Mesrine: Public Enemy No. 1

Original title: L'ennemi public n°1

2008
R
2h 13m

IMDb RATING

7.4/10

32K

YOUR RATING

Vincent Cassel in Mesrine: Public Enemy No. 1 (2008)

The story of french gangster Jacques Mesrine, before he was called Public Enemy NÂ°1.

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Docudrama True Crime Action Biography Crime Drama Thriller

The story of the notorious French gangster Jacques Mesrine, with the focus on his life and death as France's Public Enemy No. 1 in the 1970s.The story of the notorious French gangster Jacques Mesrine, with the focus on his life and death as France's Public Enemy No. 1 in the 1970s.The story of the notorious French gangster Jacques Mesrine, with the focus on his life and death as France's Public Enemy No. 1 in the 1970s.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.4/10

32K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 7 wins & 16 nominations

Trivia
The filming of this and Mesrine: Killer Instinct (2008), which lasted nine straight months, was done in reverse chronological order so that Vincent Cassel could progressively lose the weight he gained in preparation of the role, as Cassel knew he couldn't gain weight while filming.

Goofs
In the London scene, the production have chosen to play 'London Calling' By The Clash to illustrate Meshrine is in London, problem is, the number wasn't released until 7 December 1979, and the album a week later, at that time Meshrine had been dead for over a month (November 2nd 1979)

Quotes
La journaliste interview: [Begins interview] Why are you doing this?
Jacques Mesrine: [long pause] Because I don't like laws.
Jacques Mesrine: I don't like the laws and I don't want to be a slave of the alarm clock my whole life.
Jacques Mesrine: I don't want to spend my entire life dreaming. I don't want to always think how I have to work half a year just so I could buy some thing.
La journaliste interview: What do you expect from your life? Recognition? Money?
Jacques Mesrine: [chuckles] What a question! Money, money, money... all of you just keep talking about it, always the same. But I'm completely different.
Jacques Mesrine: What exactly am I doing? I'm looking for the money in the places where they are - in the banks.
[laughs]
La journaliste interview: Regarding the politics, are you on the left or the right?
Jacques Mesrine: [sighs] Neither side. I think politics are a dirty game. It's better to keep the distance from it. I don't trust any politician.
La journaliste interview: Do you consider yourself as a dangerous individual?
Jacques Mesrine: Dangerous... And according to you? I don't know, maybe I'm dangerous. I don't know. Why are you asking?
[laughs]
Jacques Mesrine: Depends to whom. For instance I don't play with cops.
Jacques Mesrine: [pulls out his pistol and poses for the photographer] Shoot it!
Jacques Mesrine: Good photograph, publish it!
Jacques Mesrine: Dangerous... Probably yes. I'm probably dangerous.
La journaliste interview: What kind of old age and death will you have?
Jacques Mesrine: Old age... Honestly, I don't think I'll live that long.
Jacques Mesrine: One day they'll shoot me to death, and it will completely make sense. Natural. After all, for someone who was in prison with maximum security, there are no rules. Like me, I live without rules.
La journaliste interview: Without rules and without hope?
Jacques Mesrine: [does not answer]
La journaliste interview: Do you have any plans?
Jacques Mesrine: I've got a lot of plans. Close the prison with maximum security. I lived there for 5 years. Can you imagine? The whole 5 years! I want all of those who sit there to be freed! I've seen what's going on over there, how they break people, how they destroy them. But our Mr. Minister, Alain Perfite, he doesn't get it yet. I am an excellent shooter and I can kill a few judges.
Jacques Mesrine: [exclaims] Do we need in France gangs of Bordello? Do we need Red Brigades? Let them ask themselves the question. Because if there will be need to go in their neighborhoods to train with Palestinians, I'll go! They can shit their pants!

Connections
Featured in Gangstars (2009)

Soundtracks
Attention Mesdames et Messieurs
Music by Michel Fugain
Lyrics by Pierre Delanoë

User reviews42

Review

Featured review

8/10

Vincent Cassel Masterclass

I think it's common knowledge how the film ends, but I won't divulge for those that don't know. Public Enemy No. 1 is far more action packed and seems far more 'Hollywood' than the comparatively quieter 'Killer Instinct' - unsurprising though, considering it's the business end of the Mesrine story.

Cassel is the driving force behind the whole film, without him it would have been an average to good film - with him it's good to great.

I don't know where everyone stands as far as the real life Mesrine goes - hero or villain. I certainly put myself in the villain camp, and so does Cassel and it shows.

From the offset we see that all though Mesrine can speak passionately, lucidly and 'rabble rousingly' it is always characterised by an impenetrably brash and brazen arrogance which is NEVER counterbalanced with any vulnerability to make the character more endearing. Jacques Mesrine's inherent evil is often masked by a jocular bravado and his monologues justifying his way of life are mesmerising - but you're never convinced enough to actually like him. Therein lies Cassel's greatest achievement in the film - to create a character for which all you can feel is antipathy but nevertheless to find him intriguing enough to carry on watching.

Certainly, he does afford us some light touches. I smiled as he boasted at the beginning of the film of being Public Enemy Number 1; his face being Gallic nonchalance personified, as well as the scene of him and his accomplice Francois Besse (played by Mathieu Almaric) trying to cross a river.

Besse provides a solid sidekick for Mesrine to flourish, telling Mesrine that they are not 'luminaries' soon after Mesrine's interview where he tries to elevate himself to hero status with the most simplistic of demagogic arguments: "I don't like laws and I don't want to be a slave to those laws in perpetuity" (to paraphrase).

I do have some small criticisms, such as Anne Consigny's (who incidentally appeared with Almaric in 'Wild Grass', 'A Christmas Tale' and 'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly') unconvincing role as Mesrine's corrupt solicitor. Her face seems just too honest.

That petty criticism aside I'd give the film 7.5/10, giving the benefit of the doubt it's an IMDb 8.