L'immortel

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.

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 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...

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