I'm sorry if I don't blindly join the many admirers of this movie, who would like to rate it 11/10 if it would have been possible. Since I don't run for Senator, I don't mind making possibly unpopular remarks. Don't get me wrong: Agents Secrets certainly is an interesting movie, worth while having in your collection. But to me it is not the gem many people describe. My main complaint is that the movie simply isn't surprising enough to earn that status.
Let's remain honest: 2 combat divers, send to blow up a ship with time bombs, accompanied by a back up team posing as a pseudo couple ? Rather watch the excellent movie "The Rainbow Warrior Conspiracy" from 1989. Illegal arms-for-diamond-trade ? Done several times before ! American agents clearly informed about what the "Frenchies" are up to (Echelon ? Moles ?...) Déjà vu ! Someone framed by 150 gr. of heroin hidden in his or her luggage ? How many times has this not been seen before ? Also used in 20, 30 other movies: the main character gets kidnapped by the "opposition", but somehow miraculously manages to cause a traffic accident, after which of course he's the only survivor I'm not even mentioning the somewhat unbelievable sideplot of Brisseau finding extremely quickly the professional (???) killer who shot one of the combat divers, and making quickly in between a trip to Spain to kill her.
Now, having said that... Strangely enough, even if Schoendoerffer really used too many wrong ingredients for a surprising plot, his spy flick isn't a bad movie at all. Not because of clever dialogs about international security or about the loneliness or the dangers involved with the spy business however. In contradiction with some other comments, I didn't found Agents Secrets a particularly good psychological study about secret agents Don't expect a Simenon-like experience, with a relatively bleak plot as an excuse to paint vivid psychological portraits, as the Belgian writer often did. The few moments something "psychologic" is happening, it is far too cliché to be of any merit.
Other things that make some spy movies very interesting are superb locations. Agents Secrets can't have earned its reputation based on this argument. Don't expect to see superb cars nor –there needs to be something for everyone- breathtaking bathing beauties à la Bond either...
So, what is it, that makes me not calling Agents Secrets "not a bad movie" ? Strong pro's are the quick pace of the plot, underpinned by interesting "nervous" camera movements. The ultimate trump though is the excellent cast. Well, exception made for the cliché looking villains who kill a French agent in the strong first minutes of the movie: they look like the stereotype gang members of Pablo Escobar.
I wonder... Maybe the film would have gained strength if the killers remained invisible, anonymous, like a constant menace on the background.
For all this, a 7/10 seems to be an honest score.
Let's remain honest: 2 combat divers, send to blow up a ship with time bombs, accompanied by a back up team posing as a pseudo couple ? Rather watch the excellent movie "The Rainbow Warrior Conspiracy" from 1989. Illegal arms-for-diamond-trade ? Done several times before ! American agents clearly informed about what the "Frenchies" are up to (Echelon ? Moles ?...) Déjà vu ! Someone framed by 150 gr. of heroin hidden in his or her luggage ? How many times has this not been seen before ? Also used in 20, 30 other movies: the main character gets kidnapped by the "opposition", but somehow miraculously manages to cause a traffic accident, after which of course he's the only survivor I'm not even mentioning the somewhat unbelievable sideplot of Brisseau finding extremely quickly the professional (???) killer who shot one of the combat divers, and making quickly in between a trip to Spain to kill her.
Now, having said that... Strangely enough, even if Schoendoerffer really used too many wrong ingredients for a surprising plot, his spy flick isn't a bad movie at all. Not because of clever dialogs about international security or about the loneliness or the dangers involved with the spy business however. In contradiction with some other comments, I didn't found Agents Secrets a particularly good psychological study about secret agents Don't expect a Simenon-like experience, with a relatively bleak plot as an excuse to paint vivid psychological portraits, as the Belgian writer often did. The few moments something "psychologic" is happening, it is far too cliché to be of any merit.
Other things that make some spy movies very interesting are superb locations. Agents Secrets can't have earned its reputation based on this argument. Don't expect to see superb cars nor –there needs to be something for everyone- breathtaking bathing beauties à la Bond either...
So, what is it, that makes me not calling Agents Secrets "not a bad movie" ? Strong pro's are the quick pace of the plot, underpinned by interesting "nervous" camera movements. The ultimate trump though is the excellent cast. Well, exception made for the cliché looking villains who kill a French agent in the strong first minutes of the movie: they look like the stereotype gang members of Pablo Escobar.
I wonder... Maybe the film would have gained strength if the killers remained invisible, anonymous, like a constant menace on the background.
For all this, a 7/10 seems to be an honest score.