Mesrine Archives - The Playlist

In Theaters: ‘Machete,’ ‘The American,’ ‘Going the Distance’

Hunter McClamrock — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:38:00 +0000

The heat may be starting to die down, but the box office manages to pick up some much needed steam this weekend. Robert Rodriguez‘s long-anticipated “Machete” hopes to slash away the competition, attracting the action fans still hungry for blood after last month’s “The Expendables.” Drew Barrymore stars opposite real-life on/off beau Justin Long in “Going the Distance,” though we still wish she’d find the time to team up with ex-husband Tom Green at some point (jk).

Continue reading In Theaters: ‘Machete,’ ‘The American,’ ‘Going the Distance’ at The Playlist.

UPDATE: Weekend Box Office: ‘Takers’ Triumphs In Box Office Actuals

Gabe Toro — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:50:00 +0000

UPDATE: Such is the nature of estimates. Final numbers were revealed on Monday, and while it originally looked like “The Last Exorcism” defeated “Takers” by about $300,000, both were a victim of overzealous bean counters. The weekend goes to “Takers” with a $20.5 million take, over “Exorcism”‘s $20.4 take. Keep supporting your local art house, people.

Kudos to Lionsgate for absolutely owning August. Their $20 million purchase of the domestic rights to “The Expendables” was a can’t-miss expenditure, and the film’s poised to crest $100 million.

Continue reading UPDATE: Weekend Box Office: ‘Takers’ Triumphs In Box Office Actuals at The Playlist.

In Theaters: ‘Avatar’ (Again), ‘The Last Exorcism,’ ‘Takers’

Hunter McClamrock — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:39:00 +0000

You know you’ve officially hit the dregs of late summer when the most interesting film is a re-release of a movie that only came out 8 months ago. Granted “Avatar” is the highest grossing film of all time, so there’s plenty of 3D milk left to be drawn from the cash cow. Lionsgate also drops the religious-themed horror flick “The Last Exorcism,” hoping to take the #1 spot from their own surprisingly profitable “The Expendables.” Aiming for that same audience is “Takers,” which boasts an somewhat interesting cast, but little buzz.

Continue reading In Theaters: ‘Avatar’ (Again), ‘The Last Exorcism,’ ‘Takers’ at The Playlist.

Exclusive: Vincent Cassel Talks ‘Mesrine,’ His (Atypical) Favorite Gangster Films & Working With Darren Aronofsky & David Cronenberg

Erik McClanahan — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:30:00 +0000

Superstar French actor Vincent Cassel is no stranger to playing villains, and his latest is no different.

The Cesar award winning two-part biopic, “Mesrine,” opens today in limited release at several arthouse cinemas around the country. Part 1, “Killer Instinct,” opens this week, followed next week by Part 2, subtitled “Public Enemy # 1.”

Those looking for another modern day gangster classic along the lines of such recent gems as “City of God,” “The Pusher Trilogy,” “Gomorrah” or the Oscar-nominated “A Prophet” (which opened for most of the country earlier this year and shares a screenwriter with “Mesrine”) are in for some degree of disappointment, as this is one character who doesn’t necessarily deserve the epic treatment bestowed on him by director Jean-François Richet (previously known for his tepid remake of “Assault on Precinct 13.”

But it is Cassel’s magnetic performance as the titular and infamous real-life Jacques Mesrine that keeps the film(s) from being a total letdown.

Continue reading Exclusive: Vincent Cassel Talks ‘Mesrine,’ His (Atypical) Favorite Gangster Films & Working With Darren Aronofsky & David Cronenberg at The Playlist.

Ric Burns To Do Goldman Sachs Doc Funded By Goldman Sachs; Doug Liman Does MTV Pilot; ‘Mesrine’ Trailer & More

Christopher Bell — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 15:10:00 +0000

Ric Burns, responsible for the documentary history-lesson “The Civil War” along with brother Ken, has been paid by none other than Goldman Sachs to make a film about, guess who, Goldman Sachs. Some documentarians, such as Robert Greenwald (“Wal Mart: The High Cost of Low Price“), are against the move while others are excited about seeing the inner-workings of the company.

Continue reading Ric Burns To Do Goldman Sachs Doc Funded By Goldman Sachs; Doug Liman Does MTV Pilot; ‘Mesrine’ Trailer & More at The Playlist.

Fantasia 2010: ‘Mesrine: Killer Instinct’ & ‘Public Enemy #1’ A Massive, Messy Gangster Epic

Kevin Jagernauth — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:48:00 +0000

The French seem to love their gangster epics lately. Earlier this year, Olivier Assayas unveiled his 5 hour plus “Carlos” about the famed titular terrorist. We saw the film at Cannes and more recently at MIFF and while it was flawed, our writers definitely agreed that it was a compelling and thorough piece of work. With the two-part “Mesrine” finally arriving on North American shores two years after hitting theaters in Europe and earning nominations in nearly every major category of France’s Cesar awards, our expectations were high.

Continue reading Fantasia 2010: ‘Mesrine: Killer Instinct’ & ‘Public Enemy #1’ A Massive, Messy Gangster Epic at The Playlist.

Epic ‘Mesrine’ Films Finally Coming Out: Pt 1 August 13, Pt 2 On September 3

Edward Davis — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 15:23:00 +0000

As you can tell by this graphic, “Mesrine,” the two-part French crime epic starring Vincent Cassel (“Irreversible,” “Ocean’s 12”) as Jacques Mesrine who became France’s most notorious criminal throughout the 1970s was supposed to see a release in April of this year.

April came and went and we obviously didn’t hear a peep.

Now we have official word from publicists repping the film. Part One, “Mesrine: Killer Instinct” will now open in limited release (NY/L.A.) on August 13 and then Part Two: “Mesrine: Public Enemy Number One” arriving a few weeks later on September 3 (NY/L.A.

Continue reading Epic ‘Mesrine’ Films Finally Coming Out: Pt 1 August 13, Pt 2 On September 3 at The Playlist.

Two-Part French Crime Epic, ‘Mesrine’ Finally Hitting U.S. Theaters In April

Rodrigo Perez — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:18:00 +0000

Do we all remember “Mesrine,” the two-part French crime epic starring Vincent Cassel (“Irreversible,” “Ocean’s 12”) as Jacques Mesrine who became France’s most notorious criminal throughout the 1970s?

Trailers for the film hit last year and the pictures were supposed to hit in the U.S. late summer, starting with Part One, “Mesrine: Killer Instinct” hitting August 28 and then Part Two: “Mesrine: Public Enemy Number One” arriving a week later on September 4.

Continue reading Two-Part French Crime Epic, ‘Mesrine’ Finally Hitting U.S. Theaters In April at The Playlist.

Trailer: Two-Part French Crime Epic, ‘Mesrine: Killer Instinct’

Rodrigo Perez — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 17:43:00 +0000

Jean-François Richet’s “Mesrine” is a film we’ve been looking forward to all year — or at least it became highly anticipated when it was announced in February that the picture had scored the most nominations for the French Oscars (the Cesars, it ended up winning Best Actor).

Like “Che,” it’s a two-parter biopic that stars Gallic thespian Vincent Cassell (“Irreversible,” the jewel thief in “Ocean’s 12,” Viggo Mortensen’s closeted crime buddy in “Eastern Promises”) as Jacques Mesrine, one of the most notorious criminals in French history.

Continue reading Trailer: Two-Part French Crime Epic, ‘Mesrine: Killer Instinct’ at The Playlist.

Cesar Award Nominations Announced: ‘The Class’ And ‘Christmas Tale’ Up For Best French Film; ‘Mesrine’ & ‘Seraphine’ Score Most Nods

Rodrigo Perez — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 17:44:00 +0000

The 34 annual Cesar Award Nominations (France’s Oscars) have been announced and leading the list of nominees are Jean-Francois Richet’s “Mesrine” and Martin Provost’s “Seraphine.”

Both films are up for Best French Film of the year and they’ll compete against Remi Bezancon’s “The First Day of the Rest of Your Life,” Cedric Klapisch’s “Paris” and two films lauded by the North American and international press, Arnaud Desplechin’s “A Christmas Tale”with Catherine Deneuve and Mathieu Amalric and Laurent Cantet’s “The Class” which already won the coveted Palme ‘d Or at Cannes last year and is France’s Oscar contender in the Best Foreign Film category.

Continue reading Cesar Award Nominations Announced: ‘The Class’ And ‘Christmas Tale’ Up For Best French Film; ‘Mesrine’ & ‘Seraphine’ Score Most Nods at The Playlist.