Jacques Mesrine (played by Vincent Cassel) was a well-known criminal during the sixties and seventies. He did robbed banks, but also did other criminal activities. These two movies try to show the way Mesrine lived his life.
The first movie starts at the end of his life. He’s been declared public enemy number 1 in France and when the police find him they execute him, after which we go back in time, starting with his job in the French army.
When Mesrine leaves the army and travels back to France he gets into criminal activity and starts working for Guido (Gerard Depardieu), who is a very influential mob like figure.
Mesrine manages to grow and becomes notorious for his bank robberies (sometimes two during the same day). He also travels to other countries to do robberies there. Of course the way he lives his life also means that the police is looking for him and he does get caught several times.
Of course he also has his family, wife and kids who are also shown, but the focus really is on his criminal activities. Both movies are very captivating and are shot beautifully.
Mesrine has witnessed and was part of many exciting situations which span both movies and keep the viewer involved. This is also because of Vincent Cassel’s acting, which really is fantastic. Mesrine was called the man with the thousand faces and Cassel regularly changes his appearance.
Mesrine was very sure about the effectiveness of his disguises. Even when he was wanted, he walked into a police station to ask for information. He had the guts do these things and it also explains why the media wasn’t alway negative about him. He knew how to use his charm to be popular with the general public.
Both movies are really well made and don’t feel too long. If you like the gangster genre, you really want to watch these movies. It doesn’t have the grandeur which movies like the Godfather or Goodfellas had, but it tells a very interesting story about one of the most notorious criminals during his time.
The first movie was just a bit better than the second, but you will have to see both.
Mesrine: L’Instinct de mort
Score: 8
Mesrine: L’ennemi public n°1
Score: 7
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