{2jtab: Movie Review}
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You know you are dealing with a real “goodfella” when it takes two films to tell your life story. Jacques Mesrine was that type of larger-than-life figure of the criminal scene. Publicity hound or philosopher; both were spoken during Mesrine’s heyday in the 1960’s and 70’s. Either way you look at his life, one thing is certain - Mesrine was an adrenaline junkie who thrived off of armed robbery and his own publicity. You know, the stuff of Martin Scorsese movies – except this one has nothing to do with Scorsese or even America.
Beginning with an inspired Easy Rider-like montage of overlapping split screens as Mesrine (Vincent Cassel) and Jeanne Schneider (Cécile de France) make their way through the streets of France before being confronted with a firing squad of guns all with the barrels pointed in the wrong direction (if you were Mesrine), Killer Instinct comes at its audience with the full-throttle force of even the best films of the cops and robbers genre. To say this film is an epic treatment of its central figure is an understatement. Killer Instinct is an encyclopedia of facts, names, wars, and places all foreign to the American experience. It’s certainly a relief to know we don’t produce the only known criminals in the world.
That is until you realize just how much of a beast Mesrine is…to everybody. Yet, Cassel (who gained a whopping 45 pounds for the role) plays him with such defying wit and charisma the audience can’t help but see why the press and the public had so much fun with Mesrine. Charming. Intelligent. And a criminal? A deadly combination – especially if you are a member of the press and want to sell nespapers. Suckered in with scenes of war and horrific stagings in Algiers, Mesrine’s life unfolds in a rather quick succession that sees him returning from the horrors of war and settling into a life of crime that strokes his ego and earns him kudos from prostitutes and the public alike.
The film stars a veritable list of who’s who in modern French/Canadian cinema: Gérard Depardieu, Michel Duchaussoy, Ludivine Sagnier, Roy Dupuis, Elena Anaya all star alongside Cassel. Yet, the film remains hooked upon Cassel’s fascinating performance and metamorphosis. This is his finest performance ever put onto celluloid. Slinky, cool, and explosively violent, Cassel offers an interpretation of Mesrine that is both welcoming and a must-see for anyone a fan of crime pictures and biopics alike. No wonder than that he won France’s top honors in acting for this engaging performance.
Both shocking and brutal, Mesrine’s bloodlust is unmatched – even the camera flinches at times. Arguably unfocused, director Jean-François Richet (who also won the César Award for Best Direction for this film) provides so many flashes in time and narrative constructs that – in order to fully understand the scope of the biopic – references to both films are made almost congruently. Frustrating? Maybe, but the intelligence behind such attempts to spiral time in on itself and span across the ages is serious, fun and effective.
Even in France it seems you can’t have one without the other. Stay tuned, dear readers, the next one – Mesrine: Public Enemy No. 1 - comes out in America, courtesy of Music Box, next month.
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{2jtab: Film Info}
MPAA Rating: R for strong brutal violence, some sexual content and language.
Director: Jean-François Richet
Writer: Abdel Raouf Dafri
Cast: Vincent Cassell; Cécile De France; Gérard Depardieu; Gilles Lellouche; Roy Dupuis; Elena Anaya
Genre: Action | Biography | Crime
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote: "The piranha hunt in packs. The first bite draws blood, blood draws the pack."
Distributor: Music Box Films
Official Site: www.musicboxfilms.com/mesrine-killer-instinct
Release Date: September 29, 2010 (Milwaukee Film Festival)
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: March 1, 2011
Synopsis: MESRINE: KILLER INSTINCT introduces us to Jacques Mesrine (Vincent Cassel), a loyal son and dedicated soldier back home and living with his parents after serving in the Algerian War. Soon he is seduced by the neon glamour of sixties Paris and the easy money it presents. Mentored by Guido (Gerald Depardieu) Mesrine turns his back on middle class law-abiding and soon moves swiftly up the criminal ladder. After pulling off 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 his towards international notoriety.
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{2jtab: Blu-ray Details}
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Blu-ray Details:
Available on Blu-ray - March 1, 2011
Screen Formats: 2.35:1
Subtitles: English SDH
Audio: Dolby, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Discs: 50GB Blu-ray Disc; Single disc (1 BD)
Presented in the States by Music Box (the same company handling The Dragon Tattoo Trilogy), Killer Instinct has a damn-near pitch perfect 1080p transfer. The greens and blues are strong throughout and the shadows are a deep black, boosting the entire look of the film with a crisp smattering of detail and depth. Surely, one of the finest looking French films released in the past two years. Sound wise, French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is the preferred choice for authenticity’s sake. While a pretty solid translation, the English dubbed track lacks the natural rhythm and punch of the intended language.
Supplements:
Commentary:
- None
Special Features:
Music Box isn’t known for their abundance of supplemental offerings. Unfortunately, this release is no different. Take into account that they consider the English dubbed version of the film to be a bonus feature. That leaves you with one other item: the trailer to the Killer Instinct.
What gives?
Trailers: Killer Instinct
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{2jtab: Trailer}
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