After escaping from the authorities in Quebec Mesrine is back in France but he hasn't retired from a life of crime; he is still robbing banks and after escaping from court once again is declared 'Public Enemy Number One'. When caught again he vows to escape and a few years later he does just that. On the run with fellow escapee François Besse they calmly go into Deauville police station claiming to be police from Paris so they can determine what they will be up against before robbing a casino! This time it looks as if half the police in France are after them but they get away by taking a family hostage... then paying them for the trouble. After they split up; Jacques returns to Paris where he meets the beautiful Sylvie. He also meets up with old friend Charly Bauer, who is now a revolutionary. More crimes and mayhem follow until the film end just the way part one began; with Mesrine and Sylvie driving through Paris until gunmen opened fire on their car... this time though we learn who it was that shot him and whether he or Sylvie survived.
If you've not seen the first part of this story yet it is advisable to watch it first as that provides the necessary introduction to Mesrine; no time is wasted here introducing him again. This may be based on a true story but it is just as exciting as most fictional thrillers in not more so... many events that occur would seem far-fetched in a work of fiction but what we see here really happened! That of course can be a problem too; Mesrine is a charismatic character but he can also be brutal and knowing certain events really happened is disturbing; this is particularly true in the scene where he beats and then shoots a journalist. As in the first film actor Vincent Cassel gives a brilliant performance as Jacques Mesrine and he is ably supported by the likes of Ludivine Sagnier and Mathieu Amalric who play Sylvie and François respectively. There are some extremely brutal moments but if you can get through those this pair of films make a gripping story that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to adult viewers.
If you've not seen the first part of this story yet it is advisable to watch it first as that provides the necessary introduction to Mesrine; no time is wasted here introducing him again. This may be based on a true story but it is just as exciting as most fictional thrillers in not more so... many events that occur would seem far-fetched in a work of fiction but what we see here really happened! That of course can be a problem too; Mesrine is a charismatic character but he can also be brutal and knowing certain events really happened is disturbing; this is particularly true in the scene where he beats and then shoots a journalist. As in the first film actor Vincent Cassel gives a brilliant performance as Jacques Mesrine and he is ably supported by the likes of Ludivine Sagnier and Mathieu Amalric who play Sylvie and François respectively. There are some extremely brutal moments but if you can get through those this pair of films make a gripping story that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to adult viewers.