Mesrine: Killer Instinct

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Mesrine: Killer Instinct - 5/8/2009 2:49:47 AM

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Post #: 1

- 5/8/2009 2:49:47 AM

Pat Roach

Posts: 43
Joined: 22/7/2008

Sounds superb, I love Cassel and big Gerard,

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Post #: 2

Mesrine : Killer Instinct - 8/8/2009 11:11:46 AM

Indio

Posts: 7131
Joined: 3/10/2005
From: London

Saw this last night and thought it was very good, but I think I'll need to see part two before passing proper judgement on how the two parts works as a whole, and seeing how some of the scenes in this fit into the big picture.

While there is a declaration at the beginning that you can only fit so much of a persons life into a film, the sheer number of characters that it tries to fit in means that some of the characters seem a bit sketchy, I could have done with more back story of Mesrine prior to him being in Algeria and his relationship with his parents, and a bit more background to some of the characters like Guido and Jeanne (beyond the scene where Jeanne picks up Mesrine, theres nothing to explain why she decided to go on their crime spree)

Cassel jumps into the role with gusto (it took a while to realise the fat guy with the perm and tache in the opening scene was him

) without trying to chew up the scenery , and I was also impressed by Cecile De France's portrayal of Jeanne (in particular her scene on the telephone with Mesrine at the end).

Heres looking forward to part two...

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Post #: 3

RE: Mesrine : Killer Instinct - 8/8/2009 9:33:43 PM

bobatim

Posts: 5603
Joined: 8/4/2006
From: The Killbot Factory!

Just got back from this, have to say I'm not really sure what I thought. Like Indio suggests, maybe I should wait til part 2 to pass proper judgement. I did think that they crammed rather too much in and I would have liked to have seen some of the characters more fleshed out. Maybe, that'll happen in part 2.

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Post #: 4

RE: Mesrine : Killer Instinct - 10/8/2009 10:03:16 PM

John_P

Posts: 499
Joined: 30/9/2005

really enjoyed it, but will have to hold judgment until part 2 is released.

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Post #: 5

RE: Mesrine : Killer Instinct - 11/8/2009 11:32:48 PM

hmtb

Posts: 16
Joined: 12/7/2009

I thought it was very good. I agree with previous posts and look forward to seeing how part 2 contributes to the story. I enjoyed it far more than a certain other summer film about a bank robber though!

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Post #: 6

RE: Mesrine : Killer Instinct - 12/8/2009 11:15:53 PM

Alabama

Posts: 136
Joined: 30/9/2005

This is one of the best films I have seen in ages, yes there was alot of information/characters but I thought it was executed brilliantly and remained exciting throughout. Cassel was awesome, so good. It is inevitable that part two will be a let down by comparision but if it comes close to what I saw tonight, roll on August 28th.

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Post #: 7

RE: Mesrine : Killer Instinct - 13/8/2009 11:31:30 AM

Barraluke

Posts: 931
Joined: 7/4/2008
From: Knoxville, Tennesse

quote:

ORIGINAL: Alabama

This is one of the best films I have seen in ages, yes there was alot of information/characters but I thought it was executed brilliantly and remained exciting throughout. Cassel was awesome, so good. It is inevitable that part two will be a let down by comparision but if it comes close to what I saw tonight, roll on August 28th.

Empire says that Part Two is "An Instant Gangster Classic" and is better than Part 1. I cant wait.

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Post #: 8

RE: Mesrine : Killer Instinct - 13/8/2009 8:12:26 PM

R W

Posts: 268
Joined: 23/6/2006

Director: Jean-Francois Richet
Screenwriters: Abdel Raouf Dafri, Jean-Francois Richet
Starring: Vincent Cassel, Ludivine Sagnier, C�cile De France, G�rard Depardieu, Roy Dupuis

Synopsis
Based on the true story of Jacques Mesrine (Cassel), a professional gangster in France before he was declared as Public Enemy Number One.

Review
A few weeks ago came the release of Michael Mann's Public Enemies, which was a fact-based thriller that depicted Great Depression-based bank robber John Dillinger as a Robin Hood-like hero to the public. Although Public Enemies is a somewhat return form for Mann, Depp's Dillinger was in no way the devil compare to how Vincent Cassel portrayed the infamous Jacques Mesrine. If the protagonist from Mann's film was Jesus Christ, then this film's leading man is the Antichrist.

Based on the book by the late French criminal himself, this is the first half of an epic two-part biopic, which explores the life and workings of Mesrine, who had a complex life that dealt with family difficulties and the business that let out his dark side. As a one-man show that is dominated by a strong central performance, the supporting players do not have enough screentime to establish themselves, as well as missing out important scenes that should have been covered as it could have given Mesrine's journey more depth.

After a slightly difficult first act, the rest of the film flows more easily as the story becomes more hard hitting and claustrophopic. The strongest aspect is the portrayal of our devilish hero, who can let out his violent side towards anybody that stands in his way. We do see a soft prospect of the man, but it is his charms and gun-blazing that keeps us gripped.

Four years after his decent loose remake on Assault on Precinct 13, director Jean-Francois Richet has a strong sense of suspence and action as he doesn't like to sugar-coat the violence and knows how to make a car go boom. Despite the narrative problems, he gives a strong gangster flick that gives us anticipation for the conclusion of this two-parter.

One of the many reasons I love French cinema is this film's leading man Vincent Cassel who is able show a sense of villianous in his roles, yet finds sympathy in them. This is exactly what he does in his portrayal of Mesrine. Dillinger may have been like Clint Eastwood, but Cassel makes his character like a Lee Van Cleef that steals the whole film.

Up there with Cassel, is G�rard Depardieu as the Paris gang-lord Guido, whose overweight talent forms a brilliant chemistry with Cassel. There are also strong female performances, particularly from C�cile De France as Jeanne Schneider, the Bonnie to Mesrine's Clyde. She starts as a bad-ass chick into someone who completely breaks down after the neverending crime spree.

Verdict
While you will have to wait for my full judgement towards the entire film for part two to arrive, this is a fine warm-up for what is to come. Held together by a solid performance by Cassel, this is a strong first half of a real gangster epic.

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Post #: 9

Mesrine - 14/8/2009 6:44:46 PM

moviemaniac2

Posts: 525
Joined: 17/9/2006

The film follows this episodic path with scenes falling over each other in the race to tell Mesrine's story. Director Richet, on a quest to tell his tale at breakneck speed, leaves scenes out that other directors would deem essential: In a brief ten-minute segment, Mesrine arrives in Canada, gets a job as a chauffeur, kidnaps his millionaire boss, flees to the US, is arrested in Monument Valley, and winds up in prison. The 'hows' and the 'whys' according to Richet aren’t important. It's arguable that the film is just a series of set pieces with nothing linking the story together but the title character, but when those sequences executed this coolly and the story this enthralling, who's complaining?

Front-and-centre for the entire film Cassel is in commanding form, filling out what could have been a one-dimensional psychopath.

Part Two - Public Enemy No. 1 - promises to up the body count ten fold. Roll on 28th August.

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Post #: 10

RE: Mesrine: Killer Instinct - 17/8/2009 11:32:16 PM

demoncleaner

Posts: 2160
Joined: 3/10/2005
From: Belfast

Well... that was bloody disappointing.

It's completely rational not to past sentence until you've heard what part two has to say, but for me, the damage has already been done. This narrative is like a skipping stone on the surface of Jacques Mesrine's life. Indiscriminately landing here, jetting past whole swathes of life there. I realised very early on that I didn't trust the makers of this film as arbiters of this man's life. And since no effort whatsoever was made to comment on Mesrine's personal motivation I don't trust the director to make judgements for me on why any particular episode is of interest. It's the strangest thing. It's a biopic that makes no exploration into the psychology of its subject. Is he greedy? Ambitious? Desperate never to be poor? Has he a chip on his shoulder? A problem with authority? A troubled upbringing? Or is he just a thrill seeker? You might recognise a lot of the crime genre's major characters defined in that list and in many ways Mesrine: Killer Instinct is a muzak cover album aping iconic moments that adorn established gangster films without irony or particular reverence. It's done in a kind of dumb-show if anything. In Cassell's performance Mesrine is neither likeable or unlikeable. Charismatic or dull. He's quite beige. And you get the feeling he drifted into crime the way John Major might have drifted into chartered accountancy.

In this the first film our protagonist develops a seemingly sincere friendship with the loathsome boss Guido (an odious, though non-affected Depardieu) for no apparent reason. Similarly he develops a loving, gun-toting partner-in-crime relationship with Cecile De France. For no apparent reason other than it is written. Speaking of which, I know it is unfair to pass comment on the idioms of script translation but the dialogue seems dire in any language. "Step on it!" seems the constant cry. "He'll cough up the scratch" another prophetic statement. Gangsterisms that died with Jimmy Cagney surely?

***SPOILERS***
Did no one making this see the derisory ludicrousness of the A-Team inflected prison spring set-piece? He shows up like Robin Hood at a school shooting. Gets everyone he's trying to liberate killed and then fucks off home again. No wonder his girlfriend chooses porridge over his offers of heroism. "Nah, Jacque, I reckon I'll stay here mate..honest".

The De Palma influenced score might beguile you into thinking this is creme-de-la-creme but its not so much Carlito's Way as Carlito's Medicated Day Release.

Crepe.

2/5

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Post #: 11

- 18/8/2009 12:04:29 AM

omarx

Posts: 150
Joined: 7/10/2005
From: Somewhere that's neither here nor there

Not dissapointed at all... Gripping, tense, tightly scripted, ofcourse they couldn't show ALL aspects of Mesrine's life, but we could easily fill in the gaps.. Cassel as usual is mesmerising. Beats Public Enemies on it's heard and more. Roll on part two

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Post #: 12

RE: Mesrine : Killer Instinct - 20/8/2009 5:01:12 PM

Alabama

Posts: 136
Joined: 30/9/2005

quote:

ORIGINAL: Barraluke

quote:

ORIGINAL: Alabama

This is one of the best films I have seen in ages, yes there was alot of information/characters but I thought it was executed brilliantly and remained exciting throughout. Cassel was awesome, so good. It is inevitable that part two will be a let down by comparision but if it comes close to what I saw tonight, roll on August 28th.

Empire says that Part Two is "An Instant Gangster Classic" and is better than Part 1. I cant wait.

Silly me, I forget for a second that every word printed in Empire. Must. Be. Gospel.

I think the 1st intstallment is bound to be the most thrilling but I'd love to be wrong!

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Post #: 13

Mesrine: Killer Instinct - 30/8/2009 9:10:32 PM

la26478

Posts: 5
Joined: 28/8/2009
From: Newcastle upon Tyne

Good movie with a great central performance from Cassel who has retained his intensity from La Haine. Not sure if the comparisions to The Godfather and Goodfellows in reviews are a little over-reaching, but I agree that judgement should be reserved until part 2 is released. Here's hoping it'll be a thrilling end sequence in part 2 and not a tad disappointing like the final sequence of Kill Bill Vol 2

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Post #: 14

Mes-merising - 3/9/2009 1:10:04 AM

SpiderBat

Posts: 120
Joined: 2/5/2009

A movie about a guy who likes to rob, smoke, drink, fuck chics, and shoot people. All in the classic gangsta-stylie. And he's French! What's not to like?

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Post #: 15

Gripping & Fast Paced - Tres bien! - 21/1/2010 8:39:09 PM

lauriedunsire

Posts: 59
Joined: 5/11/2008
From: Edinburgh, Scotland

Just took out an advance copy of this movie on blu-ray, having missed it in the cinema, and having got through 'Killer Instinct' I only just managed to resist temptation and not go straight into part 2(as unlike the cinema the DVD and blu-ray release has both films in one, which makes excellent value for money IMO!).

I never really knew anything about Jacques Mesrine before watching this, and made a point of not looking him up - as I thought I may find things out that would spoil parts of the film. Really glad I didn't because it was really gripping with plenty of action that unfolds at a wonderfully fast pace. Cassel is brilliant in the lead role, with decent enough performances from his supporting cast - although as the Empire review rightly mentions no-one sticks around long enough to make anywhere near as much of an impact as Vincent does.

The film is well structured, and by skipping certain parts of Mesrine's life and not dragging things out too long Richet really keeps you hooked. I have to say I was really impressed with the blu-ray quality. Having purchased a large HD TV to go with them I definetely notice a huge difference in some movies in comparison to DVDs, and this was one of them.

I never like to give too much away about the plot of films for people who haven't seen them. But Killer Instinct is really well made film from start to finish, following the rise of a ruthless and audacious criminal. It not only portrays this side of him, with some gripping action sequences, but also his charming side and his romantic interests - as well as his attempts at being a father and family man.

Highly recommended, cannot wait to get stuck into Public Enemy Number 1 in the next few days.

< Message edited by lauriedunsire -- 21/1/2010 8:41:04 PM >

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Post #: 16

Mesrine: Killer Instinct/Public Enemy No.1 - 31/1/2010 6:59:31 PM

Bighousewill

Posts: 244
Joined: 5/12/2009

Very watchable even though it is subtitled because when you have a subtitled film that isnt great it can seem like too much effort to watch example being district 9 ultimatum. Killer Instinct is the most entertaining and public enemy No1 is not bad but you know how it ends because it shows you, Blu ray is good value because it has part one and part two on one disc.

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Post #: 17

part 1 and 2; best viewed together - 20/2/2010 5:15:09 PM

gzus

Posts: 49
Joined: 4/10/2009
From: Middle Earth, Brum

More stylish action thriller than a factual documentation, weaving in and out of episodes in Mesrine's life. From the off it's a priveledge to see Cassell, the Depardieu of the modern age, share the same screen as the French -cinema legend. All the performances are strong and detailed. Though predictably much is accounted for Mesrine's many female relationships, they show the man's insecurities, most significantly in his last reationship (in pt.2)where Mesrine is at his most vulnerable, though it also shows his charisma as a smooth talker, and his love of money and the fast life. In one way he is presented as a Houdini-like gangster, a master in the art of deception, and irrepressively immortal.

Could it have worked as one complete film, rather than pt.1/pt.2? Maybe not (though note, you can't really see one without the other, and to be seen chronologically of course). There's a lot to cram in here and a 3 hour- plus movie would have blurred Mesrine's rather unbelievable life. With this format it becomes the more digestable. The film only begins where Mesrine's criminal life begins. There are constant nods to the Algerian war, a wink to a safe, middle-class upbringing in a watered-down French family, but there is nothing to suggest where this 'killer instinct' came from. 'Do balls skip a generation?' a propelled Mesrine screams to his Dad, but we see little more. However, props go for the use of split screen, used to best effect in the scene Jean (Cecil de France) says her farewells to Mesrine over the prison phone. And for Cassell's performance, with comparisons made to De Niro in Raging Bull, his character goes from slim, muscular, and slick gangster on-the-up to a bloated, pot-bellied, disillusioned revolutionary in part 2. As he walks into the Correction facility yard after days of isolation in the Canadian institution, Cassell looks like he's been to 'Hell' for real. It's an utterley believable and mesmerising performance.

When part 2 del

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Post #: 18