Directed by Florent E. Siri, Nid De Guepes chronicles the unlikey cooperation between a band of thieves and an elite group of judicial escorts. As several characters prepare for their various missions on Bastille Day, an unapologetic Albanian mobster (Angelo Infanti) is being flown in to stand trial. Despite extensive security, Nexhep's (Infanti) armed flunkies stage a violent diversion, and the escorts end up in the same warehouse where some young criminals are attempting to steal truckloads of expensive computers. Though the group of thieves are initially suspicious of the new visitors, they must quickly combine their efforts to stay alive amongst the Albanian mafia's dogged and potentially deadly determination to find their captured leader. Nid De Guepes also features Damy Naceri, Benoit Magimel, Nadia Fares, Pascal Greggory, and Sami Bouajila.
~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
Review by All Movie Guide
All Movie Guide
liked it.
Updating the premise of
Assault on Precinct 13 for the modern era, Nid de Guepes is a slam-bang treat of an actioner that won't disappoint. Brilliantly staged by director Florent E. Siri, the action pulls no punches, nor does the plausible scenario it's framed around. The story finds its footing early, as the film's leads unexpectedly come together and form the group who will inevitably be terrorized by the pulse-pounding siege, which most of them won't survive. The movie surges with unexpected tension, as the tale unfolds blindly before your eyes, making each of the group's decisions or inevitable fatalities that much more striking. In keeping with Carpenter's classic, the outside forces remain unseen (through the use of shadows and clever costuming), which keeps the claustrophobic internal dramatics inside the blockaded warehouse that much more focused. With a sharply contrasting motley crew of characters, a truly sadistic villain (who's seething performance is a knock-out), and a tough-as-nails lead female character who not once comes off as a forced stereotype, Nid de Guepes throws caution to the wind and actually pulls off an engaging action film featuring an ensemble cast that can do no wrong. Action fans would be hard-pressed to find a better example of stripped-down, high-tension filmmaking than this gem from France. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide