L'ennemi public n°1 (2008)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Jean-François Richet

Writers:

Abdel Raouf Dafri (scenario)
Abdel Raouf Dafri (adaptation) ...

Release Date:

19 November 2008 (Belgium)

Genre:

Action | Biography | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

The story of notorious French gangster Jacques Mesrine. The follow-up film to "Public Enemy No. 1."

Plot Keywords:

France | Paris | Gangster | Prison | Bank Robbery

Awards:

6 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Vincent Cassel	...	Jacques Mesrine
Ludivine Sagnier	...	Sylvie Jeanjacquot
Mathieu Amalric	...	François Besse
Gérard Lanvin	...	Charly Bauer
Samuel Le Bihan	...	Michel Ardouin
Olivier Gourmet	...	Le commissaire Broussard
Michel Duchaussoy	...	Le père de Jacques Mesrine
Myriam Boyer	...	La mère de Jacques Mesrine
Anne Consigny	...	L'avocate de Jacques Mesrine
Georges Wilson	...	Henri Lelièvre
Alain Fromager	...	Jacques Dallier - journaliste pour Minute
Alain Doutey	...	Le président du tribunal à Compiègne
Laure Marsac	...	La journaliste interview
Arsène Mosca	...	Jojo - un policier
Christophe Vandevelde	...	Inspecteur Gégé

Also Known As:

Mesrine - L'ennemi public n° 1 (France) (poster title)
Mesrine: L'ennemi public n° 1 (France) (promotional title)
Mesrine: Part 2 - Public Enemy #1 (International: English title)
Mesrine: Part II - Public Enemy #1 (International: English title)

Runtime:

133 min

Country:

France | Canada

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | France:U (with warning) | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Ireland:16

Filming Locations:

Algeria

Company:

La Petite Reine

Trivia:

Benoît Magimel, who was at one time set to star, stepped down from the Mesrine project without informing producer Thomas Langmann, choosing instead to issue a press release. As a result of this a fight erupted on November 25th 2004 at the Intertalent talent agency between Langmann and Magimel's agent, François Samuelson, where Langmann headbutted Samuelson and broke his nose. Samuelson was on sick leave for nine days and pressed charges against Langmann.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where the farmer Daniel transports Jacques Mesrine and François Besse in his car, you can see that Besse climbs in the trunk first, and then Mesrine. When the car stops and Daniel opens the trunk, Mesrine gets out first, then Besse. But in the shots in between, you can see Mesrine holding a gun out of the hole in the back seat. How is this possible, since Besse lies between Mesrine and the back seat?

Movie Connections:

Featured in Gangstars (2009) (TV)

Somewhat underwhelming, but an acceptable conclusion nonetheless

Filmed back-to-back and released a month apart, the two movies chronicling the violent, exciting life of French bank robber Jacques Mesrine were undoubtedly meant to be a high point in the careers of both director (Jean-François Richet) and star (Vincent Cassel). At least, that was the case with the first installment, Death Instinct; the follow-up, Public Enemy Number 1, isn't quite as accomplished.

It starts exactly like Part One, with the scene of Mesrine's death, only this time we're shown the reactions of the public as well, especially that of a police office named Broussard (Olivier Gourmet). We then go back in time to witness Mesrine's multiple criminal acts, arrests, trials and successful escapes. In fact, one could almost say he gets caught on purpose in order to plan a stunning break-out. During one of his lengthier stays in prison, he befriends another crook, Jean-François Besse (Mathieu Amalric, Bond's adversary in Quantum of Solace), and once the two are out of jail they form a nearly perfect team alongside Mesrine's new wife Sylvie (Ludivine Sagnier). Too bad good old Jacques has been declared the French nation's biggest menace, which effectively authorizes Broussard and his team to take him down if necessary.

The title, which is obviously taken from the real-life scenario but could just as well be a homage to William Wellman's celebrated gangster picture, would appear to indicate the film is tonally similar to Death Instinct. It isn't. Whereas the first part was a dark crime film, the conclusion is a lighter deal, a caper, so to say, in the same vein as Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's trilogy (in which, coincidentally, Cassel had a pretty important role). Perhaps it was a deliberate choice to make the second chapter more fun, an ironic contrast of sorts to the bleak ending, but as a result the picture comes off as less interesting from a psychological point of view. Amalric, in particular, while delivering a charismatic performance, isn't given a proper chance to develop his character like Cassel was able to in Death Instinct. As for the leading man himself, his work is still riveting, but even he suffers from the lighter mood and lack of focus (he's still the best reason to watch the movie, though).

Nonetheless, the film moves at an acceptable pace, showcasing good set-pieces and giving Richet the opportunity to switch genres within the same movie. It doesn't quite work as expected, but the mess he handles is still a lot of fun, even if not truly worthy of a figure as complex and fascinating as Jacques Mesrine. Well, at least he's always got the first installment to look back on fondly.

6,5/10