Mesrine: Killer Instinct

Mesrine: Killer Instinct 

Director: Jean-François Richet
Written By: Jean-François Richet and Abdel Raouf Dafri.
Photography: Robert Gantz
Starring: Vincent Cassel, Cécile De France and Gérard Depardieu.
Year: 2008
Country: France, Canada and Italy.


 Mesrine: Killer Instinct is the first of two films that recalls the life of France's most infamous criminal, Jaques Mesrine. Who I'll admit before seeing this film I wasn't aware of.


 Jaques Mersrine is played flawlessly by Vincent Cassel, possibly my favourite actor. Only challenged by Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Vincent Cassel you may know from Black Swan, Shrek, Irreversible or a fantastic French film called La Haine, which is a must watch.


 The direction in Mesrine is phenomenal throughout. But there's one act that steals the film (mild spoiler coming up) Where Mesrine is sent to prison and put in an isolation cell. Imagine, if you can, Steve McQueen's Hunger meets Terry Gilliam's 12 Monkeys and that's what you get in this.


 Mesrine: Killer Instinct appears to borrow from nearly every action movie and thriller ever made: Natural Born Killers, Mean Streets, Leon. It even has a little Matrix/Equilibrium style camerawork and its use of Tammy Wynette's Stand By Your Man is completely Tarantinoesque. Its art direction also has element of The Conformist.


 I honestly can't think of anything bad to say about Mesrine: Killer Instinct and even if I could, I wouldn't point it out in fear that it may persuade you to not watch it.


 Mesrine: Killer Instinct is a phenomenal film. It works as action, it works as a thriller, it works as a biography and it works as cinema. I just hope Mesrine: Public Enemy #1 is as brilliant


Score: 5/5