The Patriots (1994)

I love this movie so much

The Worst Film Ever

Expected more

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

When I first watched it, in 1994, in a small french city movie theatre, I shouted: "F...! What a movie!". But days, weeks and months after, no one seemed to think like me. The critics I read were all bad (Then I started to cancel my subscription to a famous french movie magazine)and condemned this movie to death. However, I had seen it three times on screen. This movie is for me of the same blood as the spy movies from the 70's, where spies were not heroes any more, but particles of giant machines, and desperate men, seeing other people apart. "The days of the Condor", "Scorpio", "la 7eme cible" etc. were that kind of movies. with "Les Patriotes", Eric Rochant took his time (24 weeks of shooting)and his producers hired a tough cast (Richard Masur, Nancy Allen, Yossi Banai)to support local actors and a wonderful Yvan Attal who acted perfectly the young, experienceless, and tormented french Jewish spy who went to Israel by love in order to serve and protect his new home. But unfortunately, dreams are not reality... and protecting a country is not as rewarding as it seemed in James Bond movies. This movie is also worth to be seen because of the interest of Israel's concerns, the realistic (and dispassionate) way it is depicted. But the main topic is neither Israel, nor the Mossad, but being a spy and doing wrong to make good.

This movie can serve as a gold standard for the spy-movie genre. It depicts in unglamorous ways, the life, the torment and catharsis of an intelligence officer. The cast is superb, but it's really director (Rochant) and lead actor (Attal) who are making the powerful and excellent case of what does it mean to work for the state. This case done in subtle tones(Yvan Attal's character rarely speaks), in demonstrating the complex political situation Israel finds itself in constraint manner, and by introducing such a vivid female character, that the viewer (at least male's half) can understand the inner battle of Mossad's officer soul

the film is very good, frighteningly realistic, and it looks like a true story, with a few of the names changed, but the association is clear (see the character of Jeremy Perlman), the connection between the main character and the prostitute is masterfully acted, the end is excellent... must see it to believe it

Les Patriotes tells the story of a young Jewish Frenchman who decides to emigrate in Israel in order to join the famous Mossad. I don't think the scriptwriters intended to reveal us the truth about the world's most secret service (who can claim to really have solid informations about that?). Yet they wrote an excellent screenplay, worth the best spy movies. Les Patriotes is an exciting description of the daily work of the spies. It is a beautifully-acted movie that doesn't show off and in the same time tells us a lot of things. It is a captivating vision of what a state manipulation is. So, if you have the chance, see it!