The first thing you need to know about these movies is that, as fantastical as they are at times, Jacques Mesrine was a real guy. A prolific French gangster from the 60’s and 70’s who was sort of a “Dillinger meets Gatsby” badass. A cool cat who was powerful, but whose theatrics and ego would tend to get in the way of what he was trying to do. He would go on to become public enemy #1 in France, and in 2008, there were two amazing films released about the man, both starring Cassel as the titular lead.
There was Mesrine: Killer Instinct, and then the follow up, Mesrine: Public Enemy #1, both of which are remarkable films. They mark the rise to power, arrest, and breakout(s) of the French gangster, and it is entirely a vehicle for Vincent Cassel to show off just how captivating, and at times, intimidating, he can be. And though I may love both films, I much prefer Killer Instinct, because it is incredible to see how Mesrine came into power, and honestly, the prison breakout scheme in the first Mesrine is one of my favorite prison breakouts in film history.
It seems to stupidly easy that it almost borders on asinine, but then you look it up and realize that Mesrine actually did escape in the way that was represented on film, and it only will further intrigue you about the real man that Cassel plays so well in these films.
The second film plays out more like an epic climax to the first film than it does its own film, but you will be grateful you get to spend this much time with Vincent Cassel as Mesrine, because he injects so much life into the character, yet still manages, at times, to come across as vulnerable as well, which is an hard balance to attain for many actors, yet Cassel does it here so well. It is also an incredible evolution we get to witness across the course of these two films. Hell, it is worth seeing just for the simple history lesson about a badass you probably would have otherwise not known too much about.