Mesrine: Killer Instinct (L'instinct de mort) (2007)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Chris W

  
  This is part one of a two part epic about infamous French gangster Jacques Mesrine who was a real menace during the 1960s and 1970s. I had not heard of him or his exploits before I heard about the movie, but when I heard about the movie, I got interested, especially since it stars… More
  This is part one of a two part epic about infamous French gangster Jacques Mesrine who was a real menace during the 1960s and 1970s. I had not heard of him or his exploits before I heard about the movie, but when I heard about the movie, I got interested, especially since it stars Vicnent Cassel who is becoming a guy I'm starting to really dig and get into. This was split into two parts, similar to what was done with Kill Bill and Che, and, like those two, I wouldn't have minded seeing the whole thing all at once instead of having to see one part then wait a bit to see the other. Even though I'm not totally satisfied with how they concluded this part, it does definitely make me thirsty for more. This portion of the story was based on Mesrine's own writings, so that's cool, and means that there's the chance of more honesty and realism in things, no matter how remarkable or unlikely they seem, such as the way he robs a bank then immediately runs across tthe street to rob another bank. You get some insight into who people are, and some development, but a lot of focus is placed on people doing stuff That's okay though, because the performances make it all work, especially Cassel (who looks rather spiffy sporting various types of facial hair), Dupuis, and Depardieu. Cecile De France who seems almost too cool and sexy for her own good. Plus, even though the film is mostly people doing stuff, it's really fun and entertaining since that stuff usually consists of armed robbery, kidnapping, or escaping prison. I know that before he did this director Jean-Francois Richet directed the remake of Assault on Precinct 13, so the man can do action and crime type stuff. I must say though that for whatever reason, whenever this type of movie isn't an American film, it somehow seems more sophisticated, classy, and artistically done. Not that there aren't exceptions to the rule (Mann, Scorsese, Tarantino, etc), but by and large foreign takes on crime cinema just seem to bring some respect that is often missing. You should check this out. It's got some fine, charismatic performances, fun style, good technique, and some strong music. I can't wait to see part 2.

• Conner R

  
  Mesrine Part I is undoubtedly the superior movie of the two because it comes from the writings of Mesrine himself. With his book as the main influence for this movie, it's easy to see why it's so interesting. It's not exactly glamorizing the gangster lifestyle and… More
  Mesrine Part I is undoubtedly the superior movie of the two because it comes from the writings of Mesrine himself. With his book as the main influence for this movie, it's easy to see why it's so interesting. It's not exactly glamorizing the gangster lifestyle and making the character out to be a secretly great person, but it shows a fair interpretation. A lot of the reason Mesrine is such a bizarre type of criminal is that he's just so nonchalant and straight-forward about who he is. This isn't someone who thinks he deserves acclaim and love, but not once does he ever apologize for who he is. Now a lot of why this kind of execution works is due to Vincent Cassel and his performance. It's undeniably amazing and gets to the essence of why anyone can and does sympathize with a larger than life gangster in the same vein as Scarface. His mannerisms and personality shifts are so interesting to watch. It's a character that could've been so overdone and blown out of proportion, but it's perfect. The story is so unbelievable half the time, what with the prison escapes, heists and just the general destructive attitude of Jacques Mesrine. While it might not follow a traditional narrative style, I think it's extremely easy to get into and enjoy. Visually, this movie is flawless as well. It's not hyper-edited and basically just lets the backdrop and characters shine through. Honestly, you can't ask for much more in a crime biopic. It gets everything right.

• Reid V

  
  What a great entry into the compelling yet tired gangster genre. Cassell delivers an astounding performance as this multi-faceted larger than life figure and Richet more than capably walks a fine line of bringing this fascinating, albeit violent, life to the screen, without making it… More
  What a great entry into the compelling yet tired gangster genre. Cassell delivers an astounding performance as this multi-faceted larger than life figure and Richet more than capably walks a fine line of bringing this fascinating, albeit violent, life to the screen, without making it feel hagiographical. While I can understand the criticism that the film feels episodic, it is a biography, and isn't life just a series of episodes? I think the director does a fine job of making this film feel like one life, rather than a series of disparate events. Overall, sharp directing, solid acting, and a great script, brings this film to life in a vibrant way.

• Ken S

  
  I see someone likes early DePalma as much as I do. Cassel is a hoot to boot!

• Cynthia S

  
  Well made film, with some really great actors...but leave it to the French to make a crime thriller not so thrilling. I'm not sure what it is about French movies, but they sometimes just kind of drag. Another problem with the story is that it has a ragged and jumpy time line, and… More
  Well made film, with some really great actors...but leave it to the French to make a crime thriller not so thrilling. I'm not sure what it is about French movies, but they sometimes just kind of drag. Another problem with the story is that it has a ragged and jumpy time line, and though not too hard to follow, seems to jump implausibly from one period of the characters life to another. But, on the whole, this was decent and I do plan to check out the rest of it (cuz it seems to come in parts).

• familiar s

  
  The movie has more pros than cons and works great as a crime film. This gangster biopic is adapted into movie very finely and is surely worth a shot. It was guilty pleasure to watch this "Public Enemy #1" perform various crimes and managing to successfully escape from the… More
  The movie has more pros than cons and works great as a crime film. This gangster biopic is adapted into movie very finely and is surely worth a shot. It was guilty pleasure to watch this "Public Enemy #1" perform various crimes and managing to successfully escape from the hands of law. Needless to say that I'm eager to check out its sequel. Hope it won't be disappointing either.

• Mark W

  
  The allure of the gangster lifestyle seems to be a constant source of entertainment for people (myself included). It's a genre that has turned out countless classics and with this recent French addition, director Jean-Francois Richet has a good go of including his film amongst… More
  The allure of the gangster lifestyle seems to be a constant source of entertainment for people (myself included). It's a genre that has turned out countless classics and with this recent French addition, director Jean-Francois Richet has a good go of including his film amongst the best. Part one "Killer Instinct", covers the early career (1959 - '70) of outlaw Jacques Mesrine (Vincent Cassel), covering his military service in Algeria, apprenticeship with a Paris gang-lord (Gerard Depardieu), crime-spree partnership with soulmate Jeanne (Cecile De France) and escape from a tough Canadian prison. Being only the first installment of this two-part, 4 hour crime flick. The word 'epic' may spring to mind. Strangely though, it never felt epic to me and I think this was mainly down to it not being about a criminal family but only one individual. However, it's no less effective and has more in common with "Scarface" in Mesrine's one man rise to power or notoriety and "Bonnie & Clyde" for his crime spree with a ladyfriend. What's demanded from it, is also the thing that holds it all together and that's a lead performance of power and charisma. This is where Vincent Cassel comes in. He's absolutely captivating. He commands every bit of the screen with a tour de force show. Being one of the finest actors around at present Cassel can now officially change his name to 'excel' for his portrayal of this dangerous career criminal. Excellent support also from a sadly underused but menacing Gerard Depardieu, who shows great presence and the only one that comes close to Cassel's powerhouse performance. An exciting fast paced bio-pic that'll have you hooked right from the excellent split-frame opening scene. Worth checking out for Cassel alone.

• Anthony L

  
  The best gangster film I've seen for a long time. Jean-François Richet treats the subject, the life and times of Jacques Mesrine fairly, never glamorising the lifestyle of a gangster and showing the 'likable' side of Mesrine but not without showing you the nasty side of… More
  The best gangster film I've seen for a long time. Jean-François Richet treats the subject, the life and times of Jacques Mesrine fairly, never glamorising the lifestyle of a gangster and showing the 'likable' side of Mesrine but not without showing you the nasty side of him. Not once did I think 'I hope he gets away with it', I did want to know more though, as he is an interesting figure in modern history, maybe for the wrong reasons but a fascinating figure none the less. I've been a big fan of Vincent Cassel's for a long time and he was perfect in the role and Jean-François Richet really does redeem himself from the misguided remake of Assault on Precinct 13 and is now definitely a director to look out for. I think the split-screen intro is worth watching the film for alone! Brilliant stuff!

• Emile T

  
  Awful, awful, awful storyline. It's as if the screenwriter had highlighted the parts from the books he wanted to adapt, then rewrote it with very cheesy lines, and then forgot to connect everything together. Can't understand why people could love this. Go watch The… More
  Awful, awful, awful storyline. It's as if the screenwriter had highlighted the parts from the books he wanted to adapt, then rewrote it with very cheesy lines, and then forgot to connect everything together. Can't understand why people could love this. Go watch The Prophet, instead.

• Lady D

  
  One word - Impressive!!!! Not only has it been a while since such a great gangster film has been released, but this one is so packed with content, you'll think you've been watching it a lot longer than the actual 96 mins for the first part. This is without doubt… More
  One word - Impressive!!!! Not only has it been a while since such a great gangster film has been released, but this one is so packed with content, you'll think you've been watching it a lot longer than the actual 96 mins for the first part. This is without doubt Cassell's finest role to date and for me already being such a fan of this Actor, the performance totally blew me away. Another pleasant surprise was the role played by Depardieu, who was almost unrecognisable in his role and played it rather convincingly.

• Stella D

  
  standard gangster fare, but stylish and with some great performances, notably cassell in the lead role as the so-called french dillinger. he is simply magnetic. gets better in the second half with a thrilling prison break. this part is based on mesrine's autobiography, written… More
  standard gangster fare, but stylish and with some great performances, notably cassell in the lead role as the so-called french dillinger. he is simply magnetic. gets better in the second half with a thrilling prison break. this part is based on mesrine's autobiography, written in prison

• Brian D

  
  When i started watching this two parter to France's most famous public enemy no 1 its was like a French version of goodfellas.But near half way if completely changes.What we have here is a violent and tuff look at the raise of this person.Vincent Cassel is excellent as the lead… More
  When i started watching this two parter to France's most famous public enemy no 1 its was like a French version of goodfellas.But near half way if completely changes.What we have here is a violent and tuff look at the raise of this person.Vincent Cassel is excellent as the lead and being a ruthless and brutal look to mesrine.The feel and look of the movie is up there with any big budget Hollywood movie and sometime forget that its not.Highly recommend to anyone who like a good true story on crime in the vine of scorsese.

• Gordon A

  
  Energetic gangster biopic with some brutal action held together by an electric performance from Cassel.

• Mike N

  
  Absorbing, at-times fascinating biopic / gangster movie that follows a lot of familiar story arcing, and yet the viewer is gravitated toward each bump and bullet spray of this film, mostly due to the pulsating, palpitating performance of Vincent Cassel as Jacques Mesrine. And since I… More
  Absorbing, at-times fascinating biopic / gangster movie that follows a lot of familiar story arcing, and yet the viewer is gravitated toward each bump and bullet spray of this film, mostly due to the pulsating, palpitating performance of Vincent Cassel as Jacques Mesrine. And since I don’t know jacques about this guy’s amazingly real life, the story unfolds grippingly for this moviegoer. The pacing is interesting; perhaps herky-jerky, but for me it keeps events moving quickly. The downside is this also keeps you at arms-length from getting inside any of the characters beyond Mesrine. Still, it ends both as a self-contained piece of entertainment and as a tantalizing setup for Part 2: Public Enemy No. 1.

• Walter M

  
  "Mesrine: Killer Instinct" is a stylishly entertaining first half of an epic biopic of Jacques Mesrine(Vincent Cassel, with just the right amount of swagger), an infamous criminal badass. The film starts with what may conceivably be his last moments. It is ironic because… More
  "Mesrine: Killer Instinct" is a stylishly entertaining first half of an epic biopic of Jacques Mesrine(Vincent Cassel, with just the right amount of swagger), an infamous criminal badass. The film starts with what may conceivably be his last moments. It is ironic because this installment includes a lot of first times for him, especially the first time he kills, in Algeria, hestitatingly so, even if it is legal. The others, not so much. So, now that he has seen the horrors of Algeria, will Paris seem the same again? Once out of the army, his father(Michel Duchaussoy) gets him an honest job but then Mesrine's pal Paul(Gilles Lellouche) comes calling, introducing him to mob boss Guido(Gerald Depardieu). Now, he has even less hope of settling down to lead a normal life. It is at this point that events start steamrolling towards the event the closes the installment wherein Mesrine crosses a line where there is no going back.(Now compare that to the first robbery he takes part in and see how much has changed.) However, even with circumstances working against him, it is impossible to consider Jacques Mesrine a tragic figure. If he is a victim of collateral damage during wartime, then he is not alone, as he has a similar effect on those around him.

• Fascade F

  
  This is one stone ice cold and brutal story of a man fresh out of the military "hell - bent" on not being a "wussy" or "pantsy" like his father was. Getting more fueled with rage after trying it out his father's way because of his wife's… More
  This is one stone ice cold and brutal story of a man fresh out of the military "hell - bent" on not being a "wussy" or "pantsy" like his father was. Getting more fueled with rage after trying it out his father's way because of his wife's continuous pleadings to go straight...Mesrine looses all control when the job his father set him up with made the choice to fire him. Mesrine then goes on an all out crime spree that lands hi m in jail. Despite the abuse from the prison correction program...Mesrine goes all out to get what is his by any means at his disposal with the help of a childhood friend and a mobster. Surely this is one grimy fueled story of the most wanted man in the history of the French from France to Canada. See this it is notorious!

• John C

  
  Since seeing him in Eastern Promises and others that have followed (Black Swan) I have been mesmerized by Vincent Cassel's performances and in this film even more so! With his Gallic snarl and animal magnetism he is the movie. Unfortunately the movie gets convoluted at times and… More
  Since seeing him in Eastern Promises and others that have followed (Black Swan) I have been mesmerized by Vincent Cassel's performances and in this film even more so! With his Gallic snarl and animal magnetism he is the movie. Unfortunately the movie gets convoluted at times and proves to be too episodic...nevertheless Mesrine is a badass gangster film worth watching. (1-16-11)

• Lesley N

  
  Stylish story starring Vincent Cassel as French charmer, bank robber and Public Enemy Number and keeping the interest by focussing as intently on the times when Mesrine wasn't a criminal as the times when he was. Aided and abetted by a powerhouse performance from Cassel, which… More
  Stylish story starring Vincent Cassel as French charmer, bank robber and Public Enemy Number and keeping the interest by focussing as intently on the times when Mesrine wasn't a criminal as the times when he was. Aided and abetted by a powerhouse performance from Cassel, which helps the four hours fly by.

• 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 2 is identical.

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