Review: Mesrine - Public Enemy No.1

Part two of the French gangster biopic slightly slows up on the action that made Mesrine's opening gambit such fun - but the extra space to focus on the motivations of the eponymous lead character and how they would eventually lead to his demise make Public Enemy No. 1 an equally worthwhile watch.

The film's highlight is an another break from a maximum security prison by Mesrine, this time alongside Bond villain Mathieu Amalric who offers excellent support as Besse - but despite his efforts this film is only about one man, Vincent Cassell who chews up scenery even more than he changes facial hair (and let me tell you, that's a lot).

Similar flaws from the opening chapter are still present, the main bugbear being the habit of the supporting characters and sub-plots tending to appear and disappear without rhyme or reason - but the action we get and the flair with which it is carried out makes Mesrine one of the films of the year.