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")

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...

This moving film has suspense , tension , emotion , wild fighting images , mystery , car crashes and a little bit of violence . From his offices in Switzerland, Russian Igor Lipovsky (Avedikian) is an arms dealer engaged in a huge and profitable gunrunning operation with a special load whose destination results to be Angola . The French government wants to hinder the activities of Igor and sends an outfit to sink one of his ships heading for Africa with a shipping of illegal weaponry . Lisa (Monica Bellucci) , Brisseau (Vincent Cassell) , Loïc (Ludovic Schoendoerffer , brother's son) , Tony (Eric Savin) and Raymond (Sergio Peris Mencheta) are professional spies under command of Colonel Grasset (André Dussollier) to proceed the dark operation . But moles threaten to foil a team of secret agents' plan . The code-name of the assignment is "Janus" ; and just like with the ancient deity , as they have to pull off a dangerous mission to sink the general cargo vessel "Anita Hans" in Casablanca . After that , they are betrayed by other spies (Najwa Nimri) , then Lisa is detained and Brisseau attempts to free her , but the events go wrong .

This thrilling movie deals with an expert team of spies , but no in James Bond style , as they are secret agents that carry out their assignments in realist as well as methodical manners . Exciting as well as surprising screenplay by Jean Cosmos , Ludovic Schoendoerffer and the same filmmaker Frederic Schoendoerffer . Although the picture has various ingredients for entertainment , the plot is some confused and complex and filled with plot twists . This enjoyable picture contains action , thrills , intrigue , car pursuits , struggles , including a violent fight between Vincent Cassell and his nemesis Najwa Nimri . The first part of the movie takes inspiration of the Rainbow Warrior case that has been slightly adapted ; events are transposed in Casablanca and the sabotaged boat carries weapons instead of environmental militants . Very good duo protagonist , Vincent Cassell , an actor with endless energy , but Vincent is also a family man with 2 children and married to Monica Bellucci, his Italian co-star . For professional reasons, Vincent lives mostly in Paris while his Italian-born wife, Monica Bellucci, lives mostly in London . However , they have been separated in 2013 . Despite this , they have appeared in the following films together : Sheitan (2006),Secret agents (2004),Irreversible (2002),Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001),Mediterranees (1999),Le Plaisir (1998),Compromis (1998),Dobermann (1997),Come Mi Vuoi (1997) and Flash-back (1996). The star studded support cast is important with known international actors , most of them French people such as André Dussollier as Colonel Grasset , Charles Berling as Eugène , Bruno Todeschini , Eric Savin as Tony , Gabrielle Lazure as Véronique Lipovsky as well as good Spanish actors such as Sergio Peris-Mencheta as Raymond , Najwa Nimri as Maria Menendez and Simon Andreu as lawyer .

Sensitive as well as touching musical score by Bruno Coulais . Colorful and evocative cinematography by Jean Pierre Sauvaire . The motion picture produced by Spanish producers : Ricardo Garcia/Francisco Ramos/Miguel Menendez and French ones : Eric Neve/Porchet/Latif Lahlou was well directed by Frédéric Schoendoerffer , son of also filmmaker Pierre Schoendoerffer , an expert on war movies . He was born in 1962 in France, he is a director and assistant director, known for Switch (2011) , Trunds (2007) , Scènes de crimes (2000) and especially this Secret agents (2004) . Rating : 6,5/10 . Well worth watching .