Special Forces (2011)
"Forces spéciales" (original title)

A French journalist in Afghanistan is kidnapped by the Taliban.

Director:

Stéphane Rybojad

Writers:

Stéphane Rybojad (adaptation), Michael Cooper (adaptation),

Stars:

Diane Kruger, Djimon Hounsou, Benoît Magimel

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Diane Kruger	...	Elsa
Djimon Hounsou	...	Kovax
Benoît Magimel	...	Tic-Tac
Denis Ménochet	...	Lucas
Raphaël Personnaz	...	Elias
Alain Figlarz	...	Victor
Alain Alivon	...	Marius
Mehdi Nebbou	...	Amen
Raz Degan	...	Ahmed Zaief
Tchéky Karyo	...	Amiral Guezennec
Morjana Alaoui	...	Maina
Didier Flamand	...	Jacques Beauregard
Jacques Gallo	...	Le Pacha
Bernard Allouf	...	Le President de La Republique
Marine Faure	...	La Premier Ministre

Storyline

In Afghanistan, French journalist Elsa and her colleague Amen are covering the story of Maina, a woman sold to a man when she was a child. Taliban leader Ahmed Zaief abducts Elsa and Amen and tries to force them to read a message to Western governments. The French president sends six Special Force to rescue Elsa who's hidden in a fortress in Pakistan. The team composed of Commander Kovax, Tic-Tac, Lucas, the sniper Elias, Victor and Marius release Elsa and Amen from their imprisonment but lose their radios. Now the group needs to cross the inhospitable land to save their lives with the Taliban chasing them.

---

Plot Keywords:

french | taliban | afghanistan | journalist | kidnap | 

---

Taglines:

Survival. Honor. Sacrifice.

---

Genres:

Action | Drama | War

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

France

Language:

French English

Release Date:

2 November 2011 (France)

Also Known As:

Special Forces

Filming Locations:

Caylus, Tarn-et-Garonne, France

Box Office

Budget:

€10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$10,759 (USA) (12 October 2012)

Gross:

$10,759 (USA) (12 October 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Easy Company, StudioCanal, Canal+

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

Pakistani Secret Service Officer's car and Ahmed Zaief's car both have the same license plate.

User Reviews

A pleasant surprise

While 'Forces Spéciales' has some shortcomings, I have to say I enjoyed watching it. Sure the team doesn't always look up to the task, a few actors may not be too convincing either (although most are) and one may wonder about the tactics used in the film.

What I liked about this movie was that the crew and cast went to Tajikistan to shoot the Afghanistan and Pakistan scenes which makes the whole story more realistic – American productions would usually settle for Morocco or Jordania but the scenery is not quite the same. Another quality in 'Forces Spéciales' is the storyline which is kept simple, there is not subplot or complicated background: A French reporter is kidnapped by the Talibans, a team of team of soldiers is sent to rescue her. Also, languages have not been unified into English, something Hollywood still has problems with regularly.

'Forces Spéciales' might not be the best action movie ever (I am not sure this is what it's supposed to be anyways) but it has nothing to be ashamed of in comparison to 'Act of Valor' which was a big disappointment for me.