OSS 117: Lost in Rio (2009)

OSS 117: Lost In Rio is the sequel from OSS 117: Cairo, Nest Of Spies from 2006. It's about the same level of humor, I wouldn't say there is any difference of quality between those two movies. It's still as silly as it can be, not the kind of humor everybody likes. For me it's just about okay, good enough to watch once but that's about it. The French secret agent OSS 117 is a mixture of Austin Powers, James Bond and Peter Sellers in The Pink Panther. He's a bit stupid but always manages to solve a case and that with alot of luck. Jean Dujardin has the right silly face to play that role. OSS 117 is a bit sexist and racist if you ask me but I guess it fits his character from the sixties. The whole shooting of the movie feels like everything is from the sixties, even the making of the movie. Don't expect a serious story because there is absolutely nothing serious about this movie. A Sean Connery look-a-like secret agent, charming but sexist, a couple dozens of goodlooking girls, a bunch of bad guys and that's what you get for the entire movie.

Apparently, there was some OSS 117 series back in the 60s. I have never seen it and know nothing about the films. I do know, however, that just recently there have been a couple cute French spy films starring Jean Dujardin. Neither film makes a lot of sense, but they are entertaining and fun. Previously, OSS 117 went on a mission to Egypt. Now he's being sent to Rio to track down an ex-Nazi and obtain a list of French collaborators. Oddly, this film is set in the 1960s--and the previous one was set in the 50s. No matter, it's the same silly old spy character.As I said above, the film makes almost no sense at all. The Nazis have two Mexican luchadors (wrestlers in hoods) who run about Brazil in suits! This is an obvious nod to the silly Mexican luchador films where you see characters like el Santo going on dates, fighting crime or monsters or making love--all in the silly hood. There are also some black Nazis--again, this film never tries very hard to make sense! While it is all silly fun, this is still a rather adult movie--much more so than the one set in Cairo. There is some nudity, a lot of blood and a CIA agent named Bill who uses the most amazingly colorful language I've seen in a long time. Also, while it makes fun of OSS 117's racism, sexism and overall arrogant xenophobic manner, the easily offended might still blanch at the film. But considering he IS supposed to be an idiot, his comments about Jews, women and the like are all intended to point out his idiocy.In many ways this film is like an Austin Powers and Matt Helm film put together. Like Helm, there is the Dean Martin music and OSS 117's manner is pure Helm. Plus, like Helm, Dujardin is a nice looking guy. It is a bit Powers-like....but much, much more subdued and subtle--something you'd never call a Powers film! Cute and entertaining in a very low-brow sort of way.

This second OSS 117 is actually some kind of remake of "Furia A Bahia Pour OSS 117" made in the sixties with Frederick Stafford.But the stories are different ,only the location is the same.André Hunebelle's work was entertaining ,but Hazanavicius's beats him hands down.Like the first film ,nothing is to be taken seriously and that's fine with me,particularly with an actor as funny as Jean Dujardin.A spoof on spy thrillers which does not spare anybody from James Bond to the Nazis to the CIA ,with a lot of hilarious lines .In spite of occasional parts which drag on (the chase in the hospital) ,there's almost never a dull moment in "Rio Ne Repond Plus" (the title ,like in many spy thrillers ,bears no real relation with the plot!) Allusions to James Bond and Hitchcock abound.His Jewish colleagues call him " double one seven" .Bill Trumendous (what a name!) is some kind of Felix Leiter (Ken Samuels ) ,roaring with laughter ("That Hubert!he was a born joker!")and cracking bad jokes .The ending combines "Vertigo" and "North By Norwest" ;the "I've got a screw loose because of something which happened in my past" trick was much better applied on "Le Caire Nid D'Espion" though :the circus is not that convincing.The split screen was a famous gimmick in the second half of the sixties ("the Thomas Crown Affair" " the Boston strangler" ) and it is used with good results ,notably in the scene of the phone calls.The action takes place in the sixties hippie times ,but OSS has still got the mind of a man of the fifties .Completely uneducated ,he substitutes a macho attitude and an obsolete moral ("he may be a Nazi,but he is still your father !honor thy father!") for his total incompetence.He may be stupid but he is not malicious when he asks his (female) colleague what the Jews have against the Nazis.It's not sure he knows what he is taking about when he replies " Ah !concentration camps!what a carry-on!" Jean Dujardin shines in this part of the dumb spy and the last scene about China with puns galore -which Sacha Guitry might have loved- may suggest a third episode in this country (Didn't they fight against the Americans in WW2?/ Those were the Japanese/I see ,the Japanese Chinese.)

Well actually there are quite a few "Oss 117" movies, but this is the second one with Jean Dujardin as Oss 117! A third one is about to follow (and I hope IMDb is right and it will come out next year/2010). I love the movies. And you actually don't have to have seen the first one ... but it's great, so actually maybe you should (have)! ;o)Seriously though: Jean Dujardin is back, as an obnoxious agent, but a lovely one at that. An agent, who does not know the word regret and or the meaning of "political correct". So he hasn't changed (really) from part 1, but that's exactly how we like him. With this movie (and the one before that and surely the one after that), you will either love or hate the movie/character.So are you into a "Bond" movie that actually is rather a spoof and will you love it? I still haven't seen the original movies, but I'm afraid I'm too spoiled by these movies, so I won't really enjoy the earnest Oss 117. Anyway, I can only highly recommend this movie ...