Mesrine: Part 1: Killer Instinct (2008)

Mesrine: Part 1: Killer Instinct (R) - Review

"Natural Born French Killer"

Vincent Cassel plays Jacques Mesrine, the real-life French version of Scarface.  Mesrine is an enigmatic low level hood that slowly gets pulled into a violent underworld of crime and corruption and finally ends up being Public Enemy No. 1 with a bullet.  As a historical biopic about a relatively unknown gangster from France, this movie really delivers in both interest and entertainment.  While the major motivations and reasons are lost in the time skipping narrative, the characters, acting and action are top notch and worthwhile.  Based on the novel written by Mesrine himself, it is the first entry in a two part film.

6.5 Jail Breaks out of 10 (GOOD)