Nom de code: DP (2005 TV Movie) User Reviews

A Jewel to Be Discovered by Movie Lovers

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 19 May 2007]

When the French government discloses that a terrorist attack is imminent somewhere in their country, the secret service captain Nathalie (Anne Brochet) is assigned to carry out a counter-terrorism operation. She decides to infiltrate an unknown man in a mosque, but not a trained undercover agent. She goes to the prison in Dunkirk and selects the computer technician Léon (Maher Kamoun) to be trained and work for her. In return, he would be released in the end of his mission. Léon gets close to the Pakistani terrorist Bilal (Asil Raïs), a dangerous and skilled man trained by the French government many years ago, trying to discover his target. Meanwhile, the Pakistan government blackmails the French minister in the question of Cashmere, and Nathalie covers Léon against a betrayal.

"Nom de code: DP" is an excellent television movie, with a magnificent story full of twists. The beautiful Anne Brochet is stunning in the role of a lonely captain of the secret service that questions the decisions of her superiors and protects her agent. Maher Kamoun plays a family man loyal to his principles that accepts his assignment but lives in conflict with his attitudes; and Asil Raïs plays an idealist and insensitive terrorist also committed with his principles. Both actors are also fantastic. I regret only the corny conclusion, with the terrorist attack failing, totally unreasonable for the situation and withdrawing the credibility of an outstanding movie. It is also strange that Nathalie has family, since her character seems to be a loner and needy of affection woman. But in the end, this film is a jewel to be discovered by movie lovers. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Ataque Iminente" ("Imminent Attack")

Not only one of the best laid out political thrillers of the decade

[shadowfakx · 10/10 · 13 February 2007]

but a microcosm ---( sp?) tautly directed, acted and beautifully filmed ( from Europe to Pakistan and places in between)--- of the geopolitical ambiguities that will plague this world for decades to come.

Played out exquisitely by the extraordinary Ann Brochet, she reflects with every nuance one face can engender, the uncertainty about her and her overlord's choices about preventing an "islamofascist" terrorist attack in France.

Two points: She is the handler for a man who has no commitment to this endeavor other than to get out of a French prison where he is serving a 12 year term. He has ethnic attributes which make him a plausible mole. For virtually all of the flick she is resolute in her goal to prevent this attack from taking place. However, as she forms a " bond " with her ersatz agent, she does waver ( near end game ) in the tactics her overlords use in handling the operation, and thus, him and herself. The guys in white hats, we realize, have no compunction in engineering " little " betrayals to accomplish their goals---which, after all, are correct and proper. So purely speaking, their white hats aren't as white as idealists ( if there are any of you left out there ).

Second point: the same goes for the "other " side...handlers and agents alike.

These 2 points make for one of the most provocative interplays between good and evil i've seen in quite some time. Make no mistake, there are good and bad guys, here....but not as black and white as some of us might feel comfortable with. So not your typical Clancy plot lines, here.

Finally, re: the other commenter's remarks regarding the final scene with the little boy making his way through the room where the plot is almost finally hatched: it clear and plain how he does it; no mystery there; with all due respect, he or she might have followed that part a little more clearly. I also disagree with her/his perception that Ann Brochet's character went to a home filled with kids and hubby. No indication of that. In fact, to the contrary.

This script could have resembled one of Le Carre novels which never properly received the directorial and acting talent so demonstrative in this flick. Except for the Smiley series that were made years ago, starring the inimitable Alec Guiness as George S.

Great Actors, some flaws

[florian-schmitt · 9/10 · 12 November 2006]

The main actors (Anne Brochet, Maher Kamoun, Asil Raïs) are playing impressive: Anne Brochet as Secret Service Officer, often unsure about how to proceed, often quite lonely as acting on her own, in a certain way dependent on Leon who himself needs her but is angry on her in the same moment. That fragile relationship is developed and displayed in a brilliant and convincing way.

Sadly, at the end of the thrilling movie, the scenario looses credibility. (Caution, spoilers following!) Bilal, the Terrorist, collapses because of his injury at the room where he wants to introduce the gas into the ventilation system. How did he manage to pass the entrance controls at the gates in his critical state? A few moments later, a little boy following his rolling soccer ball discovers Bilal. How did the boy manage to enter the "catacombs" of the stadium where Bilal needed a key to get there?

But the worst point are the last words Bilal speaks in the movie: After his characterization as fanatic and idealistic terrorist, it's completely nonsense that he asks (firstly!) for the result of the soccer game he tried to attack. He simply can't be interested in that after all the development of his character throughout the movie. Quite artificially and puzzling,too, is the final scene where Natalie returns home (caution, spoiler!) revealing that she has a husband and children. This doesn't match with the picture of her and has no clear message: Should one think that her life is in reality not as sad as shown, or that she's the lonesome person _instead_ of having a nice home, husband and family? There's definitely too much surprise in the end.