Synopsis
Afghanistan. War correspondent Elsa Casanova is taken hostage by the Taliban. Faced with her imminent execution, a Special Forces unit is dispatched to free her. In some of the world’s most breathtaking yet hostile landscapes, a relentless pursuit begins between her kidnappers who have no intention of letting their prey escape them and a group of soldiers who risk their lives in pursuit of their single aim – to bring her home alive. This strong, independent woman and these men of duty are thrown together and forced to confront situations of great danger that inextricably bind them – emotionally, violently and intimately.
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Cast
- Diane KrugerElsa Casanova
- Djimon HounsouCommander Kovax
- Benoît MagimelCaptain 'Tic-Tac '
- Denis MénochetCaptain Lucas
- Raphaël PersonnazElias, sniper
- Alain FiglarzVictor
- Alain AlivonMarius
- Mehdi NebbouAmin, Elsa's guide
- Raz DeganAhmed Zaief, leader of the hostage takers
- Tchéky KaryoAdmiral Guezennec
Recommendations
- 50
Washington Post
There's nothing terribly surprising about Special Forces, a moderately gripping action flick about a group of commandos on a mission to rescue a pretty blonde who has been abducted by the Taliban. Nothing, that is, except that it's French. - 40
Village Voice
For a while Degan's serious charisma also kind of makes Islamic extremist fundamentalism look cool and badass, which could have been hilariously subversive if director Stéphane Rybojad had pushed it further. - 40
New York Daily News
It's an odd showcase for Diane Kruger. She is never very believable as Elsa, a war correspondent who has been kidnapped by the Taliban. - 40
The New York Times
Dedicated to French servicemen and wartime journalists, Special Forces aims to inspire but ends up wallowing in melodrama. - 40
The Hollywood Reporter
This tale of an elite military unit assigned to rescue a war correspondent kidnapped by the Taliban is as frenetic and ultimately mind-numbing as a "Call of Duty" videogame, only without the thematic depth. - 38
Slant Magazine
The film walks a questionable line between Important Issue seriousness and antsy video-game machismo.
