22 Bullets

This is my first blog!
I'm going to be talking about the things I like and things I do.. I hope it might interest someone and it will also be interesting for me as I have never done anything like this before, I've not even kept a diary!


On Friday I watched the film 22 Bullets (Original title - L'immortel) which is directed by Richard Berry and released in 2010. I got the film from LoveFilm. It stars one of my favourite actors - Jean Reno.
I started my love for Jean Reno when I watched Les Visiteurs whilst living in France when I was young.
I haven't seen I film with him which I haven't liked and 22 Bullets didn't disappoint.


The story itself is very interesting and Jean's character was interesting as it was the story of a retired member of a gang in Montpellier in France. His character Charly wasn't the typical "retired-mafia man- can't leave the game" as he had settled with a family and was completely content with not doing "jobs". He was only brought back into that part of his life when his old gang friends seek out to eliminate him as they think he will be a threat to their new drug empire. This surprises Charly as he has no interest in that life at all.


The story is very emotional and is very gripping as the revenge story is kept up throughout the film with Charly wanting revenge which causes the gang to want to kill him more and there is a Police Woman who is investigating the case but she is also emotionally involved as the gang leader also killed her husband. 
Charly's family become a target to the gang as is in a lot of revenge films but in 22 Bullets it's done really well as the audience see how Charly is with his family and his emotions are clear throughout the whole film that he wants to be a family man and be in peace with them.
Charly's son Anatole played by Max Baissette de Malglaive is a character used to keep reminding the audience that Charly is happily retired. I can't seem to find the age of the boy but he must be around 6 or 7 and he is such an amazing actor, he makes you laugh and cry and I can imagine him becoming very popular in French cinema.


Although the film is 1 hour 52 minutes long, I was completely sucked in from the minute it started to the minute it ended. I have since lent it to some of my friends who enjoyed it at much as I did. 
Jean Reno's forte is definitely in the mafia/assassin role such as in Leon, Ronin and this film. 
I look forward to exploring more of Jean Reno's films and maybe there'll be a new blog about it!