Spy Bound

Hi! First of all I have to say that I really enjoyed 'Agents secrets'. I wasn't disappointed as many seems to be because I knew what kind of film I was going to see... By this, I would mean that it is a 'Schoendoerffer movie' i.e. a movie that is not focusing on a special mission or on action but rather on people, what implies their job, on their daily life...even if they are spies. It was the same in one of his prior movies 'scenes de crimes'. So, don't expect to be staggered by special effects or by an unexpected end. You're not in 'M.I.1' or in 'The Usual suspects' - even if I also appreciated these movies- , what matters is people, their relations, their perception of their job... It was really a good moment and it does not really matter if at the end everything is not fully explained. It's not the the director's main purpose at all...

Frederic Schoendorffer directed 4 years ago a great serial killer movie with a realistic point of view, "Scenes de crimes". And now he does it all over again with "Agents secrets", a sharp, always surprising look at the world of spies. Like, a James Bond movie directed by Ken Loach (well, sort of). Of course, when you decide to take a movie genre and break all its rules one by one, it helps to have two major movie stars by your side. Our American friends may not realize how big Vincent Cassell and Monica Bellucci are in France. They're, like, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, only more rebellious and real and glamorous and daring and hip. When you look at their respective filmographies, you know for sure that "Agents secrets" won't be a "Troy" or a "Along Came Polly" (though I do respect and love Brad and Jennifer, their career moves are sometimes, well, surprising). Now, Vincent and Monica are a real life couple and they do not play a couple in "Agents secrets", but two spies who pretend to be a couple on a mission that will go awfully wrong. Don't expect too many visual effects here : the suspense is intensely psychological and the cast does deliver, even though the screenplay sometimes doesn't (to be honest, the story is not always clear). When I saw the movie, most people in the audience were very angry by its ending. Without giving it away, I can tell you it is daring : the director wanted to make a movie about the extraordinary life of ordinary people who have no choice, once they've chosen such a lifestyle, but to live this way till they die. Their whole life is a mission, and it has no end.

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)"!

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. (**)

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.