Nid de guêpes (2002)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Florent Emilio Siri

Writers:

Florent Emilio Siri (writer)
Jean-François Tarnowski (writer)

Release Date:

6 March 2002 (France)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

12000-patsu kurae [Japan]

Plot:

Laborie is a high-flying officer in the French special forces. Her mission is to escort Abedin Nexhep...

Plot Keywords:

Warehouse | Ambush | Prostitution | Trial | Albanian

Cast

Samy Naceri	...	Nasser
Benoît Magimel	...	Santino
Nadia Farès	...	Helene Laborie
Pascal Greggory	...	Louis
Sami Bouajila	...	Selim
Anisia Uzeyman	...	Nadia
Richard Sammel	...	Winfried
Valerio Mastandrea	...	Giovanni
Martial Odone	...	Martial
Martin Amic	...	Spitz
Alexandre Hamidi	...	Tony
Angelo Infanti	...	Abedin Nexhep
Grigori Manukov	...	Le Passager VAB (as Grigori Manoukov)
Paul Hervet	...	Vigile 1
Frédéric Kontogom	...	Vigile 2
Frédéric Maranber	...	Militaire (as Frederic Maranber)
Eric Franquelin	...	Le capitaine
Bibi Naceri	...	Employé Ponts et Chaussées (as Larbi Naceri)
Jean-Yves Chatelais	...	Chauffeur XM
Théodule Carré-Cassaigne	...	L'enfant XM
Cyrille Dufaut	...	Le pilote VAB
Denis Braccini	...	Le pompier
Abdel Kader	...	Le 2ème pompier
Régis Quennesson	...	Le gendarme
Roxane Nouban	...	La mamie
Evelyn Andreani	...	La mère Santino
Clement Toinel	...	Le bébé
Françoise Laborde	...	La présentatrice journal télévisé
Roland Guéridon	...	La père d'Abedin Nexhep
Henri Boulet	...	La grand père Santino
Axel Arnaud	...	Le colonel de gendarmerie

Directed by
Florent Emilio Siri

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Florent Emilio Siri		writer
Jean-François Tarnowski		writer

Produced by
Claude Carrère	....	producer
John David Cohen	....	associate producer
Léonard Glowinski	....	associate producer
Guillaume Godard	....	producer
Patrick Gouyou-Beauchamps	....	producer
François Ivernel	....	associate producer
Romain Le Grand	....	associate producer
Samy Naceri	....	co-producer
Anne Regard	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Alexandre Desplat

Cinematography by
Giovanni Fiore Coltellacci

Film Editing by
Christophe Danilo
Olivier Gajan

Casting by
Olivier Carbone

Production Design by
Bertrand Seitz

Art Direction by
Dominique Carrara

Costume Design by
Brigitte Calvet
Marie Calvet

Makeup Department
Maud Baron	....	makeup artist
Anne Bergamaschi	....	key makeup artist
Nana Chiabaut	....	makeup artist
Stéphane Malheu	....	key hair stylist

Production Management
Nicolas Dancel	....	assistant unit manager
Frédéric Doniguian	....	production manager
Edouard Dupont	....	unit manager
Emmanuelle Jacobson-Roques	....	unit manager trainee
Emmanuel Jacquelin	....	production manager: prep only
Sophie Moulin	....	unit manager trainee

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Roxane Andreani	....	second assistant director
Jérôme Cornuau	....	second unit director
Carol Lecacheur	....	second second assistant director
Pascal Salafa	....	first assistant director
Olivier Vergès	....	third assistant director
Franck Vestiel	....	assistant director

Art Department
Michel Conche	....	property master
Olivier Colat-Parros	....	taxidermist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Germain Boulay	....	supervising sound editor
Pascal Dedeye	....	foley artist
Marion Lorthioir	....	post-synchronization
Daniel Ollivier	....	sound
Christian Riffard	....	post-production audio
Serge Rouquairol	....	sound editor
Williams Schmit	....	sound mixer
Eric Tisserand	....	sound mixer
Stéphane Vizet	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Laurent Brett	....	title designer
Grégoire Delage	....	special effects
Georges Demétrau	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Philippe Aubry	....	lead Inferno artist
Philippe Aubry	....	visual effects supervisor
Axel Bonami	....	digital compositor
Laurent Brett	....	art supervisor
Lionel Duminil	....	digital compositor
Philippe Huberdeau	....	digital compositor
Jérémy Justice	....	digital artist
Emmanuel Le Courbe	....	digital compositor
Antoine Moulineau	....	digital artist
Cecile Peletier	....	digital compositor
Cecile Peltier	....	digital compositor

Stunts
Jean-Louis Airola	....	stunts
Gilles Conseil	....	stunts
Oumar Diaoure	....	stunts
Alain Figlarz	....	stunt coordinator
Karim Hocini	....	stunts
Jean-Claude Lagniez	....	stunts
Francesco Merenda	....	stunts
Yoni Roch	....	stunts
Patrick Ronchin	....	stunt coordinator
Frédéric Vallet	....	stunt rigger

Camera and Electrical Department
Maxime Alexandre	....	assistant camera
Massimo Bertucci	....	gaffer
David Campbell	....	crane operator: Technocrane
Matteo Carlesimo	....	assistant camera
François Chevreau	....	assistant camera
François Comparot	....	grip
Florence Dugowson	....	still photographer
Marc Elusse	....	gaffer
Hugues Espinasse	....	focus puller
Benoît Féréol	....	key grip
David le Mevel	....	electrician
Sophie Leonetti	....	assistant camera
Gianmaria Majorana	....	camera operator
Pierre Michaud	....	electrician
Valentin Monge	....	Steadicam operator
Cyril Mousseigne	....	electrician
Frédéric North	....	pilot: camera helicopter
Stéphane Paillard	....	assistant camera
Doriano Torriero	....	key grip
Valerio Villalba	....	assistant camera

Editorial Department
Stéphanie Araud	....	assistant editor
Carlos Pinto	....	apprentice editor

Music Department
Christophe Etrillard	....	music editor

Other crew
Marie-Madeleine Bertheau	....	administrator
Patrick Boshart	....	location scout
Marie-France Calif	....	production coordinator
Patrick Le Dissez	....	arms master
Françoise Thouvenot	....	script supervisor
Thierry Valletoux	....	reportage

Production Companies

• Canal+
• Carrère Groupe
• Cinémane Films
• Cofimage 12
• Embellie Productions
• France 2 Cinéma
• Gimages 4
• Natexis Banques Populaires Images 2
• Pathé Image Production
• Pendrake Films
• Procirep

Distributors

• A-Film Distribution (2002) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Pathé (2002) (France) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (200?) (Netherlands) (video)
• Filmauro Distribuzione
• Fox Pathé Europa (2003) (France) (DVD)
• Herald Film Company (Japan)
• Hollywood Classic Entertainment (Czech Republic)
• Lions Gate Films (North America)
• Pathé Distribution (UK)
• Siren Visual Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• TriPictures (Spain)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2003) (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Duran

Also Known As:

The Nest (International: English title)
Wasps' Nest (International: English title) (literal title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence and language.

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

France

Language:

French | English | German | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Malaysia:18SG (uncut) | Malaysia:U (cut) | South Korea:15 | New Zealand:R16 | France:-12 | Germany:18 | Netherlands:12 | Spain:18 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | Norway:15 | Australia:MA

Filming Locations:

France

Company:

Canal+

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hostage (2005/I)

Glossy French Action--C'est merveilleux!

One doesn't (when one is American, at least) expect to get glossy, high-budget action films from the French; I didn't realize they even MADE this kind of movie. Do industry folk believe that foreign action films won't travel well or be able to compete with similar Hollywood product? If so, I'm surprised THE NEST didn't change all that. (Maybe it went straight to DVD here in the US.) Whatever the reason, this superior example of tight, twisty action film-making is worth recommending to anybody interested.

Boasting a great plot, better than average writing and acting, and knockout direction, the film involves four sets of people--two of them lawbreakers, the other two law enforcers, whom chance and a little coincidence bring together with frightening, violent, bloody and surprisingly believable results. Most of the action is confined to one huge warehouse, and the director manages to eek out every bit of surprise, suspense and clever logistics from this unusual location. I have not seen as good a film of this type since the original "Die Hard."

An ensemble piece using a terrific group of actors, the movie waits until its close to list its cast. I was so involved by the logistics and fast pace that I failed to recognize several of my favorite French actors: Benoit Magimel ("The Piano Teacher," "The King Dances"), Pascal Greggory ("Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train"), and Sami Bouajila ("The Adventures of Felix"). Director Florent Emilio Siri has a new film coming out next year ("The Hostage"); on the basis of his "Nest," I can't wait.

Note: the DVD comes in its original French language with English subtitles and with an English dubbed alternative--which I have heard is badly done. This is NOT a dialog-heavy movie (most actions films aren't) so try it with the subtitles. I did--and was hooked from start to finish.