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Mesrine: Part II - Public Enemy 1

R 2008 2h 10m Action Biography Crime Drama Mystery & Thriller List
81% Tomatometer 91 Reviews 82% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Jacques Mesrine becomes France's most-wanted criminal.
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Mesrine: Part II - Public Enemy 1

Mesrine: Part II - Public Enemy 1

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Critics Consensus

Vincent Cassel is mesmerizing in the lead role. Even if it's less focused than its predecessor, it's more fun.

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Critics Reviews

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Roger Moore Tribune News Service The only recent gangster film this one falls short of is "Killer Instinct," the first half of the epic. Rated: 3/4 Jan 16, 2013 Full Review Tom Long Detroit News Yes, he was a bad guy; but what a great story. Rated: B+ Jan 21, 2011 Full Review Simon Abrams Slant Magazine According to this lofty mandate, the film shouldn't be judged as a historically meretricious account. Rated: 1.5/4 Sep 6, 2010 Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review The presentation mirrors the sort of locomotive-paced lifestyle that propelled Mesrine’s criminal career and made him into a folk hero among the French, and Cassel’s immense presence carries the character’s magnetism straight through. Rated: 3.5/4 Jul 31, 2023 Full Review Jason Best Movie Talk He's paunchier than when we last saw him (Cassel put on 40lbs for the film), but no less adept at wriggling free of the law's clutches and even slicker at getting on the front pages of newspapers and magazines. Nov 22, 2020 Full Review David Harris Spectrum Culture Public Enemy #1 is filled with some rousing set pieces, but does nothing to help us understand the man French police gunned down in cold blood on November 2, 1979. Rated: 3/5 Oct 28, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Myles W The combination of the 2 parts .. you should not view these as separate movies, it's split in 2 for commercial reasons but really it's 1 3.5 HR movie like once upon a time in America... This is possibly the greatest crime film ever made, please persevere with the subtitles and it will be worth it... What's more incredible is it's true.. fantastic cast, career best performance from some, amazing script and superb direction... Its just one of the best ever Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/25/23 Full Review Audience Member This is the story of the notorious French gangster Jacques Mesrine (Vincent Cassel), with the focus on his life and death as France's Public Enemy No. 1 in the 1970s. The first part was found "undeniably uneven, but Vincent Cassel's electrifying performance makes Mesrine: Killer Instinct a gangster biopic worth seeking out. " Meanwhile, the second one also put emphasis on the lead actor's performance: "Vincent Cassel is mesmerizing in the lead role. Even if it's less focused than its predecessor, it's more fun." Mesrine Public Enemy Number One neared 2 million in admissions after four weeks of release. In his review for The New York Times, Stephen Holden wrote that Mesrine "makes for continuously riveting, visceral entertainment that evokes a Gallic Scarface without the drugs. ... Mr. Cassel's monumental performance fuses the cobralike menace of the young Robert Mitchum with the whipsaw, shape-shifting (from wiry to bulbous) volatility of classic Robert De Niro, and lightens it with a cat burglar's grace and agility." To me this is yet another glorification of an evil, misogynic, larger than life psychopathic gangster that thinks he can do whatever he wants. The fascination of criminals and their thug life has become a nuisance over the years. It´s tiring to see evil men, as that is the often the case, being portrayed and glorified on the silver screen. Jacques Mesrine got what he deserved in the end, in a shower of bullets. Vincent Cassel is always good, particularly when he works in his native tongue, and the production value is high. But, I personally dont´care about this sort of gangster portrayal these days. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Liam D A poignant but interesting ending This Drama is a brutal but satisfying conclusion to French's most infamous Criminal Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/07/22 Full Review Audience Member An excessive and fascinating character is way more than a first-rated mobster film! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review simon d Not quite as good as the first half but still a necessary watch. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member ...the second part of a riveting story that defines craftsmanship in filmmaking and defines what it means to deliver an epic. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Mesrine: Part II - Public Enemy 1

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Jacques Mesrine becomes France's most-wanted criminal.
Director
Jean-François Richet
Producer
Thomas Langmann, Maxime Rémillard, Andre Rouleau
Screenwriter
Abdel Raouf Dafri, Jean-François Richet
Production Co
120 Films, Région Haute-Normandie, Remstar Productions, Uni Etoile 4, Cinémage 2, Centre National de la Cinematographie, M6 Films, Natixis Coficiné, Uni Étoile 5, La Petite Reine, Canal+, Pathé, Banque Populaire Images 8, TPS Star
Rating
R (Bloody Brutal Violence|A Scene of Sexuality|Nudity|Pervasive Language)
Genre
Action, Biography, Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 6, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA)
$275.1K
Runtime
2h 10m
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