22 Bullets (L'immortel) (2010)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Dean M

  
  The anti-hero is one of the cinema's greatest staples. From Travis Bickle in <i>Taxi Driver</i> to Harry Callahan in <i>Dirty Harry</i>, the troubled guy we can't help barracking for is a convention as old as film itself. To that legion of lovable… More
  The anti-hero is one of the cinema's greatest staples. From Travis Bickle in <i>Taxi Driver</i> to Harry Callahan in <i>Dirty Harry</i>, the troubled guy we can't help barracking for is a convention as old as film itself. To that legion of lovable bad boys we can now add Jean Reno's Charly Mattei, a retired gangster dragged back into the underworld when he's peppered with 22 bullets, in a seemingly unprovoked attack in an underground car park. A grandstanding speech, to be sure. In the hands of some, it could have been dismissed as corny and heavy-handed, not to mention implausible. But Reno delivers it with the authority and <i>gravitas</i> of a seasoned star. A product of Luc Beeson's Europa Corp stable of films, <i>22 Bullets</i> plays to type as a standard revenge flick, with a gangster twist. It works because of the commitment of its leads and the stylish direction of Richard Berry. Cliches abound: witness the alcoholic cop whose husband is killed on the job. She is tasked with finding those who tried to take out Mattei and, then, figure out why they're all ending up dead. But as with Reno, Marina Fois completely commits to her role. Kad Merad, meanwhile, shines in a rare serious turn as Mattei's oldest friend, imbuing his villain with cold-blooded menace. There is action here and violence there and, as the film progresses, it spirals further out of control (becoming gorier in the process). Those with a weak constitution might, for a example, want to skip the scene in which Mattei bashes a victim's head in by slamming a car door on it over and over again. Or when he himself is scalded in the face with boiling water.

• Al S

  
  This is one hell of an awesome and exhilarating movie. A spectacular and adrenaline-charged edge of your seat action-packed thriller. A superbly well-made and performed action film. A masterpiece from Director, Richard Berry. It's memorizing, compelling and extremely powerful all… More
  This is one hell of an awesome and exhilarating movie. A spectacular and adrenaline-charged edge of your seat action-packed thriller. A superbly well-made and performed action film. A masterpiece from Director, Richard Berry. It's memorizing, compelling and extremely powerful all the way to the end. An intense and hard-boiled crime-thriller. A stylish, thrilling, exciting and deeply moving film. A strong mixture of suspense, action and riveting character driven drama. This movies the real deal, the total package. It has memorable characters with depth, adrenalin-charged action sequences and heart-stopping car chases make for a solid guilty pleasure. It's your pulse and your heart racing through every twisting and turning moment. It's compelling and very endearing. This film can entertain. Jean Reno is at his very best, he hasn't been this good in a film for years. Reno is unforgettable with his strong and emotionally charged performance. This is his best performance and best film since The Professional. It's nice to see him and Producer, Luc Besson back in action together again doing what they do best.

• Luke B

  
  I've read many plot synopsis' for this film, and not one seems to be correct. The glaring omission of how this story really kicks off, changes its point entirely. Jean Reno does not go out on a rampage of revenge after being shot 22 times. In fact, he discovers who was… More
  I've read many plot synopsis' for this film, and not one seems to be correct. The glaring omission of how this story really kicks off, changes its point entirely. Jean Reno does not go out on a rampage of revenge after being shot 22 times. In fact, he discovers who was behind it and then leaves it at that. He is a retired gangster and a man perfectly happy to forgive. This film isn't just about revenge, but also pride, honor, and how crime never lets go. Reno was sucked into this world of crime after committing one hit out of revenge. He hasn't been allowed to quit since. It's only later, after the grisly murder of a friend, that the revenge part kicks off. What I like about Reno's revenge is that he takes his time. In Faster, The Rock just shoots people. Here, Reno tells them he is coming, and makes them sweat it out. The second half turns ALL action. It's more like a Bourne film than gangster film. The action scenes are excellent, even if Reno's morality speeches are often contradictory and unnecessary. A film that mostly deals with revenge in a mature fashion, showing the cyclical nature of vengeance.

• Daisy M

  
  One of the reasons I gave this movie a try was for Jean Reno. I have seen him in Leon the Professional, and since this plot was about hit man and mafia, it sounded similar to me as Leon the Professional It started promising in the beginning, but then after Jean Reno's character… More
  One of the reasons I gave this movie a try was for Jean Reno. I have seen him in Leon the Professional, and since this plot was about hit man and mafia, it sounded similar to me as Leon the Professional It started promising in the beginning, but then after Jean Reno's character got shot it went downwards.He was shot 22 times but miraculously he survived.I must admit that the movie wasn't really that bad, there were some nice and also brutal scenes and Jean Reno was himself as usual, but nothing spectacular, and the plot was a bit confusing, as the story hardly gave enough time to understand what exactly it was about and who was who. The whole story was predictable, with no unexpected plot twists or anything spectacular that will make it memorable.If you like this kind of entertaining movie, then you might like it, but if you like something with more depth, skip it.