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alt="Safety cartoons for newsletters training presentations Business cartoons Computer Sales Quality Management Financial cartoons Intranet">Mesrine: Public Enemy No. 1 (2010) Review
Working Author - Wed, 09/08/2010 - 02:24
Despite setting the bar high with Killer Instinct, Mesrine finishes in a big way with Public Enemy No. 1. Vincent Cassel is in even better form as an older Jacques Mesrine, whose ego is so out of control he teeters on insanity. What this means for the audience is great entertainment and a great conclusion to an explosive life story. Fans of the first part won’t be let down in the slightest with part two, but those tuning in for only the second half may wonder how a criminal so damn crazy could be so successful.
Public Enemy No. 1 picks up some time after the Killer Instinct ended. Jacques is back in France looking older and heavier. What hasn’t changed is his confidence. He’s still pulling bank heists and running circles around the law. It isn’t long before Mesrine is busted yet again, only to free himself during the middle of his courtroom arraignment. On the lamb for only a little while, he’s finally thrown back in jail. Still proving that nothing can keep him in check, he escapes another prison with a new partner, Francois Besse (Mathieu Amalric). Soon Jacques meets pretty young thing, Sylvie Jeanjacquot (Ludivine Sagnier) and immediately the two engage in a passionate affair. Francois prefers to lay low, but Mesrine has been affected beyond recovery by his time in prison. Mesrine is completely lost in the thrill of crime and is intoxicated by the incredible amount of fame his high profile deeds have brought him. After Francois can take no more, Mesrine and a new partner kidnap yet another billionaire. Nothing slows down for Jacques at this point. He becomes involved with a radical anti-government group. Despite Sylive’s objections to leave it all while they still can, Jacques sets his guns on society as a whole.
Public Enemy No. 1 is a somewhat different experience than the first film, but manages to still tell the story of Mesrine’s life in a rich and entertaining matter. Where the first half spent considerable amounts of time detailing his love life, Public Enemy No. 1 does not. This is a good thing for fans that may have been disinterested in the romantics of Mesrine’s life. Public Enemy No. 1 is almost entirely about Jacques and his runaway ego. His last mistress is an important character for sure, but she’s overshadowed. The role suits Sagnier well. She’s totally believable as a naive young girl who seems only interested in living for the thrill of the moment – if only until it’s too late.
Cassel himself is even more compelling to watch in this installment. While he was completely convincing in Killer Instinct, he’s at a career best in Public Enemy No. 1. He’s utterly embraced the image of Mesrine in the 1970′s. He’s stylish and full of energy, never seeming to hold back in any take. Even more impressive, is the weight the actor put on to accurately portray a forty-year-old Jacques Mesrine. It’s a complete transformation that shows a total commitment to the role. It pays off in a huge way.
Part two is funnier than Killer Instinct as well. While the first installment had a few laughs woven into the drama, Public Enemy No. 1 has many gags that are outright comedy. This may turn off purists, but it does add to the entertainment value of the film overall and also lends to making Mesrine seem even larger than life then he really could have been. The whole audience was laughing during a scene where Jacques eludes the police and wades neck deep into a river, only to throw away a huge portion of a recent score, foolishly thinking he could throw to the far bank. His frustration becomes tangible when he sees a boat not ten feet away from where he entered the water. It’s a goofy scene, but lends itself to illustrate Mesrine’s devil may care attitude about his money. He knows he can just steal more.
Everything comes together in Public Enemy No. 1. It’s an excellent conclusion to a story that’s so ridiculous it really has to be seen to be believed. This film shouldn’t be viewed before seeing Killer Instinct first though as the story starts right off with Mesrine at his wildest. There’s no steady exposure to Jacques Mesrine to draw you into the story as there is in Killer Instinct. That being said, both films are probably best enjoyed as a whole, but rest assured Public Enemy No. 1 is good. Anyone who even slightly enjoyed Killer Instinct owes it to themselves to see just how big Jacques Mesrine really became.
Categories: Entertainment
‘Dark Blue’: Interview with Omari Hardwick (2010)
Working Author - Wed, 09/08/2010 - 02:00
Poet, athlete, actor and, more specifically, supporting actor in TNT’s Dark Blue, Omari Hardwick paints the portrait of a man with perseverance. After studying off Broadway for several years in New York City, a move to Los Angeles in 2000 would lead to work as a security guard and substitute teacher. Sporadically living out of his car, Hardwick had reached an all time low. It wouldn’t be until several years later, in 2003, that he would land his first big break as a major role in the Spike Lee television series, Sucker Free City. Following much success within the coming years, Hardwick would return to his former home, the streets of Downtown LA, as supporting actor on the set of Dark Blue. In Dark Blue, Hardwick portrays the married undercover cop, Ty Curtis. Hardwick recently spoke with Working Author about his experiences on and off the set of Dark Blue.
Question: I was wondering what it is about your role on “Dark Blue” that really continues to challenge you?
Hardwick: Well I think that you know at least for me, it’s ever changing you know it’s ever growing in terms of Ty Curtis, and he’s somebody that we saw the first season, of course, pretty much attached to the balancing beam of being the husband and being the righteous provider, and then also being you know the provider for his task, and for his group and his team, and keeping that a priority, and making sure that he was the best cop he could possibly be.
But at the same time, the best husband he could be. And I think it’s a natural built-in challenge for me this year, of course, because of the basic – but I guess paramount changes that were made that will ultimately unfold you know to Ty as a character in terms of that balancing beam sort of being alleviated a little bit, and he doesn’t have the same pressures of being the husband that he did last year, at least, and this year, his priority has sort of increased to just being the cop that he signed up to be you know from the beginning.
And I think the writers are constantly challenging me as an actor to bring to Ty whatever they ask me to bring. I think the writers are equally as challenging as the character is, but it’s ever changing.
Question: What do you think – is it difficult playing your character sometimes sort of close to the best because you have to sort of keep part of the characters sort of hidden from what he’s really thinking going through until we see how the story plays out?
Hardwick: Yes, I think it’s a great question. Yes, I’ll speak first and foremost…that the fact that Ty was the character that it wasn’t the same mystery, so to speak, that surrounded Dean, and you knew more about Ty because of the fact that he was the actual one that painted the picture of American world, and that being the house and the wife (who was) working on kids…
And so obviously there were more things that you could pick from and relate to your own life, and I wasn’t – I don’t think – as mysterious a character as the other characters were. But I think it still was very much a challenge for me, and one that I took a lot of pride in keeping him as mysterious as possible you know not the built-in mystery that maybe surrounds Dean Bendis’ character, but Ty Curtis still needs an element of mystery, and for you not to know exactly what he’s thinking, particularly professionally, because he’s got a job at hand, and he’s still a grown man doing that job.
So you know all of his tricks cannot be let out of the bag, and I think it’s definitely as an actor, when you’re playing a character like that where everything’s not in the front of the house, but more so in the back of the house, I think it definitely is more so a challenge for you not to sort of spit it all out, and show all of your – all of your hand when you’re at the table. And I think it’s what keeps “Dark Blue” exciting I think for the most part, all of the characters have an element of mystery, and until it’s hatched, you don’t necessarily know what we have you know inside the egg.
Question: Definitely. Now can you share any stories about what goes on behind the scenes of “Dark Blue”?
Hardwick: Well…I am speaking to all of you from an undisclosed spot in the canyons of Los Angeles, California…in the back yard of my cast mate, Dylan McDermott. So definitely what goes on behind the scenes is us hanging out.
…There’s a lot of joking, there’s a lot of camaraderie, there’s a lot of locker room banter that takes place off the set, at least between the guys, and even between Nicki and Tricia as well. But my week proceeds as such, I started out yesterday with lunch with Logan, I did a bike ride this morning with Dylan, and now I’m speaking to you guys. I am going out tonight to have a drink with Nicki, and then I think I’m doing next week a motorcycle ride with Tricia.
So at least for me you know in real life, Omari Hardwick is a middle child. So maybe Ty or the Omari that plays Ty is the same thing when it comes to the environment off the set you know I kind of think that if it’s cut and we go back to our trailers, I think it’s a beautiful sight to see that we actually get along, and that we hang out, and you know we have our moments of letting the directors and the writers feel our frustration with certain things that are (happen) on the set. But that’s to be expected.
But otherwise, it’s a pretty light environment, because the content, of course, of what we’re portraying every Wednesday is so heavy. So I would say that it’s a light environment, and maybe very reflective of what actual undercover cops go through. You know I think there’s a lot of banter and a lot of joking and a lot of off the job camaraderie that they have to abide by as well to be able to stay sane.
Dark Blue airs weekly on TNT at 9PM or 8PM central.
Categories: Entertainment
In Focus: Craigslist Server Contracts HPV
The Onion News - Tue, 09/07/2010 - 16:30
SAN FRANCISCO—"We tried to ignore the signs, but every day more and more of those weird wart-looking things appeared on our home page," said a Craigslist developer.
Categories: Entertainment
Editorial Cartoon: September 7, 2010
The Onion News - Tue, 09/07/2010 - 16:00
Categories: Entertainment
Construction Complete On 9/11 Truther Memorial
The Onion News - Tue, 09/07/2010 - 15:00
UNDISCLOSED—On a remote patch of Kansas prairie believed to fall outside the range of U.N. spy satellites, construction is finally complete on the long- awaited 9/11 Truther Memorial, sources confirmed Wednesday.
Categories: Entertainment
Your Horoscopes - Week Of September 7, 2010
The Onion News - Tue, 09/07/2010 - 15:00
Aries Remember, it's never too late to fall in love. It's just too late to fall in the kind of love that isn't a cynical compromise based on a fear of dying alone. Taurus You'll become the sworn enemy of men's magazine r...
Categories: Entertainment
Obama Blasted By Cool, Refreshing Air
The Onion News - Tue, 09/07/2010 - 14:15
Categories: Entertainment
Sports: Saints vs. Vikings
The Onion News - Tue, 09/07/2010 - 14:00
As the season kicks off in New Orleans with a rematch of last year's NFC championship game, Onion Sports breaks down the NFL opener:
Categories: Entertainment
Opinion: Summer Days, Driftin' Away (by Jean Teasdale)
The Onion News - Tue, 09/07/2010 - 14:00
Well, the Summer of Jean has come and gone. You Jeanketeers will know what I'm talking about: In a column back in June (boy, does that feel like a lifetime ago…), I discussed how I was really going to take charge of this summer and make it my own.
Categories: Entertainment
[audio] New Crispy Snack Cracker To Ease Crushing Pain Of Modern Life
The Onion News - Tue, 09/07/2010 - 13:30
Categories: Entertainment
Outbreak Of Va-Va-Vooms Traced To Miniskirt-Wearing Blonde
The Onion News - Tue, 09/07/2010 - 12:30
WASHINGTON—Officials from the Department of Ha-Cha WOWwa have traced a nationwide outbreak of va-va-vooms to one miniskirt-wearing blonde, last seen Thursday night working those stems like nobody's business.
Categories: Entertainment
Players, Owners Agree To Have One Last Kick-Ass Season Before 2011's Lockout
The Onion News - Tue, 09/07/2010 - 11:30
NEW YORK—In an eleventh-hour session Wednesday night, representatives from the NFL Players Association sat down with the league's owners to reach an agreement on their "One Last Big Blast" plan to have the most rocking football season ever...
Categories: Entertainment
The NFL's Official New Concussion Awareness Poster
The Onion News - Tue, 09/07/2010 - 11:00
This informative poster will hang in all NFL locker rooms to tell players of the potentially severe consequences of head injury.
Categories: Entertainment
American Voices: Sierra Leone Has Safest Internet
The Onion News - Tue, 09/07/2010 - 10:30
A survey of computer viruses and malware attacks found Sierra Leone was the safest place in the world to surf the web.
Categories: Entertainment
Onion Sports 2010 NFL Team-By-Team Guide
The Onion News - Tue, 09/07/2010 - 10:00
Now that the NFL season is upon us, staying informed is more important than ever. This in-depth Onion Sports guide places all the vital information about this years' teams at your fingertips. Don't watch a single game without this useful tool!
Categories: Entertainment
'The Real Housewives of New Jersey' Loses a Cast Member
Entertainment Wire - Tue, 09/07/2010 - 07:12
Host Andy Cohen has announced that Bravo's hit reality show, "The Real Housewives of New Jersey," just lost one of their most fiery members!
Danielle Staub has said goodbye to the show after its second season."The reunion was Danielle's last appearance on "The Real Housewives of New Jersey," Andy told Bravo on Monday.
During the explosive conclusion to last week's reunion episode, the cast recapped the major events of the last season.
Categories: Entertainment
CAPITAL CULTURE: All the presidents' best-sellers (AP)
Entertainment Wire - Tue, 09/07/2010 - 07:10
AP - Already in distinctive company as an American president, George W. Bush seeks to join an even more select group: president and top-selling author.
Categories: Entertainment
George Clooney's 'The American' was Big Money-Maker over Labor Day Weekend
Entertainment Wire - Mon, 09/06/2010 - 15:18
The top three movies at the box office over the long Labor Day weekend were neck and neck. But, it was 'The American' featuring George Clooney that prevailed, according to the Associated Press.
Raking in $16.4 million this weekend, 'The American' was tops. Falling just short of the title was 'Machete,' taking in $14 million. Slightly behind was 'Takers,' which attracted $13.5 million in ticket sales.
Fourth and fifth place were also very close calls. 'The Last Exorcism' won the number four spot by a slim margin with $8.8 million. Rounding out the top five with $8.6 million were Drew Barrymore and Justin Long in 'Going the Distance.'
Categories: Entertainment
