Trigger happy

Director: Richard Berry,
Starring: Jean Reno, Kad Merad, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Marina Fois

Retired Marseilles mafiosa Charly Matteï (Reno) has turned his back on a life of crime and for the last three years he’s led a peaceful life devoting himself to his wife and two children.

That is until his past catches up with him one fateful winter morning, when he’s left for dead in the parking lot of Marseille’s Old Port, his body riddled with 22 bullets.

When, against the odds, he survives, it’s obvious what’s coming next – a brutal and bloody mission of retribution as Charly hunts down the men behind his shooting.

Overseen by French legend Luc Besson, it’s good to see French actor Jean Reno back where he belongs – in a decent French crime thriller based on a true story. He is terrific in the title role as a haunted man who knows he can never escape his violent past.

Whether talking to his cat, singing opera or popping caps into his enemies, Reno convinces and compels.

While it never quite reaches the heights of Besson’s seminal Léon, this is still a fast-paced, ultra-stylish thriller that really hits the target. Well worth a watch.

Genre: Action | Crime | Thriller
Age Restriction: TBC
Runtime: 117 min