IMDb > L'instinct de mort (2008)
L'instinct de mort
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L'instinct de mort (2008) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 6)
L'instinct de mort (2008) -- The story of French gangster Jacques Mesrine, before he was called Public Enemy N°1.
L'instinct de mort (2008) -- MovieMaze.de - Trailer (Quicktime & Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.5/10   4,035 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Writers:
Contact:
View company contact information for Mesrine: Killer Instinct on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
22 October 2008 (Belgium) more
Plot:
The story of french gangster Jacques Mesrine, before he was called Public Enemy N°1. | add synopsis
Awards:
6 wins & 7 nominations more
User Comments:
An exciting thriller dressed as a biopic more (18 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Vincent Cassel ... Jacques Mesrine
Cécile De France ... Jeanne Schneider

Gérard Depardieu ... Guido
Gilles Lellouche ... Paul
Roy Dupuis ... Jean-Paul Mercier

Elena Anaya ... Sofia
Michel Duchaussoy ... Pierre André Mesrine - le père de Jacques Mesrine
Myriam Boyer ... La mère de Jacques Mesrine
Florence Thomassin ... Sarah
Abdelhafid Metalsi ... Ahmed - le proxénète
Gilbert Sicotte ... Le milliardaire
Deano Clavet ... Roger André
Mustapha Abourachid ... Le harki
Ludivine Sagnier ... Sylvie Jeanjacquot
Sofiane Benrazzak ... Le Fellagah #1 (as Sophiane Benrezzak)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Mesrine: Killer Instinct (UK) (USA)
Mesrine: L'instinct de mort (France) (poster title)
Mesrine: Part 1 - Death Instinct (International: English title)
Nemico pubblico n. 1 - L'istinto di morte (Italy)
Public Enemy Number One (Part 1) (International: English title)
more
Runtime:
113 min
Country:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Filming Locations:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Filmed back-to-back with L'ennemi public n°1 (2008), which stands as the second half of the two-part story. more
Goofs:
Crew or equipment visible: In the Monument Valley scene, while the helicopter is filming backwards up to the hill, you can see all the silver-colored trailers from the film-crew on the left side. more
Movie Connections:
Featured in Gangstars (2009) (TV) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
12 out of 12 people found the following comment useful.
An exciting thriller dressed as a biopic, 2 August 2009
7/10
Author: Framescourer from London, UK

A hugely entertaining action vehicle for Vincent Cassel on fine form. One can't help but think of it in terms of its close comparitors: Michael Mann's Public Enemies, a biopic of American gangster John Dillinger, is still on general release; and Steven Soderbergh's Che (Part One) was playing on the screen in the next-door auditorium. Not only is this Mesrine a more entertaining character than both Depp's Dillinger and Benicio Del Toro's Che Guevara, the bipartite biopic is a more entertaining film. That's not to say it's better though.

In this first part, we are shown Mesrine the career criminal. He gets underway with little backstory or prompting, and plays out the film as an increasingly autonomous bank robber. There's no empire building, no examination of the criminal mind or relationships, peripheral or central. It's basically a cycle of robbery, jailbreak and swagger: a brisk, urban updating of the gentleman highwayman.

This makes for a punchy criminal escapade, nicely shot in well-judged industry-standard-Greengrass-cam by Robert Ganz and lovingly charted with well-dated design by Emile Ghigo. Cécile de France's moll Jeanne is as subordinate as Marion Cotillard's Billie to Depp's Dillinger. I would have liked to have seen more of Elena Anaya's Sofia, both actor and character, who promised to be a significant figure in the Mesrine mythology but goes the same way as even the mighty Depardieu. By the end I was looking forward to the second instalment to develop something a little more revealing, or at least complex. 7/10

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for L'instinct de mort (2008)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Mesrine: The Story of a Stupid Criminal mfits
Note to Hollywood! this is how you make a frickin movie! jlnewton147
Is the US release in jeopardy? neil57
Perhaps I shouldn't admit it... badgerking10
The way to see these films is as a double bill clive-ihd
Prouncing the name 'Mesrine' Framescourer
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