Secret Agents

A team of secret agents – Raymond (Sergio Peris-Mencheta), Loic (Ludovic Schoendoerffer), Lisa (Monica Bellucci) and their leader Brisseau (Vincent Cassel) – is assigned by the French Agency in a mission called Janua to sink the general cargo vessel "Anita Hans" in Casablanca. The ship is transporting weapons for the rebels in the civil war of Angola that are using diamonds to pay the dealer Igor Lipovsky (Serge Avedikian). Brisseau and Lisa are advised by an American agent to abort their mission, but their superiors order them to ignore. When the mission is successfully accomplished, Lisa is framed and arrested in the airport with 150 g of heroine. When Raymond is killed, Brisseau realizes that they have been betrayed and he tries to release Lisa from the prison.

"Agents Secrets" is a bitter and realistic original story of manipulation and betrayal, showing the dangerous, lonely and empty lives of secret agents, where the interest of a nation is above any principle of ethics, as Machiavelli observed and wrote in the Fifteenth Century. Vincent Cassel and Monica Bellucci have excellent lead performances, well supported by a great European cast, and the action scenes are really very impressive. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Agentes Secretos" ("Secret Agents")

I've expected to have a different look from the French film industry to a spy trivia rather than imitating the American flavor. Whatever you do, imitation is an imitation and you can't get rid of that.

Although the scenario has some potential, it seems they've missed the point and got bored in the story telling. Monica Bellucci is a really beautiful and talented actress whom I admire, but she got lost in the movie with the same dull look and it seems she didn't like her role too... The best casting is Vincent Cassel and he's probably the only one who took it seriously. The chief staff of the secret missions are too light to be described as bosses. The action scenes are rare and not so devastating. The camera use is fine though.

If you have some spare time, you may enjoy the film, but don't expect too much of it. 6 out of 10.

This movie offers several spectacular shots (free-falling, swimming against the sunset, scuba-diving, car flip / crash, etc), locations (France, Switzerland, Morocco, Spain) and means of transportation (cars, boats, subway trains, planes, helicopters). The production values are certainly very polished. But the director takes an overly detailed approach to storytelling - there are quite a few scenes that go on longer than necessary. The thrills are limited: a car chase ends almost as soon as it begins, and a fight between Cassel and a Spanish female assassin (Najwa Nimri) is shot in such tight close-ups that you literally can't see any of the moves. As for the insights into the spy business ("We're not asking her to collaborate with us; we're asking her to obey our orders"), they're not exactly groundbreaking stuff. The intense Cassel and the dazzling Bellucci are interesting people to look at, but for the most part this spy thriller is too dry - and the ending is poor. (**)

good casting doesn't mean that a movie is good. it only win in fame but not the audience/spectators.

good casting isn't the important element of a good movie. good work from actors and good story plot is.

== Monica bellucci, irreversible's Alex, is pretty ... so this film emphasize on selling her...and her husband, vince (vincent cassel) is her couple agent.

like irreversible, like brotherhood of wolf, only sell this popular couples...remember that, good cast, popular girl (Monica bellucci) is not enough, but only a good storyline is.

to conclude, there is nothing good to be remembered here. Bad film.

not a good actress, pretty actress can hold all spectators, if your storyline is as good as frighteners, yeah it can hold many many spectators! but this movie only sells the vincent cassel couples! only sell these 2 ppl isn't enough. Monica is pretty but if we only want to see her beauty, Malena/Bro. of wolf/irreversible can satisfy us.

remember, pretty actress isn't the only point for a movie to win.

can you all see matrix 2 and 3? though the hi-tech wins but it is boring than matrix 1, why? because ppl there only emphasize on the tech used there, but not improve the storyline. so it lose when compared to matrix 1!

To conclude on matrix series, it tells that..."good casting isn't everything, good storyline is(find the right actors)"!

Again a french blockbuster! I had in mind "Largo Winch" for our national action / thriller tries and the feeling that something was lacking in comparison to James Bond, "Mission Impossible" or the recent "Traitor".

My opinion hasn't changed: action isn't unforgettable, the story is boring, and the characters dull: even before the troubles come, the spies are depressive, mournful!

I know the director wanted to show the crude reality of undercover action but he failed to tell something interesting. Even his commentary is lethargic. It's a pity because some sequences show that he is talented with a camera!

The best moment of the movie is their "vacations" in Casablanca, because it was almost like mine in Oujda, another Moroccan town: streets filled with people, red and whites taxis, pool, …

And another french DVD without subtitles!