User Reviews

Based loosely on a true story premise where a French gangster got pumped with lead and left for dead but miraculously survived the hit, 22 Bullets is a revenge flick worthy of its Europa Corp pedigree so you'll know just what to expect - a stylish thriller filled with anti-heroes, and plenty of gratuitous violence with the charismatic Jean Reno in the role of an avenging angel out to settle scores when the perpetrators just wouldn't leave him alone in his retired life.

As the adage goes, one can never quite leave the gangland, and Reno's Charly Mattei, a once feared mobster in Marseille who signalled his retirement through the selling of his businesses to childhood friend Tony Zacchia (Kad Merad in a serious role), it's all about having a reputation that's still influential, and in order for friends to want to move along with their plans against his moral tones of zero involvement in drugs, the only way is to launch a pre- emptive strike to take Mattei out of the equation, only for the group of gunmen to fail in their quest and Mattei's reputation grows to become L'Immortel for obvious reasons.

Like the Godfather series, one may want to get out from one's violent past, but circumstances pull one right back into the thick of the action. For Mattei, it's almost giving the other cheek up for another slap when the mob goes after him in the hospital, but the last straw that broke the camel's back came from the targeting of his remaining loyal soldiers, and thus the avenging angel is born, nevermind if one of his arm is now paralyzed.

It's a story of honour amongst thieves, how some hoodlums fail to pay heed to the established rules of engagement of never crossing the line to hurt women and children, and essentially family members in their violent public spat. As for the cops led by Marie Goldman (Marina Fois), she's eager to look for an opening to avenge her husband's killing, yet bounded by duty to know that she has to keep personal and business separate. What more, it's to the police's advantage that the mob is killing one another, and thus warned to keep an arm's length at the explosive gangland war. In a strange parallel between those finding on opposite sides of the fence, it's all about doing a job, and then going home to family at the end of the day.

Directed by Richard Berry who also had a small role in the film, 22 Bullets is unflinching in its violence, and the mowing down of Charly Mattei early in the film somehow is reminiscent of other massacres such as that of Sonny Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather, or Murphy in Paul Verhoeven's Robocop. Don't expect Mattei to be dishing out revenge with creativity though, as his is a simple dispatch involving a signature one shot to the head, and one to the heart, two critical areas to ensure the grim reaper comes calling. There are the occasional lapses into monologues, although it does play up the fear factor here when he carries out the threat of striking when his enemies least expect him to.

Jean Reno as usual excels in this role, and you'll find yourself rooting for his character despite his flaws and what his character actually was in the past. As Zacchia puts it succinctly, a wrong is a wrong no matter what layer of morality gets draped over it. Kad Merad's Zacchia too puts in a moment of brilliance when he delivered a hypocritical speech about the value of close friendships, while his demeanour behind closed doors is anything but, lying to the masses without a flinch.

22 Bullets is a straightforward thriller that worked without too much surprises, but its slick delivery more than makes up for any of its shortcomings.

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.

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

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 have to admit that 22 Bullets is quite a bit more violent than I'm comfortable with; bursts, yes but this revenge thriller starring the venerable Jean Reno is fairly constant, unrelenting and rather ugly.

Yes, it's certificate 18 and is about mobsters, current and ex, slaughtering each other, so I shouldn't be surprised and of course, I could have turned it off. But, it's quite a good movie, quite a long one at a whisker under two hours and so I stuck it out. My three stars is not altered by feelings on this aspect.

Reno, as Charly Mattei is reliably grizzled and back in his native language, does not suffer the stumbling block he had with the English language that he did when he made films in the U.S. Here, he's natural and believable - not exactly likable but it's impossible not to side with him when he stalks his enemies. There's a pretty high body count, accompanied by some very realistic looking wounds, that really aren't very attractive to look at! The make-up department did well, here.

The music has a big part to play in creating the tone, often thunderous and pounding and along with often frenetic camera-work, the film's undeniably jolting and exciting, though those prone to suffering one may well get a migraine as bad as the one that one of the mobsters did.

There are a good number of reviews for this title that outline plot details. I'm going to leave that out - people don't need to read that over again.

All in all, it's a solid movie on a familiar theme, quite involved with some exciting action and stunts. Reno is very good, as all the actors are. If you like your thrillers full-blood and graphically violent, then this could well be an excellent rental or DVD purchase. Me - it's not my favourite and will leave it at that.

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

I am fond of thriller movies where dramatic events happen in the very beginning. And where you must follow the plot intensely, not just nodding and seeking clichés... There are lots of events and lines where it is not sure what the solutions will be.

Jean Reno's character fills most of the scenes and all this is enjoyable to watch - he is one of the finest French contemporary actors. L'immortel, of course, is not as good and popular as Leon, or Ronin, where Reno has starred before, but it is still a highly recommendable action movie where fans of Luc Besson's work will not become disappointed.

It is against my method of reviewing to compare one movie to another and I won't do so here either, but I want to mention that Jean Reno played a great role in the movie Leon as an social inept assassin who gets saddled with a teen girl. There is however nothing remarkable about 22 Bullets or The immortal(L'Immortal) as it is called in France.

Reno plays Mattei a retired gangster who gets gunned down in an underground garage by an unknown group of men for unknown reasons. Instead of dying he survives the 22 bullets that hit him and it is obvious that he is going for some payback time. The hit men send one of their own to the hospital to finish the work they started, but he kills the wrong person.

The next one and half hour we follow Mattei down a beaten path figuring out who the hit men are, why they tried to kill him and killing them one after the other. This trail of dead bodies would have given setups for some special deaths, like having the guy with the dogs killed by his dogs, or killed with an overdoses of cocaine, for Mattei catches him in a drugs lab, but nothing of the kind is ever used. It is pretty boring run-of-the-mill what you get to see.

The movie keeps forgetting important stuff. For instance Mattei is numb in his right hand but yet he can steer a motorcycle several times in the movie during chases. How the heck is Mattei going to control the throttle with his numb right hand?

At yet another time we witness how the female cop is being spied upon in her car so the hit men can find out where Mattei's family is, but a few scenes later we see Mattei planning with the same cop in the same car and apparently the hit men are now not listening in.

All kinds of silliness abounds. At one moment Mattei has to liberate his young son from the bad guys. So he jumps on the windscreen of the car, then proceeds to pound the guy against the car slamming him repeatedly, while he knows his son is locked up in the boot and must have been terrified to death. At another moment Mattei is fighting with someone in a kitchen. He gets overpowered, and just right at that time the cops bust in to save him.

The police is, of course, hugely inept so Mattei can get away with killing his enemies unopposed. At one moment the police botches a tailing job when they try to find out where he goes by chasing him around town with cars. With such an inept law enforcement agency Mattei can even get away with gunning people down in broad daylight in the streets.

One watches this movie, is baffled by the silliness and looks for any redeeming qualities. Well, some attempts a depth are made, but really there isn't much here that warrants any further attention. A b-movie at best.

Luc Besson has been on a roll for quite a while, producing fun stupid movies that do decent business worldwide but are forgotten a few days after viewing. This time they've added a 'serious' / 'adult' / 'complex' plot and the always reliable Jean Reno.

The movie is a mess, jumping from one cliché ridden scene to the next, if you've seen a dozen thrillers in your lifetime, chances are that you've seen most of what l'immortel has to offer. Reno tries to do some good work but the script is so below mediocre that he fails, sometimes almost laughingly. But don't worry, they've got violence to keep interest up. 'Shocking' violence that is there exclusively to be there.

Before I go, I want to leave with you this gold nugget of a line of dialogue...

Disgruntled Female Cop to her chief: "For this job, I leave my emotions at home..."

No purpose, no originality, no thank you.

There is something about the revenge movies...Perhaps it taps into some primal hunter and protector in all of us. Even after centuries of so-called civilization, we are still creatures of instinct.

And here comes a very well done, albeit not very original revenge thriller. There is nothing here we didn't see before, many, many times. Nevertheless it works. Excellent pacing, well choreographed violence, good character actors, and, of course a sense of justice done. Something we do not see very often in real life. The bad guy these days not only gets away with murder, but usually runs for office and lecture us about patriotism. Maybe that's why this flick works so well. Like an old-fashioned western. You run the villains out of town and ride into the sunset.

"22 Bullets" or "L'immortel" is a good movie. Not a brilliant movie, but still a good movie. It has interesting plot and good acting and is pretty well made. It tries to be poetic at times, but doesn't really succeed, which isn't that big flaw in my book. It sure won't blow your mind, but if you are into revenge movies and like Jean Reno, you will like this movie. 7/10! Recommended to everyone for some simple but decent fun!

This movie uses French as language but it has subtitles.

It has lots of action and it is about an ex-gang member trying to get revenge after he got gunned down.

Although you could say it's somewhat predictable it was never boring and I felt it was worth watching despite it having long duration.

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.

Pretty much a run of the mill revenge story but without the strength of believable characters. Jean Reno does what he can with his role but fails to convince me he was ever a gangster leader in any sense. Where this movie really shines is in it's visuals. Marsielle is alive and pulsating with richness that, despite these gangsters, makes me wish I were there

Jean Reno returns to the kind of sensitive tough guy role which gained him worldwide fame in Leon in the early-90s. Franz-Olivier Giesbert's novel based on real life crime in the Marseille underworld, L'Immortel, inspired the character of Charly Matteï - a one-time gangster who reforms for the sake of a quiet life with his wife and family.

22 Bullets has a fine premise – the moral consequences inherent in a reformed criminal trying to turn his back upon the violence and degradation of his former life, and whether such a way of life can be consigned to the past. The calibre of the acting talent is underused by the script and plot, while the setting of Marseille could have been used to much stronger effect to reflect the harshness and beauty of the film's feudal moral code. Given the promise of its concept and cast, the film disappoints. KR

If you like jigsaw puzzle, you might like this movie. I don't understand French, so I rely on the subtitle. However, the combination of bad subtitle and jigsaw puzzle does not really go hand in hand. The plot was confusing, the story does not give enough time for you to understand who is who and then they start to kill each other. Too much jumping around and with no clear connection at the time the story. Even after the end of the movie, you still confuse with the cause of the story line.

I am a fan of Jean Reno and I have to say without him, I would not watch this movie. I have no complain with his act, but most of the other actors looked like they just act as soon as they finished their acting class. If you like blood flowing, this is the movie for you...

I can't believe that in all of France there isn't one person who can do a decent translation of French into English subtitles. Considering that Reno is a major star, you'd think they would provide those of us viewers who "je ne parle pas" with less embarrassing captions. I mean c'mon folks, it's really annoying to have to translate the translation. This was on par with the worst of Russian and Asian subtitle efforts -- only not nearly as funny.

Notwithstanding the lousy captions, as far as I could tell Jean Reno plays retired French mobster Charlie Mattei who is assassinated and shot 22 times. He survives, miraculously, and vows to find out who ordered the hit. Very soon the line between friends and foes starts to blur as he gets closer to the truth and the core of Marseille's underbelly.

22 Bullets - originally titled "L'immortel" - is a vengeance movie as much as it is a mafia flick, so I am not surprised that the angle shifts from who-dunnit to "how's he gonna kill 'em all?" Still, L'immortel is trying to sell itself to us as serious crime drama, showing some historic snippets of Reno becoming the kingpin and so forth. But L'immortel never really is more than skin deep when it comes to the characters' backgrounds, careers or lifestyles, therefore their actions, thoughts and motivations stay in the dark.

L'immortel has a few highlights, but complexity, character development and consistency are not its strong suit. Most importantly however it lacks the street cred and its authenticity of e.g. GOMORRAH. L'immortel may not be a terrible movie, but it's not much more than overcooked stew made of the genre's most frequently used ingredients.

I must admit firstly that I am a Jean Reno fan, and this was the reason I decided to watch the movie.

The movie is basically a revenge thriller and their are dozens of films out there with pretty much the same premise, however '22 Bullets' dips into the world of the French mafia providing us with a retelling of the story of Jacky Imbert aka 'the Last Godfather', perhaps taking a few 'Artistic' liberties on the way.

Jean Reno gives a solid performance and is backed by a credible cast, the dialog is alright but then again this is the type of film that is purely meant to entertain and on that basis I must admit it does exactly that. Worth a watch.