MovieChat Forums > L'instinct de mort (2008) Discussion > Note to Hollywood! this is how you make ...

Note to Hollywood! this is how you make a frickin movie!

posted 14 years ago by jlnewton147
21 replies | jump to latest

After watching this film and also bad education,city of god and obviously some top quallity brit flicks, it is ever becoming more apparent how lame hollywood is and how they manage to screw up even the best source material.

Not just as a gangster movie this film imo is just an all round original and technically superior piece of work than anything i have seen come out of koo koo land.

Prime excample at the moment is Public ennemies with johnny depp, pure style over substance and in half an hour of watching i was bored out my skull whereas in mesrine i was gutted when it ended after 4 hours, (i class 1 and 2 as same film)

I am interested in other peoples opinion about it on here but i think the number 1 problem in hollywood without a shadow of a doubt is the script! there is not enough great diolog in movies and the only ones where there is, any tarrantino,scorcese are classed as pioneers and loved by the public and not so much at the awards season so what does that say! it says they are more interessted in making watered down cliche ridden crap that just to make a quick buck rather than tell real interesting stories,they need to spend less time forking out on cgi and 20 million star salaries and invest in some decent writers.
And they are always ripping off films like this and the vanishing.vanilla sky and so on because they have no original ideas of there own.

I mean the premise of this film is very basic, man robs banks,goes to prison,breaks out of prison, robs more banks, and does the whole thing over again, but the writing and nateral acting by the lead are so strong there is never a dull moment and ironically even though the film didnt try to glomorise or make him a cool George clooney type thief, he was way more engaging and that rawness had far more appeal

anyone agree or am i just stating the obvious

[–] halfling108 14 years ago

I have to admit, Public Enemy Number One- Part 1 is far superior to Depp's Public Enemies...not that I thought Depp did a bad job, but this French film was so much better in delving into Mesrine's character, showing all of his complexities,faults and failings...it is compelling stuff. Also Vincent Cassel is a terrific actor.

[–] Lebowski85 14 years ago

I agree entirely, and your analysis is very true. I am a film lover, and always have been, but these days i find it very hard to get excited about mainstream cinema. There is the odd gem every year, The Road for example this year already, and the key is about the dialogue. These days i usually watch european cinema. Mesrine was one of the best films ive seen in years, and i truly believe it stands up with some of the best gangster flicks ever made. The acting spot on, the direction was suspensful but classy and the entire experience seemed very honest and naturalistic. Even the action was incredibly entertaining, because it wasnt over done, unlike most films these days.

For The Record!
Lebowski85

[–] jurassicmarc 14 years ago

I have to admit, Public Enemy Number One- Part 1 is far superior to Depp's Public Enemies...

I agree especially the first movie. That said i think this could have been condensed into 1 3hr movie as I did find that my interest wained a bit during Part 2 (watched in the same day). Its a well made movie for sure but Ive seen better it's never gonna touch a movie like the Godfather mainly because
Cassell was the only real memorable character for me, his female accomplaces were all a little bland and Mesrin himself is a bit of a baffoon, especially when he's spouting his psuedo revolutionary reteric during the last part of the second movie. Making him less easy to empathise with.

A solid movie indeed but european movies have their fair share of turkeys as well the european output just isnt as prolific as Hollywood, there is some excellent American cinema out there its just sometimes it's a little harder to find.

"Its just a ride"

[–] flow_hoffmann 14 years ago

Well said, jurassicmarc, I absolutely agree.

There is great filmmaking all around the world, you just have to find it.

[–] nuclear_division 14 years ago

i agree in some respects, think the action sequences in 'public enemies' are better. but the acting, cinematography, overall timing etc is better in 'L'instinct de mort' (2008)... another similar film is the german film 'Der Baader Meinhof Komplex' about the RAF.. plus 'Fifty Dead Men Walking' at film about the IRA. Think both true crime films ...

[–] macktan894 14 years ago

I also loved Baader Meinhoff! In addition, Un prophet and Red Riding Trilogy. I'll watch Fifty Dead Men Walking; thanks for the tip.

Though not crime dramas, I think the Jason Bourne films, especially Supremacy, and Spartan, can stand up to these European films.

By the way, even in tv, the British and Canadian series are superior. Prime suspect for the Brits is just one. Watch Intelligence, a canadian series than ran two years. It makes 24 look like mickey mouse.

[–] m-slovak79 13 years ago

I have to admit, Public Enemy Number One- Part 1 is far superior to Depp's Public Enemies...

I agree especially the first movie. That said i think this could have been condensed into 1 3hr movie as I did find that my interest wained a bit during Part 2 (watched in the same day)

100 percent agreed. (but i would not agree with the 'far superior' part)

they should have made a single 2.5-3hour film as the first film was pretty great but the 2nd did drag a little bit at times.

-first film = a solid 8/10
-second film = 7/10 (maybe a 7.5) (it seemed to drift a little off from the first film a little to much especially late into the film)

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My Vote History ... http://imdb.to/b5rrNh
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[–] yj270 14 years ago

Although it is an historical fact that Hollywood once blazed the trail for cinema, I feel that after film noir, Hollywood has been on a very slow slide downhill. This descent started with the McCarthy-era purges of Hollywood talent, sending countless examples of American talent to either oblivion, or overseas, to the benefit of other countries' film industries.

Jules Dassin and "Rififi" is a prime example of the French movie industry benefiting from the cinematic brain-drain imposed by right-wing, reactionary America. This was later accelerated in the late seventies with the push for films which were dominant in special effects, and the changing of the main demographic becoming teenagers and children.

Add to that the dumbing down of America which began with the Reagan 'revolution', and it is easy to see why films like 'Gangs Of New York' by Martin Scorsese are the exception, rather than the rule.

Instead, we are endlessly treated to such toxic twaddle as "Sex And The City 2", the remake of "The Karate Kid", "Prince Of Persia", and "Iron Man 2".

[–] Deathguise80 14 years ago

To be fair, Sex and the city 2 and prince of persia bombed at the box office. Just to give the public SOME credit.

I see no issue with mindless action films that rely on effects more so than cunning dialogue. It's simply elitist to demand ALL films to have a complete 180. There's a time and place for them. It's like books. I don't want to always read thought-provoking Atlas Shrugged and Second Sex. Sometimes Harry Potter, Twilight and other mindless dribble will do. Sure the former will be more enlightening, but often times I simply wish for something to entertain me for that moment. Films, reflect the same.

Also, everyone knows that Hollywood is completely liberal these days. Whether or not it started that way, you can't put all the blame on conservatives for it's result.

[–] yj270 14 years ago

There may be liberals & conservatives in Hollywood today, but I find your attempt to associate the cynical greed of Hollywood filmmakers to liberalism to be utterly ridiculous.

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[–] sonofindiandelta 14 years ago

This is the Frenchies attempt at aping Hwood.

[–] sonofindiandelta 14 years ago

This is the Frenchies attempt at aping Hwood.

[–] maitre-miyamoto 13 years ago

France makes its own movies. There's been edgy French gangster movies since forever. Nothing Hollywoodian about this movie.

[–] macktan894 14 years ago

You got that right! This film makes The Town look like a bunch of naughty kids. I think what cripples so many Hollywood films is an over concern with movie stars and fear of impropriety. A prophet had been my favorite film so far this year, but this just blows that one away. Vincent Cassel acts his butt off with an intensity that never lets up from frame 1 to last. The story was absolutely absorbing and intense.

Can you imagine Hollywood trying to remake this film? No effin way. They don't have the cojones.

[–] dsurte66 13 years ago

I hope Hollywood doesn't try to remake this film.

Euro cinema from the French, Swedes, Norwegians, Italians & Danes have been putting out far superior films & TV crime/action/thriller for some years & here's a few examples

Izzat - Norway
The Girl Who Played With Fire, The Third Wave - Sweden
Forbrydelsen, The Eagle - Denmark
Il dolce e l'amaro - Italy
C(r)ook - Austria
Spiral (Engrenages) - France
Run Lola Run - Germany

In Australia we have a TV channel called SBS that plays mostly foreign shows from all over the world & we get some gems like the movies & shows mentioned above. I don't know what its like in America but if you get a chance seek out these films

[–] MartinP666 13 years ago

The Town is actually one of the few American crime movies of late that I really enjoyed. Compare it to crap like Armored, The Mechanic etc. and you'll see what I'm getting at.

About Mesrine: I really liked both movies, and I didn't find the two parts too long at all, it never got boring for a second in my opinion. I watched them with just a few hours' break in between.