Review of Mesrine: Public Enemy #1 (2008) by Neum D — 07 Sep 2010

Mesrine: Public Enemy #1 is the second part of the 'Mesrine' series direted by Jean-Francois Richet. It picks up right where it left off in the first. Cassel continues another one of his power house performances.

Whether it be playing up to reporters in order to gain more notoriety or sucking up to a family that he is holding hostage to prove that he isn't such a bad guy; Cassel simply gets it done. The first part of the film is pretty action packed as Cassel robs some more banks and has a blast doing it, then we see another awesome sequence of him escaping from prison.

You'll be on the edge of your seat for the first half hour or so. Don't let that last sentence fool you though their is lots of drama to be had. A scene that is still fresh in my mind is when Cassel beats a reporter to a inch of his life in the middle of a cave; the camera never flinching just shows this man stripped down taking a beating, It really is a brutal scene and a bit rough to watch.

The film also has scenes of tenderness like when Jacques Mesrine and his girlfriend are out together shopping, laughing, and having a good time. It's the scenes like that almost make you forget that Jacques Mesrine was a murderer.

The build up to the films climax is done rather well, we all know how it ends for Jacques but part of me couldn't help but want to see him pull through but we all know thats not whats in the history books.

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