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IMDbPro

Mesrine: Killer Instinct

Original title: L'instinct de mort
  • 20082008
  • RR
  • 1h 53m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
34K
YOUR RATING
Vincent Cassel in Mesrine: Killer Instinct (2008)
The story of french gangster Jacques Mesrine, before he was called Public Enemy N°1.
Play trailer1:40
3 Videos
47 Photos
  • Action
  • Biography
  • Crime
The story of the notorious French gangster Jacques Mesrine, with the focus on his life before the early 1970s and the events that led to him being declared Public Enemy No. 1 in France.The story of the notorious French gangster Jacques Mesrine, with the focus on his life before the early 1970s and the events that led to him being declared Public Enemy No. 1 in France.The story of the notorious French gangster Jacques Mesrine, with the focus on his life before the early 1970s and the events that led to him being declared Public Enemy No. 1 in France.
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
34K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Jean-François Richet
  • Writers
    • Jacques Mesrine(book "L'instinct de mort")
    • Abdel Raouf Dafri(scenario)
    • Jean-François Richet(adaptation and dialogue)
  • Stars
    • Vincent Cassel
    • Cécile de France
    • Gérard Depardieu
Top credits
  • Director
    • Jean-François Richet
  • Writers
    • Jacques Mesrine(book "L'instinct de mort")
    • Abdel Raouf Dafri(scenario)
    • Jean-François Richet(adaptation and dialogue)
  • Stars
    • Vincent Cassel
    • Cécile de France
    • Gérard Depardieu
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 71User reviews
    • 139Critic reviews
    • 71Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 8 wins & 15 nominations

    Videos3

    Mesrine: Killer Instinct -- U.S. Trailer
    Trailer 1:40
    Mesrine: Killer Instinct -- U.S. Trailer
    Mesrine: Killer Instinct -- UK Trailer
    Trailer 1:31
    Mesrine: Killer Instinct -- UK Trailer
    Mesrine: Killer Instinct -- "Check Out the Hardware"
    Clip 1:16
    Mesrine: Killer Instinct -- "Check Out the Hardware"

    Photos47

    Gérard Depardieu in Mesrine: Killer Instinct (2008)
    Vincent Cassel in Mesrine: Killer Instinct (2008)
    Vincent Cassel and Cécile de France in Mesrine: Killer Instinct (2008)
    Vincent Cassel and Gilles Lellouche in Mesrine: Killer Instinct (2008)
    Cécile de France in Mesrine: Killer Instinct (2008)
    Gérard Depardieu and Vincent Cassel in Mesrine: Killer Instinct (2008)
    Vincent Cassel in Mesrine: Killer Instinct (2008)
    Roy Dupuis in Mesrine: Killer Instinct (2008)
    Gérard Depardieu in Mesrine: Killer Instinct (2008)
    Vincent Cassel in Mesrine: Killer Instinct (2008)
    Vincent Cassel and Gilles Lellouche in Mesrine: Killer Instinct (2008)
    Vincent Cassel and Elena Anaya in Mesrine: Killer Instinct (2008)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Vincent Cassel
    Vincent Cassel
    • Jacques Mesrineas Jacques Mesrine
    Cécile de France
    Cécile de France
    • Jeanne Schneideras Jeanne Schneider
    • (as Cécile De France)
    Gérard Depardieu
    Gérard Depardieu
    • Guidoas Guido
    Gilles Lellouche
    Gilles Lellouche
    • Paulas Paul
    Roy Dupuis
    Roy Dupuis
    • Jean-Paul Mercieras Jean-Paul Mercier
    Elena Anaya
    Elena Anaya
    • Sofiaas Sofia
    Florence Thomassin
    • Sarahas Sarah
    Michel Duchaussoy
    Michel Duchaussoy
    • Pierre André Mesrine - le père de Jacques Mesrineas Pierre André Mesrine - le père de Jacques Mesrine
    Myriam Boyer
    • La mère de Jacques Mesrineas La mère de Jacques Mesrine
    Abdelhafid Metalsi
    • Ahmed - le proxénèteas Ahmed - le proxénète
    Gilbert Sicotte
    Gilbert Sicotte
    • Le milliardaireas Le milliardaire
    Deano Clavet
    Deano Clavet
    • Roger Andréas Roger André
    Ludivine Sagnier
    Ludivine Sagnier
    • Sylvie Jeanjacquotas Sylvie Jeanjacquot
    Mustapha Abourachid
    Mustapha Abourachid
    • Le harkias Le harki
    Sofiane Benrazzak
    • Le Fellagah #1as Le Fellagah #1
    • (as Sophiane Benrezzak)
    Farid Fedjer
    • Le Fellagah #2as Le Fellagah #2
    Gilles Geisweiller
    • L'officier françaisas L'officier français
    • (as Gil Geisweiller)
    Leïla Bekhti
    Leïla Bekhti
    • La fille du Fellagahas La fille du Fellagah
    • Director
      • Jean-François Richet
    • Writers
      • Jacques Mesrine(book "L'instinct de mort")
      • Abdel Raouf Dafri(scenario) (adaptation and dialogue)
      • Jean-François Richet(adaptation and dialogue)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The filming of this and Mesrine: Public Enemy No. 1 (2008), which lasted nine straight months, was done in reverse chronological order so that Vincent Cassel could progressively lose the weight he gained in preparation of the role, as Cassel knew he couldn't gain weight while filming.
    • Goofs
      At the metro station in Montreal, the man is standing in Sherbrooke station smoking, but as the train arrives, the footage is from Bonaventure station.
    • Connections
      Featured in Gangstars (2009)

    User reviews71

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Lands successfully between crime thriller, gangster saga and character study
    *REVIEW OF BOTH PARTS*

    There is a short paragraph that opens both "Mesrine" films; the exact wording escapes me, but it says something like "no film can accurately portray the complexities of a human life". This seems to be a pre-emptive defense, as if Richet anticipates criticism for a lack of depth or some glaring omissions. After all, Jacques Mesrine is apparently still a famous name in France, and his public persona lives on. If even half his supposed exploits were true, the story would still be crying out for a definitive dramatisation. As such, Richet has wisely avoided making any real ethical judgements of Mesrine's character, focusing instead on the sex, violence and publicity that he thrived upon. But it's Vincent Cassel's committed and exuberant performance that develops this meat-and-potatoes content into an unbiased character study of excess and, over all, a very fine pair of movies.

    "Mesrine" may not seem to be particularly even-handed at first because of the glamour, the wisecracks, and the endless charisma, all of which are drawn from the rich stylistic tradition of the Gangster Movie, and used very skilfully in its favour. The fast pace of the story ensures we are either seduced or repulsed by the central character, and rarely anywhere in between. Sympathy or pity is irrelevant, and he is too brutal and trigger-happy to be rooted for as a regular protagonist. The first film is the slicker of the two, and the more visually satisfying due to the wonderfully stylish recreation of early 60s Paris (and elsewhere). Cassel plays Mesrine with youthful vigour here. He's all style and brash confidence, as endearing a wiseguy as any of Scorcese's characters. It's "Goodfellas", in fact, that "Killer Instinct" is most reminiscent of, with its sharp-suited mobsters (including a brilliantly grizzled Gerard Depardieu) and episodic year-hopping narrative.

    By the half-way point, Mesrine is still something of an enigma. It's only in "Public Enemy No. 1" that the pace slows down and we can see, through a few intimate and contemplative scenes, what he has sacrificed to live as a superlative criminal. "I wasn't much of a son, I'm not much of a father either." he says, while in disguise visiting his own ailing father in hospital. He gradually alienates his closest friends and accomplices by trying to maintain the outlandish public profile he cultivated, rambling pseudo-revolutionary politics to journalists and threatening to kill judges and destroy all maximum security prisons. The "Goodfellas" ensemble of the first part becomes the isolated, ego-driven "Scarface" of the second as Cassel skilfully matures his character into a man resigned to the fate he knows must be coming.

    The over all impression left by "Mesrine" is that it manages to land successfully between crime thriller, gangster saga and character study. This is achieved by the virtue of a standout central performance, as well as Richet's shrewd application of an American film-making style to a very French story. It ought to go down among the top crime dramas of the decade, or at the very least raise the (already decent) international profile of its impressive leading man.
    helpful•18
    6
    • youllneverbe
    • Sep 26, 2009

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 22, 2008 (France)
    • Countries of origin
      • France
      • Canada
      • Italy
    • Official sites
      • Music Box Films Site (United States)
      • Official site (Germany)
    • Languages
      • French
      • English
      • Arabic
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • Mesrine Part 1: Killer Instinct
    • Filming locations
      • Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, France
    • Production companies
      • La Petite Reine
      • Remstar Productions
      • Novo RPI
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $551,697
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $152,873
      • Aug 29, 2010
    • Gross worldwide
      • $31,076,533
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 53 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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