Featured Audience Ratings

• xGary X

  
  The second part of the life story of notorious French criminal Jacques Mesrine is very much a case of more of the same; more daring bank heists, more shoot outs on the streets of Paris and more prison break outs. It takes place over a shorter period of time than the previous film… More
  The second part of the life story of notorious French criminal Jacques Mesrine is very much a case of more of the same; more daring bank heists, more shoot outs on the streets of Paris and more prison break outs. It takes place over a shorter period of time than the previous film leaving more room to concentrate on the man and his motivations, particularly during the scenes in which he verbally spars with an ageing millionaire and kidnap victim and his brutal attempted murder of a right wing journalist. These scenes show all his bluster about being a "revolutionary" was really a smoke screen to cover his ever increasing ego and obsession with his own public image. The representation of his death is also very well done despite the inevitable conclusion, echoing the opening scenes from the first part except from the point of view of the pursuing police. It's a very tense piece of film making, very much from the Infernal Affairs school. Again it made not be the most in depth examination of the man's life but it's always entertaining and made all the more interesting by the fact that it's all based upon actual events.

• Chris W

  
  Much like Che, the second portion of the Mesrine saga, while good, isn't as strong or as focused as the first portion. Still though, it's a lot of fun, and very watchable. The first is fun too, but the fun seems more evident here, mostly with the scenes of shopping, and of… More
  Much like Che, the second portion of the Mesrine saga, while good, isn't as strong or as focused as the first portion. Still though, it's a lot of fun, and very watchable. The first is fun too, but the fun seems more evident here, mostly with the scenes of shopping, and of course the many scenes of armed robbery, kidnapping, and escapes. Heck, since those last few things are the bulk of the story over deth, character, and substance, they pretty much have to be fun, otherwise what's the point? There's no drastic stylistic change this time around, though there's a more prevalent sense of doom. There are a few sequences where thigns got so tense and suspenseful, I almost couldn't handle it. How things end was not a surprise, but still, the final like 15 minutes are absolutely gripping. Cassel once again shines as Mesrine, and he looks great with all his various hair styles, wigs, and varieties of facial hair. He was pretty well born to play this part. The cast ae mostly new this time around, and they too are all pretty good, especially Mathieu Amalric. The music remains good, as does the camera work, and, as I state,d the only real downer is that this entry seems a little less focused and really seems to make the statements of "What's the point?", or "Why should I care?" a little more obvious. Still though, this is terrifically entertaining stuff that is really well made and makes me happy that there are still directors out there interested in making cinematically excellent action and crime films.

• Conner R

  
  Sadly, this doesn't have a storytelling ability that the first part did. It doesn't have the source material to capture the same experience that the first part had; which was based on Jacques Mesrine's own writing. This has a really interesting opening part, but then… More
  Sadly, this doesn't have a storytelling ability that the first part did. It doesn't have the source material to capture the same experience that the first part had; which was based on Jacques Mesrine's own writing. This has a really interesting opening part, but then goes nowhere after he's captured and finishes his autobiography. I understand why they split up the story into two parts, but honestly they could've just made the first part with this movie's first 45min and had a masterpiece on their hands. Ending it with him writing his autobiography would've been a perfect way to truly end the story. After that, it's just a prolonged chase and him being sent to the slaughter. The reason this movie works as well as it does is due to Vincent Cassel continuing to give his flawless performance as Mesrine; only this time with a giant beer gut. Sometimes a complete story just isn't the way to go, it feels like these movies should've only covered Mesrine's own account and not sort've just filled in the blanks using police reports as a timeline.

• familiar s

  
  This was an interesting gangster story and a great follow-up to the first part. One of the things I liked about this movie is that it does not follow the traditional way and takes an unexpected turn at several points. Vincent Cassel lives the role of Mesrine and his unique style has… More
  This was an interesting gangster story and a great follow-up to the first part. One of the things I liked about this movie is that it does not follow the traditional way and takes an unexpected turn at several points. Vincent Cassel lives the role of Mesrine and his unique style has its own charm.

• Mark W

  
  I only wish more directors were willing to broaden the scope of their films in this way. If an audience isn't willing to sit for too long then release it in parts. Recently, Quentin Tarantino ("Kill Bill") and Steven Soderbergh ("Che") done it successfully or… More
  I only wish more directors were willing to broaden the scope of their films in this way. If an audience isn't willing to sit for too long then release it in parts. Recently, Quentin Tarantino ("Kill Bill") and Steven Soderbergh ("Che") done it successfully or just look at another classic French two-parter "Jean De Florette" & "Manon Des Source" by Claude Berri. Proof enough that it works. Part two "Public Enemy No: 1", covers the later career (1974 - '79) of French outlaw Jacques Mesrine (Cassell), covering the bank robberies which made him France's most wanted criminal, his partnership with a fellow prison escapee (Mathieu Amalric), his relationship with free spirit Sylvie (Ludivine Sagnier) and his violent death. The testament to a good film is it being able to tell you the ending at the beginning and still manage to produce a captivating film. "Carlitos Way" was a notable other in this particular genre. It's in the second installment that we see more of Mesrine's ego. His growing obsession with his notoriety and his shrewd manipulation of the media to help boost his criminal-celebrity image and his belief that he was a revolutionary. He's more confident and daring, taking more chances and applying his trade right under the noses of the law-enforcement - right down to an escape from a court room and posing as a police officer to the police themselves. In some ways Mesrine was a confidence trickster which makes for gleeful entertainment in his sheer audacity. I see both parts of the film as one complete whole and as a result, rate them both the same in their exploration of the cultural image of a gangster and the ruthless nature required, coupled with the undeniable appeal and charisma. Over the course of 4hours you are asked to invest a little but the (many) escapades of this charismatic anti-hero keep the excitement going and the running time a pleasure. Magnifique.

• Anthony L

  
  An excellent conclusion to the two part story, which is just as good as the first. I think my only criticism is that now after reading up on Merine, there is so much more to tell, I think there could have been a part three. That's the sign of a great film though, always leave the… More
  An excellent conclusion to the two part story, which is just as good as the first. I think my only criticism is that now after reading up on Merine, there is so much more to tell, I think there could have been a part three. That's the sign of a great film though, always leave the audience wanting more. A great film and a credit to the French film industry, something I'm quite jealous of as a British film fan in this day and age.

• Stella D

  
  this part is practically non stop action, full of daring escapades of the charismatic gangster's later career. cassell becomes almost unrecognizable with a pot belly, wigs and facial hair and he is a force throughout. at nearly 4 hours between the 2 parts, the film doesn't… More
  this part is practically non stop action, full of daring escapades of the charismatic gangster's later career. cassell becomes almost unrecognizable with a pot belly, wigs and facial hair and he is a force throughout. at nearly 4 hours between the 2 parts, the film doesn't seem to drag much at all. i know it was the 70's but seeing the character try to justify his crimes with radical politics was funny. overall well done.

• Gordon A

  
  Having built up Mesrine's character in Part 1, his celebrity status hinders him as little as jails as he goes about his bloody business. More of a thrill ride than Part 1, his inevitable demise seemed long overdue.

• Walter M

  
  "Mesrine: Public Enemy #1" is a satisfying and compelling conclusion to the Jacques Mesrine story with Vincent Cassel's performance becoming feral, as Mesrine is either on the run(To the movie's credit, it treats his disguises with seriousness, not camp.), pursued… More
  "Mesrine: Public Enemy #1" is a satisfying and compelling conclusion to the Jacques Mesrine story with Vincent Cassel's performance becoming feral, as Mesrine is either on the run(To the movie's credit, it treats his disguises with seriousness, not camp.), pursued doggedly by Commissioner Broussard(Olivier Gourmet), or behind bars. The tone is critical, yet respectful, as Mesrine is more reckless than ever, much to the consternation of his partners in crime, even blowing out the eardrums of one(Samuel Le Bihan) when he discharges a firearm in close quarters.(Children, do not do this at home.) Mesrine's increased notoriety leads to increased fame which goes directly to his head, as he spends increasing amounts of time worrying about his image, but at the same time putting on weight which is not ideal for somebody wanting to be a ladies' man, either. Of particular ire is Pinochet stealing the headlines from him.(To be fair, no matter how much mayhem Mesrine caused in his life, it could not compare to the bloody reign of terror of Pinochet, the anniversary of the start of which just passed.) He is even angry at the mispronunciation of his name which admittedly I got wrong twice. "Mesrine: Public Enemy #1" is not a repetitive movie, per se, as Mesrine apparently only had one or two good ideas that he fell back on. What the movie does well is bring his story full circle(literally, as there is one scene where he is driving in circles with his girlfriend(Ludivine Sagnier)). He admits that he has been both a bad son and a father before joining up with terrorists who he once fought in Algeria which is possibly why the French authorities targeted him for elimination. The movie ends with the same event it started with(he remembers he was born about a mile away), which answers one important question, telling it from the police's point of view this time around. And it is interesting to see their reaction to him because he was just a man.

• Mike N

  
  Public Enemy No. 1 is an exciting – if a wee bit aimless – capper to the Mesrine crime saga, inflaming the titular criminal’s self-aggrandizement of his own “honest bandit” celebrity, a sort of French Jesse James or John Dillinger. Cassel, as Mesrine, channels his French mullet… More
  Public Enemy No. 1 is an exciting – if a wee bit aimless – capper to the Mesrine crime saga, inflaming the titular criminal’s self-aggrandizement of his own “honest bandit” celebrity, a sort of French Jesse James or John Dillinger. Cassel, as Mesrine, channels his French mullet energy into a slow morphing into some kind of Robert De Niro knockoff from Jackie Brown (each phase looking decidedly like a vintage porn star look), but he never unclenches the viewer from his fist. He’s firy, and that’s exactly what this film was going for, because there isn’t much else to mine from this crazier-than-fiction story. Plaguing this 2nd parter, however is the lack of a clear end-game for Mesrine, and the energy begins to bleed from the film like a mortal wound when you’re not sure where he’s going with all this. There’s a last-ditch effort to tie Mesrine’s love of himself as a sort of twisted Robin Hood into some kind of revolutionary movement, like Baader-Meinhof or Red Brigades, but it’s kind of hogwash. Wisely, instead of making a grand intellectual point, the viewer is instead entered into a police-perspective play-by-play of the suspicious opening scene from Killer Instinct: lazy, perhaps, but still evokes tendrils of tension, despite knowing the outcome at that point - which is probably indicative of the entire film project. All in all, Mesrine is a solid, frequently engrossing crime saga that never veers far from familiar genre territory, but entertains you with the sheer bravado of a larger-than-life criminal played to macho perfection by Vincent Cassel.

• The Movie W

  
  Released as two movies (Killer Instinct and Public Enemy No.1), like Soderbergh's "Che", Mesrine tells the tale of real-life French Criminal mastermind Jacques Mesrine. Had he been active in English speaking countries rather than France and Quebec, Mesrine would be as… More
  Released as two movies (Killer Instinct and Public Enemy No.1), like Soderbergh's "Che", Mesrine tells the tale of real-life French Criminal mastermind Jacques Mesrine. Had he been active in English speaking countries rather than France and Quebec, Mesrine would be as well known as Dillinger so outlandish were his exploits. The movies open with disclaimers stating liberties have been taken with the truth, but when I looked up Mesrine on the net afterwards I was surprised to find that the most outrageous moments are grounded in reality : holding a Judge at gunpoint to escape from a Parisian courthouse, the escape from and subsequent assault on a Canadian maximum security prison, robbing one bank only to run across the street and take another bank. Director Jean Francois Richet previously directed the remake of "Assault on Precinct 13" and he enlists several Hollywood veterans in his crew which gives the movie a slicker feel than most European movies. He keeps a blistering pace which annoyed a lot of critics who felt they didn't get to know the real Mesrine. This didn't bother me as we've seen hundreds of gangster movies that get bogged down in trying to humanise their subject, look at Michael Mann's disastrous "Public Enemies". If you're expecting a four hour French "Once Upon A Time In America" this isn't the movie for you. This has more in common with the Warner gangster movies of the thirties or John Milius' "Dillinger". With it's many locations it's akin to the Bourne movies, if Jason Bourne was a criminal genius. The second movie loses its way in the final third as Mesrine flirts with left-wing terrorism, but up to that it rattles along. As the title character Vincent Cassel, an actor who usually irritates me, is superb. By no means a great movie but for the most part a fun one, and easily the best gangster movie since "Sexy Beast".

• Fascade F

  
  One rather LONG conclusion to the life and times of one of the most ruthless Gangsters ever to come out of France. From border to border..through Canada and back to France this rather slow brewed showing of the demise of The Most Wanted Man that was Public Enemy # 1. Towards the end… More
  One rather LONG conclusion to the life and times of one of the most ruthless Gangsters ever to come out of France. From border to border..through Canada and back to France this rather slow brewed showing of the demise of The Most Wanted Man that was Public Enemy # 1. Towards the end of his reign he still stood for no nonsense towards the correctness of his publicity seeking habit. Worth seeing and classified as another version of Scarface with less blood and gore.

• Greg A

  
  After establishing who he is with this films predecessor, we get into the "live fast, die young" lifestyle that is the end of the days of Mesrine. Vincent Cassel's portrayal glued my eyes to the screen even after reading his biography I needed to see it and Vincy did it… More
  After establishing who he is with this films predecessor, we get into the "live fast, die young" lifestyle that is the end of the days of Mesrine. Vincent Cassel's portrayal glued my eyes to the screen even after reading his biography I needed to see it and Vincy did it with style. A perfectly imperfect end to a true agent of chaos.

• John C

  
  Not as good as part one...needed better editing since it bogged down in parts...easily could have been one long movie inside of a four and a half two parter. Still Vince Cassel was outstanding. Forgot how horrible fashion was in the 70s! (1-23-11)

• Lesley N

  
  See part 1.

• Justin F

  
  All I can say is WOW, this film has the lot. Stellar performances from Vincent Cassell and Gerard Depardieu in particular. The film pulls no punches. It has a raw edge, is extremely violent, and has more style than a Paris fashionhouse in drag. Also add to this plenty of bank heists,… More
  All I can say is WOW, this film has the lot. Stellar performances from Vincent Cassell and Gerard Depardieu in particular. The film pulls no punches. It has a raw edge, is extremely violent, and has more style than a Paris fashionhouse in drag. Also add to this plenty of bank heists, shootouts and standoffs, outrageous jail breaks, sex and enough gore to put a B rated horror flick to shame. The first part moreorless sets the scene and demonstrates how Mesrine came to be including a trip to Qebec to escape the authorities, whereas the second is faster paced and is more of an action film in its own right. In short win, win, win. Dont forget that the name is pronounced "merine" or you may invoke his wrath?

• Daniel P

  
  Just an average true-crime serial killer flick, with good directorial touches and very good performances. Stretched out over two parts, it's both too long and isn't deep enough. Episodic, fitfully involving and sometimes simply dull, the critical acclaim and accolades it is… More
  Just an average true-crime serial killer flick, with good directorial touches and very good performances. Stretched out over two parts, it's both too long and isn't deep enough. Episodic, fitfully involving and sometimes simply dull, the critical acclaim and accolades it is receiving are baffling to me. Worth it for Vincent Cassel, and some stunning photography. PS, my review for Part 1 is identical.

• Marcus W

  
  You know a film's good when it doesn't need a plot to keep you watching. Recommended.

• David S

  
  As good as the first part although there is an underlying tension to this film as you are fully aware how it is going to end. Mesrine is older but not really wiser and his descent in middle age and baldness makes the film less glamorous that the first film. However there is still… More
  As good as the first part although there is an underlying tension to this film as you are fully aware how it is going to end. Mesrine is older but not really wiser and his descent in middle age and baldness makes the film less glamorous that the first film. However there is still great action throughout and the film spends longer exploring his relationships with his friends, lovers and family. Both parts are great gangster films and character studies and of course Cassel is brilliant.

• Jonny C

  
  The second part carries on a few years later from the first, with Mesrine in Police custody. Again we see him amazingly escape police custody twice, rob a casino, kidnap a billionaire, yes it sounds unbelievable, but the whole things fact. Again Cassel is awesome in the title role,… More
  The second part carries on a few years later from the first, with Mesrine in Police custody. Again we see him amazingly escape police custody twice, rob a casino, kidnap a billionaire, yes it sounds unbelievable, but the whole things fact. Again Cassel is awesome in the title role, and the direction never lingers. Verdict. 2 great movies that will leave a lasting memory.

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