Review of Mesrine: Public Enemy #1 (2008) by Daniel W — 20 May 2010
The second part of Mesrine's story is superior to the first. Having already established characters and introducing the wonky eyed Mathieu Amalric for Cassel to play off it has superior flow. And much like Goodfellas it has a great last day sequence.
Shown in shorter form at the start of the first film when it is eventually shown in full its incredibly tense. Cassel is at his level best in Mesrine. Confident, charismatic and enthralling. Not to mention 20lbs heavier than usual in a DeNiro-esque display of getting into character.
Its Cassel who first introduces sympathy for a character thats difficult to like and then takes it away so you don't feel so sorry for what happens to him. In all its a tour-de-force from him and with a better director with more ambition in his camera work this could have been one of the great gangster epics.
As it stands its 4 hours getting to know one of France's most intriguing criminals. Not quite Goodfellas but then nothing is.
This review of Mesrine: Public Enemy #1 (2008) was written by Daniel W on 20 May 2010.
Mesrine: Public Enemy #1 has generally received very positive reviews.
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