SDMS Rating: 69 For
Vincent Cassel to play Jacques Merlin, I think it is a very smart choice in terms of personal aura and actor temperament . Only from the poster of his submachine gun in his hand, you can feel that the appeal of this movie will be higher than that of Benicio's "Che Guevara".
I finished watching the first part today, I was disappointed and surprised. "Death Instinct" is half a good movie, let's talk about the disappointing half first. Jacques Merlin is a very complex character, so the script of the biographical film about this person must be difficult to write. The screenwriter did not make enough effort in this regard. This is the most regrettable place.
From the very beginning of the film, we saw a very excited young man who returned from the army in Algeria. He followed the people in the gang to steal and rob during the day, and worked as a prostitute at night. He was irritable and had vicious methods. But I couldn't get to the heart of the characters in the slightest. The director arranged a quarrel between father and son, and bluntly provided some background materials through intense dialogue. Merlin's father had served the Nazis, which made Merlin ashamed, and he was also ashamed of his own willingness to serve in Algeria. Then the director also hinted that Merlin's father was an airbag and listened to his wife's words very much (if I didn't mention this, I really didn't see it). These reasons contributed to Merlin's rebellious character. The director's scene was really difficult to handle, and the audience had to watch it.
To sum up the first half of the play, it is actually very simple. The clues are 3 women, the prostitute Sarah, the wife Sophia and the strong daughter Jenny. Compared with the weak portrayal of Merlin's character by the director, he has done enough homework in terms of emotion, but because the plot is too jumpy, we have to reluctantly follow Merlin's fickle emotional life. Just when they were still intimate, they started to quarrel after changing the camera.
The funniest thing is that the so-called "Godfather" whom Merlin turned to, said that he had a huge organization behind him and could do whatever he wanted. Then I saw, 1. This godfather helped Merlin kill an Arab, and he buried the body with a shovel; 2. This godfather accompanied Merlin in the hospital to wait for Sophia to give birth to a child; 3. This godfather could also serve as a doctor, giving the Merlin takes the warhead.
This godfather is really close enough to the people and omnipotent, which is different from what the bosses in my impression should have. I understand very well that the director wants to focus on certain characters and deliberately exaggerate some of Merlin's interpersonal relationships. However, this godfather looks a little awkward both vertically and horizontally, and he was killed soon after Merlin went to Canada. I don't know if there will be any dramas with him later. I don't think this role is of much use.
What Merlin and Jenny did in Canada was unreasonable. When the master wanted to dismiss Jenny, they carried out kidnapping. When we saw that Merlin was dismissed before, he seemed very rational and not emotional. So this still shows that the director did not clearly describe Merlin's character.
Then Merlin was suddenly arrested in America, thank goodness. From Merlin's arrest, the whole movie suddenly looks good. When the clues became simpler, the director suddenly woke up and knew what to do. If Merlin was anti-government as a whole, his character was not slowly accepted until he was arrested. Although it is said that there is such a heavy world-weariness just because of being abused in prison, there is still some weakness.
The escape scene of Merlin and Joan was tense enough. After being released from prison, the first thing they did was to come back with guns to save the inmates. This loyalty was very exciting. The shootout was also fun. However, the result was a bit nonsensical. No one was rescued by Merlin, and two cellmates were killed.
In the end, Merlin called Jenny and said that she was going to save her. Jenny chose to give up Merlin's feelings at the last moment. This split screen was used very naturally, and the performances of the two actors were unforgettable. I don't know how the second part will continue this story, looking forward to it.
View more about Mesrine: Killer Instinct reviews
