L'immortel

Retired Marseilles crime kingpin Jean Reno is shot by a hit squad that puts 22 bullets in him. Who ordered the hit, and why? Police officer Marina Fois, whose husband was killed in the line of duty, is put in charge of the investigation. Reno refuses to answer any questions, walks out of the hospital, and disappears. Soon his old associates start dropping dead, and his old friend Kad Merad orders all-out war.

Jean Gabin could have played this role once upon a time, but no one has any reason to complain about Reno's performance as the world-weary gangster with a moral code. It's set in Marseilles, and that 2600-year-old city shows its age.

For those who complain they don't make 'em like that any more, here's proof they do.

The Immortal tells the story of an older man, Charly Matteï, who claims to have quit the mafia in Marseille, France. He has a family and lives in peace, but is suddenly shot in a serious hit. Charly is shot 22 times but, amazingly, survives. After the hit and recovery, the scarred ex-mafioso is thirsty for a bloody revenge. What follows is an intense, action-packed and bloody thriller.

The story is quite simple and The Immortal definitely has it's flaws, but overall it is an awesome ride. Jean Reno is back on track in this great French production. The Immortal may not be as good as Un Prophet but could definitely become a cult classic like the first Boondock Saints. 7/10

I went to this movie in Sneak Preview, otherwise I probably would not have gone to watch it. The thought of watching a two hour thing about a French mafioso (do they even have Mafia in France?) who survives 22 bullets and then goes on a rampage of revenge, just doesn't appeal to me...

I'm going to have to admit that the movie wasn't really that bad though. There were some nice (and also brutal) scenes and Jean Reno was his usual steady self, nothing spectacular, but not bad either... overall the acting wasn't too bad. Not outstanding either, but given the fact that there are a lot of French nobody's in the film, (no disrespect intended!) that was a pleasant surprise.

However, there were too many cliché's in this movie to make it anything more than amusing. The whole story was very predictable, with no unexpected plot twists or anything spectacular that will make it memorable.

Conclusion: If you wanna lay back and watch an entertaining movie, this is probably one for you. However, if you are looking for a little more depth, pass on this one. It's not like you haven't seen this before...

Charly Mattei (top-notch Jean Reno) is a retired gangster who has turned a new leaf on his past as an outlaw. For the past three years he's been living a comfortable life with his typical code of honour and devoting himself to his wife and two kids . However, one winter morning, he's left for dead in the underground parking garage of Marseille's Old Port with 22 bullets in his body. Against all odds, he will not die and Charly survives . After learning he may have been betrayed by one of his closest allies, Charly helped by his advocate friend Martin Beaudinard (Jean-Pierre Darroussin), embarks on a violent quest for vendetta and to free a family member from the clutches his enemy ,Tony Zacchia (Kad Merad). Meantime, a stubborn police inspector called Marie Goldman (Marina Foïs) is also at work tracking down his would-be-murderers. Le sang versé ne sèche jamais ! (Spilt blood doesn't dry)

This exciting suspense flick contains thrills , intrigue , deception , noisy action , shootouts , twists , turns and being quite entertaining . A very interesting and engaging movie with a simple plot that gradually gets more and more complicated , including a number of surprises , script changes and emotional scenes. Dealing with a ex-mobster with 22 bullets in his body executed by his former childhood friend , subsequently undertaking a bloody , merciless revenge . It's a French action film with an interesting mingle of suspense , violent set pieces , buddy movie and actual Marseille places . At the same time showing life habits about Marseille mafia along with a web of intrigue that keep the viewers on the edge of their seats . Jean Reno gives one of the best performances as a retired mobster goes on a revenge spree after being left for dead. Jean Reno and Kad Merad are really magnificent as two previous friends who subsequently hate each other to carry out a lethal and brutal confrontation , both of them will stop at nothing to get their purports and at whetever cost . They are very well accompanied by a great support cast with plenty of familiar French faces , such as : Jean-Pierre Darroussin , Marina Foïs , JoeyStarr , director Richard Berry himself , Moussa Maaskri, Gabriella Wright , the Italian Venantino Venantini and the veteran Claude Gensac , usual wife in Louis de Funes films.

It contains a stirring and nail-biting musical score by composer Klaus Badelt . As well as colorful and evocative cinematography by cameraman Thomas Hardmeier , shot on location in Marseille and Paris, France . The motion picture was compellingly directed by Richard Berry , providing frenetic action and tension enough . Berry is a good actor , usually in secondary roles . He has been married to Pascale Louange since September 2016 with whom Berry often appears in his films. Richard is a notorious actor and writer, specially known for 22 bullets (2010) at his best , ¡ Tais-toi! (2003) and Nos femmes (2015). Richard Berry has directed a few nice movies , such as : Tout, tout de suite (2016) , Nos femmes (2015) , 22 bullets (2010) , The Black Box (2005) , Moi César, 10 ans 1/2, 1m39 (2003) , L'art (délicat) de la séduction (2001) . His movie Moi César, 10 ans 1/2, 1m39 (2003) is directly inspired by his childhood which was sometimes painful . Rating : 7.5/10 . Better than average , worthwhile watching . The flick will appean to Jean Reno fans and French Polar enthusiasts.

I have to admit that 22 Bullets is quite a bit more violent than I'm comfortable with; bursts, yes but this revenge thriller starring the venerable Jean Reno is fairly constant, unrelenting and rather ugly.

Yes, it's certificate 18 and is about mobsters, current and ex, slaughtering each other, so I shouldn't be surprised and of course, I could have turned it off. But, it's quite a good movie, quite a long one at a whisker under two hours and so I stuck it out. My three stars is not altered by feelings on this aspect.

Reno, as Charly Mattei is reliably grizzled and back in his native language, does not suffer the stumbling block he had with the English language that he did when he made films in the U.S. Here, he's natural and believable - not exactly likable but it's impossible not to side with him when he stalks his enemies. There's a pretty high body count, accompanied by some very realistic looking wounds, that really aren't very attractive to look at! The make-up department did well, here.

The music has a big part to play in creating the tone, often thunderous and pounding and along with often frenetic camera-work, the film's undeniably jolting and exciting, though those prone to suffering one may well get a migraine as bad as the one that one of the mobsters did.

There are a good number of reviews for this title that outline plot details. I'm going to leave that out - people don't need to read that over again.

All in all, it's a solid movie on a familiar theme, quite involved with some exciting action and stunts. Reno is very good, as all the actors are. If you like your thrillers full-blood and graphically violent, then this could well be an excellent rental or DVD purchase. Me - it's not my favourite and will leave it at that.