"Vincent Cassel is such an immense acting presence, oozing sex appeal and malice... A gripping period kaleidoscope of French film entertainment at its best."

It takes an exceptionally strong lead to bring to life an infamous and charismatic character such as the notorious 60s/70s French gangster, Jacques Mesrine ('May-reen'). Vincent Cassel is such an immense acting presence, oozing sex appeal and malice in what could be some of his finest work to date in Mesrine: Killer Instinct, the first thrilling part of two films about the bank robber/showman's life. The international audience is no stranger to Cassel's work after his impressive performance as unhinged Russian mobster Kirill, opposite Viggo Mortensen in Eastern Promises. In fact Mesrine is a very similar, self-destructive character that Cassel excels at playing, which helps propel this film onto the mainstream radar. -------

French director Jean-François Richet has moulded the gangster genre into his own, creating a dangerously carefree, hedonistic and violently sexy thriller with Cassel at the helm. It is the French version of Goodfellas, complete with strong Gaelic undertones and precise 70s reproduction in fashion, feel and music score. Richet's use of snappy editing and hand-held cinematography creates the necessary dynamics for bringing the tale alive, although his film-making style does take some getting used to, initially. ------

Part 1 follows the scintillating unravelling of a tightly-sprung Mesrine who returns home from the Algerian War in the early/mid Sixties to find life a little too subdued for his liking. After life in the Army, anything goes, and now (then) is the time to make something of yourself. It is this unpredictable journey into a yet unknown future that makes for fascinating viewing. Coupled with Mesrine's violent and brutal outbursts are others of great tenderness and charming wit, as he tries to define himself in a homeland that has left behind those fighting for it in a foreign land. -------

We bear witness to great extremes in the story, from the privileged, champagne-swilling mobster lifestyle, to the harshness of prison life and Mesrine's slow descent into incarcerated madness in inhumane conditions, where Cassel magnificently draws on every emotion to reproduce Mesrine's mental and physical debilitation behind four walls. The 'Robin Hood' syndrome is very much in play, too, as we cheer on a gallant (or egotistical and insane) Mesrine who returns triumphantly to the institution he dramatically escaped from, and attempts to spring his fellow comrades in a western-styled bloodbath of bullets and reckless, testosterone-fuelled might. It is definitely the action highlight of the film. ---------

Roll on Public Enemy No.1, or Part 2 that is release on 28th August, as things heat up for Mesrine and Cassel's notoriety. This first saga can be described as a gripping period kaleidoscope of French film entertainment at its best.

Synopsis -------

Inspired by the life of France's most notorious criminal, Mesrine: Killer Instinct charts the rise and fall of the often marvelled, yet utterly ruthless gangster Jacques Mesrine. The films follow the incredible series of hold ups, prison breaks, and kidnappings throughout the 60s and 70s. Almost 30 years since his spectacular death, shot down in a hail of police bullets, the Cesar Award-winning team of writer/director Jean-François Richet and Vincent Cassel bring to the big screen the story of the man behind the legend. -------

Mesrine: Killer Instinct introduces us to Jacques Mesrine (Cassel), a loyal son and dedicated soldier back home and living with his parents after serving in the Algerian War. Handsome and charming, he is soon seduced by the neon glamour of Sixties Paris and the easy money it presents. Mentored by Guido (Gerard Depardieu) Mesrine soon moves swiftly up the criminal ladder, choosing the high risk life of a gangster over the honest life of the hard working family. After pulling of an audacious heist he and his lover Jeanne (Cecile de France), flee to Canada where the opportunity of one big payout lures him out of hiding and propels him towards international notoriety. -----------------

Film Facts --------

Official site: http://www.mesrine-movie.co.uk/

UK Release Date: 7th August 2009

Director: Jean-François Richet

Writer: Jean-François Richet, Abdel Raouf Dafri, Jacques Mesrine (book)

Cast: Vincent Cassel ('Jacques Mesrine'), Cecile de France ('Jeanne'), Gerard Depardieu ('Guido'), Ludivine Saigner ('Sylvie Jeanjacquot'), Roy Dupuis ('Jean-Paul Mercier')

Distributor: Momentum Pictures

Certificate: 15

Run-time: 113 mins

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