BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Lawbolisted Powerful

Derry Herrera Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

Philippa All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

adonis98-743-186503 The story of Jacques Mesrine, France's public enemy No. 1 during the 1970s. After nearly two decades of legendary criminal feats - from multiple bank robberies and to prison breaks. Mesrine: Part II - Public Enemy #1 fixed some of the problems that Part 1 had for example this one is far more interesting sure there are some couple of pacing issues still but Vincent Cassel is way good for me to care about the pacing anymore. What i actually found disappointing was the ending i mean i understand what was going to happen but this was a guy that even cops feared and the way that he goes out was kinda humiliating but overall really great movie, great performances and a lot of good action. I'll give it an 7.5/10

hatchet39 Most reviewers describe this movie as a "thriller" or "rise and fall" story, but how can a movie be described as such if there is no tangible plot or no rise and fall. I do not personally consider it a "rise" if the character's name is featured in some newspapers or a "fall" if the character is shot down down in a hail of bullets. This film is merely a look at the physical life of a criminal who got lucky. In reviewing this film I must go through both films as if they are one. So technically I will be reviewing a five-hour film. I will go into detail of the film. The film starts out with showing the main character, Mesrine, seemingly stalking a nervouse female. They then get into a car together and hit the road. Jacques lets a large blue truck get in front of him. They stop at a red light. The light turns green and then the back of the truck flies open with men aiming their guns at Mesrine. Title sequence. This scene is one of the best in the film. It is shot in the style of De Palma film with the meaningless splitscreen and suspense. After this, we get look at him as a young man in the Algierian army who is ordered to shoot a suspects wife, instead he shoots the suspect himself. Now this scene sets up the style of the movie: shaky-cam and in your face bloodshed. The rest of the movie (Part 1&2) can only be described in individual scenes. One great scene is where he meets his new partner, a bespectacled woman whose name escapes me, and immediately afterward they rob a mob-owned restaurant. The way this scene was almost unintentionally funny with the following exchange taking place: Woman: Leave him alone, he's mine. Jacques: Well it depends... Woman: On what? Jacques: Are you ready for anything? (well it went something like that.) After that exchange, they go rob a restaurant. Then we have the prison scene. This shows Mesrine at his absolute worse, where he cries, drools and begs for mercy. Of course he escapes and then comes back to save some friends. Then we get a shootout. End of part 1 The next part is basically a continuation of the last one and so this one only has few major scenes including his father dying and him escaping prison once more. Finally he dies. End of movie. The movie itself is merely competent. But it rides along in a steady pace and has great editing and directing from the director. And of course I have to mention Vincent Cassel's performance, which is great. Though, I must warn, the second half is kind of boring. End of review.

gradyharp MESRINE: PUBLIC ENEMY #1 is a sequel, or actually Part II of MESRINE: KILLER INSTINCT. It is important to note this fact because for the casual viewer who picks up this DVD first there will w a lot of background story missing. Apparently there is somewhat of a cult of Mesrine devotees, so powerful was his image as the most devious criminal of the 1960s -1970s in France. Or perhaps it is the media that makes criminals like Charles Manson, Bonnie and Clyde, John Gotti, Al Capone, John Dillinger etc etc 'heros' to the public. But if examining the lives of such beings entertains you then this film may register. Apparently the first film in this biopic showed the development of Jacques Mesrine (Vincent Cassel) as he becomes a bank robber, kidnapper, jail breaker, etc, but this film starts with Mesrine in court form which he escapes and then proceeds to rob banks and kill people and eventually end up believing in his own grandeur as Public Enemy #1. The film was written by Abdel Raouf Dafri and director Jean-François Richet who obviously are more concerned with setting up ambushes and escapes and robberies than with character development. The is one well-written scene in the film - Mesrine sneaking into a hospital where his father (Michel Duchaussoy) is dying that is true drama, but the rest is rather uncontrolled raucous crime. Vincent Cassel is such a fine actor that he is able to bring to life this atrocious character (having not seen Part 1 leaves any advantage that film may have given to his character development and why this actor suddenly has a beer gut, etc). He is abetted by Ludivine Sagnier as his pickup girlfriend Sylvia, Mathieu Almaric (another very fine French actor) as his accomplice François Besse, Samuel Le Bihan, Gérard Lanvin, Olivier Gourmet, and Georges Wilson. The film is overly long (133 minutes) to tolerate all action/no story, but one factor remains: Vincent Cassel's performance is intriguing, right up to his grisly death scene. Not for the faint of heart or for viewers who appreciate a script with a story. Grady Harp

jotix100 Not having seen the first installment about the life of French criminal Jacques Mesrine, perhaps we are at a disadvantage. But recently, we caught the second part of the story in DVD format. The life and times of the man that was so resourceful in escaping captivity, gets a fabulous treatment at the hands of director Jean-Francois Trichet. The whole project owes a lot to the amazing performance by Vincent Cassel, not one of our favorite actors, but one has to recognize he made the whole picture enjoyable.Of course, we never even heard about the real Mesrine, but his life, the way it comes out in Abdel Raoul Dafri and the director's screen treatment is the stuff that made folk legends, much like the American gangsters in the period of the Great Depression. Unfortunately, not seeing the first part, there are things that are hard to comprehend by just watching the conclusion of the story, which is told documentary style.Vincent Cassel's take on Jacques Mesrine is what makes the viewer stay riveted to what is happening on the screen. Mr. Cassel has had his share of playing creeps before, but as Mesrines, he gives the performance of a lifetime. Mathieu Amalric appears as Francois Besse, the partner of Jacques' most daring escape from prison. Ludivigne Saigneur is seen as Silvia. Georges Wilson has a small pivotal role as the rich man Henri Lelievre, kidnapped by the two partners. Others in the large cast are the wonderful, but totally unrecognizable Oliver Gourmet, Gerard Lanvin, and Samuel Le Bihan in secondary roles.A lot of credit must be given to the amazing Robert Ganz cinematography and the careful editing by Bill Pankow and Herve Schneid. The music by Marco Beltrami and Marcus Trumpp adds a layer to the texture of the movie. One can understand the difficulty in making the film look real if one considers this is a story that happened more than thirty years ago. A lot of credit must go to the creator Jean-Francois Trichet for his achievement in recreating the story of a criminal that shook France during the time when he terrorized the country.