Female Agents  ★★★

FRENCH drama Female Agents is an exciting tribute to the women who performed dangerous undercover missions during World War II.

In particular, the 2008 film references the real-life contribution of Lise de Bessaic who led a French female commando unit under the British Army’s Special Operations Executive.

Two of France’s most popular actresses of recent years, Sophie  Marceau and Julie Depardieu, lead the strong cast through a series of exciting and suspenseful action sequences.

It’s all been done many times before, but the fact that female characters are at the centre of the action provides a different and intriguing perspective.

With the events of Dunkirk being explored in at least three 2017 films,  Female Agents’ premise continues to be relevant, regardless to what extent it is completely true.

Following an initial action sequence, interestingly the first characters we meet are related.

Lieutenant Pierre Desfontaines brings his sister Louise (Marceau) to SOE headquarters in London where he convinces her to help him lead a covert mission in Germany.

All he will tell her is that a British geologist working on a secret mission has been injured and is in a German hospital.

He has managed to pass himself off as a German but the SS is aware of his existence and is hunting for him.  The SOE must get him out of Germany first.

One woman is already undercover as a nurse at the hospital but the plan relies on several other women being recruited for particular reasons.

Brother and sister cajole the other women into joining them and they are immediately plunged into the mission.

We learn more about each woman’s individual circumstances and how these relate to the mission’s success as the story progresses.

The pacing of the film is particularly good as character development and relationship building is achieved largely within the action sequences allowing a continuing build-up of tension and momentum.

As you would expect with a Dirty Dozen style war film, there aren’t happy endings all round and the violence is direct and sudden. The reactions of the women to changing, increasingly desperate circumstances are also well drawn and realistic.

It’s well directed and co-written by Jean-Paul Salome whose reverence for the source material is clear and makes for an entertaining tribute.