film of the gangster oeuvre. The many guises of french gangster jacques mesrine 1936 1979. Oct 22, 2008 the second film of the biopic, entitled mesrine. Killer instinct is a truelife french gangster film so in awe of its subject that it cant fit the entire story into one film. Backstory jacques mesrine was famous for his jailbreaks. Vincent cassel gives an electrifying performance as jacques mesrine, one of the most notorious french gangsters, who cut a bloody path of crime bank robberies, kidnappings, wild prison escapes from paris to canada to arizona in the 70s.
Theres life yet in the french gangster movie genre. San diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto int. Starring french superstar vincent cassel black swan, this highoctane crime thriller sports an allstar cast and a long list of awards. Vincent cassel absolutely dominates the screen as the completely crazy, vicious french gangster jacques mesrine. Mesrine is a twopart 2008 french biographical crime film on the life of french gangster jacques mesrine, directed by jeanfrancois richet and written by abdel raouf dafri and richet. In what is his easily his best performance to date. At first its in a rather lighthearted way, as when mesrine and an associate, caught midburglary by the owners of the house, must pretend that theyre.
The film is divided into two parts, each roughly two hours. Up until this point, cassel, the goto french actor for. On his return to france, mesrine goes hell for leather to fuel his legend as an unbeatable crime superstar, wooing journalists as he skilfully evades capture by the police. Despite providing a vehicle for cassels fantastic performance, public enemy no.
The second part, public enemy 1, is just as good as the first. The story of french gangster jacques mesrine, before he was called public enemy. Killer instinct, the french crime gangster film, is an epic of ambitious proportions, and not just because of its 4hour running time. Mesrine if you listen to the tapes he recorded before his death had a thin voice, not a gangster s voice but a simple blue collar worker waking up each morning to go to work. His mentor guido, played by gerard depardieu, reminded me of a pauly like figure from the movie goodfellas. Although this is being released as a separate film, its still. The story of french gangster jacques mesrine, before he was called public enemy na1. Mentored by guido gerald depardieu mesrine turns his back on middle class lawabiding and soon moves swiftly up the. Killer instinct is the first part in the two part explosive biopic of legendary and almost mythical french gangster, jacques mesrine. This is the true story of french gangster jacques mesrines life from his time in the foreign. Called the french scarface total film, this electric twopart gangster film features a riveting, awardwinning performance by vincent cassel.
Aug 08, 2009 mesrine is a lean, flashy, fastmoving, somewhat repetitive film, very french in some ways, yet lacking the gravitas of the crime movies starring jean gabin or directed by jeanpierre melville. Out this week on bluray and dvd is the gritty, suspenseful mesrine. And sure enough, the book progresses from here like a gangster film. A ruthless crook, a killer film the french outlaw jacques mesrine, who terrorized france and killed 39 people, is the subject of the thrilling mesrine.
Part john dillinger, part john gotti, the egotistical bank robber, kidnapper and escape artist became a hero in the french tabloids and in the working class slums of cities like paris and marseilles despite his penchant for violence and cruelty. Killer instinct half a gangster epic, totally killer john dillinger, bonnie and clyde, pretty boy floyd hollywood has long had a love affair with reallife gangsters. The notorious french criminals memoir, the death instinct 1977, has finally been translated into english. Dec 12, 2014 after the few unfortunate pages of mesrines belletristic jailhouse philosophizing that open the book, the death instinct begins in earnest with his birth in 1936 in suburban paris, following his life up to the time of its writing.
Yet, unlike the first, the film doesnt hone in on the complexities of the character. Mesrine is a lean, flashy, fastmoving, somewhat repetitive film, very french in some ways, yet lacking the gravitas of the crime movies starring jean gabin or directed by jeanpierre melville. Mesrine went from young man and former algerian soldier to petty thievery, then bank robberies, to murder and mayhem. Directed by jeanfrancois richet and starring vincent cassel in the titular role, this twopart film series tells the true story of notorious french gangster jacques mesrine. Jacques mesrine, once frances most notorious criminal, is brought. Can you have too much of a good thing or a bad man. Aug 27, 2010 can you have too much of a good thing or a bad man. Mesrine repeatedly escaped from prison and made international headlines during a final period as a fugitive when his exploits included trying to kidnap the judge who had. Check out our kpbs film club of the air discussion about the french gangster film, mesrine.
Aug 26, 2010 jacques mesrine is back in the second part of jeanfrancois richets two part riveting biopic on the infamous french gangster. Mesrine was the foremost criminal, public enemy n1, the man most wanted in france, guilty of 39 crimes. Jacques mesrine was one of the most notorious criminals in france during the 1960s and 1970s. Vincent cassel in biography of french gangster the new york. Richets sympathies are clearly more aligned with mesrine than with his police persecutors, and the gangster s death is unambiguously staged as a state execution, not an illjudged killing by overzealous cops. The french, by contrast, are always trying to make philosophical gangster films. Apr 23, 2009 for americans whose appetite was whetted at the toronto international film festival by the first part of this saga about french gangster jacques mesrine, the second half is worth the wait. Aug 16, 2009 the french, by contrast, are always trying to make philosophical gangster films. Mesrine lead a violent life as gangster, bank robber, lover, kidnapper and multiple prison escape artist. In the police or newspaper history, mesrine broke all records.
The last half of the fourhour mesrine is much better than the first half, but will anyone who sat through the first two tedious hours care. Mesrine, the gangster as tragic hero film the guardian. For those of you who dont mind foreign films with subtitles, this is one hardboiled gangster movie. Aug 25, 2010 check out our kpbs film club of the air discussion about the french gangster film, mesrine. Jul 31, 2009 mesrine, the gangster as tragic hero outside hollywood, it seems nobody loves a stylish gangster more than the french. Why is gangster jacques mesrine an icon across the channel 30.
Nicolas silberg is more mesrine than mesrine himself, with a deep voice, a voice which mesrine did not have. For americans whose appetite was whetted at the toronto international film festival by the first part of this saga about french gangster jacques mesrine, the second half is worth the wait. Paris as the players came together to make an eraspanning twofilm biopic on largerthanlife french gangster jacques mesrine, there was plenty of pressure to play to his outlaw legend. That hybrid of the cool and the crumpled is rather undermined in mesrine.
After having seen this film, ive read a little more about jacques mesrine, who. Mesrine is a twopart 2008 french biographical crime film on the life of french gangster jacques mesrine, directed by jeanfrancois richet and written by abdel. Killer instinct opening august 27 at landmarks hillcrest cinemas. A twopart film which came out in 2008 was based on mesrines life. Killer instinct introduces us to jacques mesrine vincent cassel, a loyal son and dedicated soldier back home and living with his parents after serving in the algerian war. Nov 19, 2008 mesrine was the foremost criminal, public enemy n1, the man most wanted in france, guilty of 39 crimes. So allconsuming is his largerthanlife performance that it often threatens to overwhelm not only every other actor. Soon he is seduced by the neon glamour of sixties paris and the easy money it presents. Mesrine, the gangster as tragic hero outside hollywood, it seems nobody loves a stylish gangster more than the french. The film s political slant is likely to be controversial. Killer instinct, a punchy new film about the prolific criminal jacques mesrine. And about the very ending, the last shot of this film, i promise that every one in the theatre stays still some minutes afterwards. I was surprised to discover that one man could commit so many offences.
Heroism, tragedy, and canadas police by edward butts. He spent his boyhood days waiting out the war with his cousins in rural franceplaying soldiers, herding the. Recently returned from the war in algeria, mesrine quickly turns to a life of crime after being taken in by gangster guido gerard depardieu. The best foreign gangster movies showbiz cheat sheet. Sep 07, 2010 preorder the latest releases for free.
Ennemi public no 1, is due for french release on november 19. Killer instinct the first of two parts charts the outlaw odyssey of jacques mesrine vincent cassel, the legendary french gangster of the 1960s and 1970s who came to be known as french public enemy no. Killer instinct shows us mesrine as a legendinthemaking. Killer instinct part 1, which opens friday, begins in 1979, when mesrine.