Agents Secrets (M.Bellucci/V.Cassel)
09-24-05 | 09:42 PM
#76
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Thankfully in a first-place tie once again so - despite the dire potential for a slippery slope ahead - I rest my head later tonight as an optimist..........umm, which on-topic translates to my being in a "typeative" mood, so here goes.....
Glad I took a chance on this one despite the fact that it left many others feeling less than enthusiastic.
It no doubt helped that I knew what kind of a film to expect going in. Although I'd seen the trailer, I was aware that trailer was not representative of the film's tone; it is not an action spy film, so don't expect Bond or "Mission Impossible", or even the Bourne films, or "Spy Game" for that matter.
This is a very low-key film that I felt operated with a nice slow simmer of suspense throughout its runtime. Again, I'd say maybe that we are talking more John Le Carre ("The Tailor of Panana", etc.) or Graham Greene ("The Quiet American", etc.) rather than Ian Fleming.
As mentioned, the film - while not without short but effective action scenes - is not action-packed, so most definitely put the IMDb genre keywords crime/action/thriller out of mind, yet it isn't talky either - I think maybe almost 10 minutes goes by at the start of the film before you get the first spoken words. Most of your focus as a viewer is on watching the machinations of the plot play out on-screen. For instance you'll watch the set-up/planning of the mission, followed by the preparation (in a subtle way, meaning no exciting training sequences or such), execution, and aftermath of said mission. Being a spy isn't all that glamorous and exciting, and this film gives you a nice "fly on the wall" feel for what it must truly be like.
Personally, I found it quite interesting and involving, and was thus well entertained. The director did a nice job in that this type of a film could have been a thudding bore in less capable hands.
Does it deliver "something new under the sun" or making a lasting impact - no, it does not. But it did provide an enjoyable night's viewing and I would be open to sitting through it once again sometime down the road. If asked to grade it out, I'd call it an enthusiastic 7.5/10. I'll take this type of spy film any day over another of the recently awful Bond films, another terrible Mission Impossible sequel (I like the first one a ton better), or the like.
Glad I took a chance on this one despite the fact that it left many others feeling less than enthusiastic.
It no doubt helped that I knew what kind of a film to expect going in. Although I'd seen the trailer, I was aware that trailer was not representative of the film's tone; it is not an action spy film, so don't expect Bond or "Mission Impossible", or even the Bourne films, or "Spy Game" for that matter.
This is a very low-key film that I felt operated with a nice slow simmer of suspense throughout its runtime. Again, I'd say maybe that we are talking more John Le Carre ("The Tailor of Panana", etc.) or Graham Greene ("The Quiet American", etc.) rather than Ian Fleming.
As mentioned, the film - while not without short but effective action scenes - is not action-packed, so most definitely put the IMDb genre keywords crime/action/thriller out of mind, yet it isn't talky either - I think maybe almost 10 minutes goes by at the start of the film before you get the first spoken words. Most of your focus as a viewer is on watching the machinations of the plot play out on-screen. For instance you'll watch the set-up/planning of the mission, followed by the preparation (in a subtle way, meaning no exciting training sequences or such), execution, and aftermath of said mission. Being a spy isn't all that glamorous and exciting, and this film gives you a nice "fly on the wall" feel for what it must truly be like.
Personally, I found it quite interesting and involving, and was thus well entertained. The director did a nice job in that this type of a film could have been a thudding bore in less capable hands.
Does it deliver "something new under the sun" or making a lasting impact - no, it does not. But it did provide an enjoyable night's viewing and I would be open to sitting through it once again sometime down the road. If asked to grade it out, I'd call it an enthusiastic 7.5/10. I'll take this type of spy film any day over another of the recently awful Bond films, another terrible Mission Impossible sequel (I like the first one a ton better), or the like.
Last edited by flixtime; 09-24-05 at 09:45 PM.
