Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Mesrine: Death Instinct

Jean-François Richet doesn't take any prisoners with this stylish and hugely entertaining epic about one of France's most notorious criminals. The film continues the long tradition of glorifying larger than life criminals as it galvanizes the legend of Jacques Mesrine along the likes of Al Capone and others. Richet's love for the American gangster films is evident but makes it his own like Jean-Pierre Melville did taking influence from Peckinpah to De Palma to Tarantino amongst others. While Vincent Cassel played many similar characters before, he shines in a role that's tailor made for him with all shades in tour de force performance. The star studded film includes Gérard Depardieu in a menacing role and an unrecognizable and terrific Cécile De France amongst other notable performances. The first film of the two is far superior which ends with a remarkable cliffhanger. YRCinema's coverage of the San Francisco International Film Festival.

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