– Life along the Slaney

Vincent Cassel as Jacques Mesrine

Director: Jean-François Richet

Starring: Vincent Cassel, Cécile De France, Gérard Depardieu, Roy Dupuis

This first of two films filmed as one in reverse chronological order, Mesrine – Killer Instinct tells the early life of real-life criminal Jacques Mesrine.

Played with style, intensity and violence by Vincent Cassel, Mesrine comes across as psychopath intent on destroying himself as well as everyone else around him with reckless abandon.

However, the film is more like a group of set pieces designed to show off the 1950s and 1960s era and the various locations visited during the film. From Algeria in the 1950s to Quebec in the 1960s, the film jumps and jolts its way through Mesrine’s like.

The director Jean-François Richet plumps for style over substance in his retelling of one of France’s most notorious criminal lives. He fails to take the time to develop the characters.

What is it that is behind Mesrine lack of pride in his father? Why is it such a shock when Cassel explodes violently and forces a gun into the mouth of his wife while his child looks on?

None of these issues are explored and instead the director crams in as many locations and incidents as he can.

The performances throughout are superb with Cassel engaging and charismatic in the lead role. Gerard Depardieu is sinister as Guido the archetypical gangster boss who issues the warning to Cassel early in the film that “you never win in this game.”

Both Elena Anaya as Sofia and Cécile De France as Jeanne fall for the charms of Mesrine but both learn that no matter how hard he tries he cannot escape his true nature.

As a film on its own, Mesrine – Killer Instinct is a very enjoyable 113 minutes but I will have to report back tomorrow having viewed Mesrine – Public Enemy No.1 to see if the narrative arc of the story holds up throughout the entire Jacques Mesrine story.