L'immortel

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

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.

I have to say I'm not a fan of Besson's productions, but this one is a good surprise. If you're looking for a very clever plot, forget it. But if you want to enjoy beautiful views of the glorious city of Marseille and have a thrill at the gangster's atmosphere it used to live in, this is the one. Jean Reno is solid like usual, Kad Merad -such a good actor- doesn't find his comfort zone in the bad guy, Marina Fois is brilliant, what on earth is Richard Berry doing in his own movie where his role has no impact? Overall a good moment, not Borsalino or French connection, but i definitely recommend it. If you want to see more of this mysterious city, try to locate the following titles: Comme un aimant, Taxi, Un ange, FC 1 and 2, Borsalino 1 and 2, movies with Raimu...

I discovered this movie in a DVD store in South of France and after I watched the trailer and read the critics I gave it a try.

Well it is very interesting to see Kad Merad and Jean Reno in this underground thriller of the Marseillais mafia. I saw for the first time Kad Merad in a bad guy role and he played this one very convincing. Then Jean Reno was as usual great.

Director Richard Berry created here a fast paced thriller that was never boring. The pictures around Marseille and the sea were wonderful. The only thing I missed was that the story is told rather superficially. The act of revenges could have been executed variously than all the time in the same way.

My vote with my wife is a 7/10 because all in all it's another example how with a low budget a solid popcorn movie can be done. French movies are the best in Europe so far and sometimes even better than the other average Hollywood productions.

Jean Renos character would probably not even smile at 50 Cents near-death experience. That wouldn't even be considered a scratch in his book. But apart from this (useless?) trivia, there is so much that you can find in this movie. Jean Renos characterization for once. The story and the other characters too.

Of course you could say that this is romanticising an evil person a bit. But then again, this is a movie. You cannot try and apply rules of real life to it. Other movies with criminals involved might have been worse in that regard. And after all, there are experiences in life, that are truly life-changing. And if what Renos character has gone through does not count, what else does?

It's not all drama though, there is a good portion of action to be found here. And very well shot (no pun) and acted out. The end could not have been any other. At least not for me. Highly recommended