Mesrine: L'instinct de Mort (Mesrine: Killer Instinct)

Mesrine (Vincent Cassel) returns home from the army and embarks upon a life of violent crime. Expertly handled by director Jean-François Richet, this is the first half of a double bill of epic proportions, executed with an explosive flair and a brutal realism that Hollywood can only dream of. Gérard Depardieu excels as grotesque mob boss Guido, but it’s the dangerous, unpredictable charisma that Cassel brings to the central role that mesmerises.