The Nest (2002)

Too much of everything

Pretty Good

A Masterpiece!

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

It's not bad as an action thriller. I guess Norte-Americanos are more surprised than Europeans with the quality of the flick. Well yeah, there is life this side of the pond. Of course, jailing of an Albanian mafia boss does happen sometimes in EU and its rare enough to give thrills to the french movie makers. Rarer than jailing a Serbian ex-communist, for sure. I really doubt French and Germans would organize that hypothetical arrest that way, that would be a scandal. But whatever, its a perfect occasion to pack in as many shots, explosions and metallic sounds as possible in a movie that happens in Strasbourg! Forget Baghdad and Gaza, we've got wild Muslims right behind the European Court, heehaw! So its a must if you want to enjoy all of your mega speakers, go for it, pump up the volume!

The French are known for stylish and sophisticated films, including those in the action/thriller genre. One of the current luminaries is Luc Besson, best known for Subway (1985), La Femme Nikita (1990), Taxi (2000), The Transporter (2002) and others, all well produced and directed.The Nest, directed by Florent Emilio Siri – who went on to direct Hostage (2005) with Bruce Willis starring - goes for the jugular, however: non-stop, slam-bang action that sucks you in with some cool characters and an innovative mise en scene that relies very much on a fantastic coincidence and with a heavy nod to John Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13 (1976).I'm not against coincidences. I've experienced fantastic coincidences that, if put into fiction, would be scorned. And, I'm not against a director using a similar idea as another; it's the best form of flattery. But, I know some would be upset by this apparent double whammy. So, be warned.Here's the scene: a group of six robbers raid a warehouse to steal computers and such like. Shortly after they get down to their job, they're interrupted by a special police armored car that busts into the warehouse because it's being pursued by a large – like I mean, very large – group of Albanian Mafiosi who want to bust up that tin car of a car and bust out their Big Boss who's being held prisoner by a small band of reeeeeeel tough cops who just don't see it the mob's way.Well, you guessed it: the six (almost) harmless robbers join forces with the special coppers to stand and fight the real bad guys. And all because the coppers want to keep that Big Boss safe to go to court the next day. Stand by your man, with a difference...Which, of course, results in some harsh words and harsh action between the coppers and the robbers at first, but, as Machiavelli said long ago: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." So, hell on earth continues for most of the hundred minutes of the story.There are the usual heroics, the stock coward who gets his reward, and there are those who rise to the occasion in the face of insurmountable odds – particularly the night watchman whose knowledge of the layout provides a crucial turning point in the battle.And, what a battle it is: I don't know how long it took the special effects guys to set up each scene or partial scene but I reckon the actors had long coffee breaks between takes. There's more than enough action for the freaks in this one. Little wonder Hollywood enticed Siri to direct Hostage, a story with a similar (again) theme of being trapped inside with bad guys outside.The only actor I recognized was Sami Naceri whom I last saw in Taxi, a rip-roaring and blistering ride around the streets of Marseilles. He's a funny guy and worth catching.For me, it was quite entertaining and believable while also managing to stay on the better side of parody – despite the six robbers whistling the theme tune from The Magnificent Seven (1960) on the way to the robbery...Recommended for all except the kiddies.P.S. I never liked Assault on Precinct 13 anyway.

The Nest has a lot of things going for it. An interesting premise, pretty good acting, intense action, and some really above average cinematography and direction. However I found that I just couldn't get as engaged as I really wanted to in this movie. I think part of the problem was the dialogue, which tended to be a bit comic-bookish. Also the characters, while not totally one-dimensional, don't really add up to anyone you like enough to seriously root for. And I think in a siege movie that's an important element - you have to want the people who are holding out to make it. I wasn't invested enough in any of the characters to care whether they came through the other side. But watching this film isn't a total waste of time either - some of the scenes are really amazingly well done, almost poetic. A mixed bag, but tons of eye candy for true action fans.

Just finished watching Nid de Guepes, or the Nest, as it is translated. The beginning I found to be somewhat slow - there is very little dialogue until the sh@t starts to fly in the building. However, I found myself drawn to whether or not and more importantly who would make it out alive. Overall, for an action movie, it was good - no hero machismo, no action stars . The one and only rescue attempt made (in the truck) is put to rest within a matter of seconds in a hail of bullets; something you don't see quite often in a typical Hollywood blockbuster.There are no heroes, no guns for glory. It simply tells the story of a group of people, thrown into the same "merde", fighting to survive. Whatever remains of the bravado is quickly put to an end as you see how high the odds were stacked against them - the continuous legion of gunmen assaulting the factory in droves. Not to mention Fares, switching from French, to Italian to English without missing a beat. Rrrroow.A good flick