OSS 117 : Rio ne répond plus

In late 2011, "The Artist" got released. It went on to win Best Picture (only the second silent movie to do so), as well as Best Actor and Best Director. Prior to its release, I had never heard of Michel Hazanavicius or Jean Dujardin. Right after I saw "The Artist", I saw an earlier collaboration of theirs: "OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies".

"OSS 117: Rio ne répond plus" ("Lost in Rio" in English) is the sequel to that movie. It's a litany of silly fun as Dujardin's suave spy gets sent to the Brazilian metropolis to find a Nazi fugitive. The movie finds time to make fun of stereotypes, namely the chauvinistic Frenchman and the ugly American. There are a few incongruous aspects, but this sort of movie is all about blatantly silly fun, and it's very much a good time, as was "Nest of Spies". As for "The Artist", its win combined with the Oscars won by "Hugo" have hopefully put the "freedom fries" attitude to rest forever.

I depise comedies, especially French comedies - I am French - except old Louis De Funès, Bourvil and Fernandel films - and I hate those stupid movies where I need some one to tell me when to laugh.... But those 0SS 117 features starring Jean Dujardin, there are three of them so far- I LOVE IT. And I was at first very reluctant to imagine OSS 117 as comedies. You see, I saw the genuine OSS 117 when I was a kid, starring Frederic Stafford, which were not comedies at all. So I was afraid to watch those; but what a surprise after the first time I saw them. Here the peculiarity is not the story of course, it is so stupid, but that's precisely the purpose of this masterpiece. To, FOR ONCE, the film presents a hero who is very handsome, the most handsome man on earth, womanizer, great fighter, so elegant, but AND THAT IS ALSO THE EXQUISITE CONTRAST, a guy totally racist, sexist, childish, pretentious, antisemitic, without any education nor culture, idiot at a scale you can't even imagine. I could not stop laughing during the time I saw those movies. Jean Dujardin reminds Jean Paul Belmondo, for instance in LE MAGNIFIQUE, but Belmondo's character was less idiotic, or also Dean Martin in MATT HELM films. Anyway it is absolutely impossible to show a more dumb character on screen. Just enjoy this wonderful tribute to the sixties espionnage films period and more precisely the MATT HELM and FLINT film series starring Dean Martin for the first and Jim Coburn for the second.

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 ...

OSS 117: Lost in Rio (2009)

Sequels being what they are, this is not quite a match to the original spoof from 2006. But when you have something almost as good as something really terrific, it's still enough. This is enough, for sure, even with the novelty of the situation worn thin.

The main reason is lead actor Jean Dujardin, who continues his parody with aplomb--all the same suave, self-effacing, sexist, racist, ridiculous mix. Instead of Muslims taking the brunt of the jokes, it's Israelis. But the impossibly short skirts and general parading to a male audience is still in place, for better or for worse. And lots of wonderful facial expressions and double-takes.

The rest of the production team is intact here: director, cinematographer, composer. The time period is something like 1968, a few years later than the "Nest of Spies" 2006 version, which is more 1963-ish. So there is an entertaining but less stylish move from "Mad Men" territory (the drinks, the music, the high style) into counterculture territory(most notably the hippie orgy stuff). The hilarious flashbacks of the first movie (on the beach) have been updated to a dramatic but unfunny circus act. And so on. Which is to say, this is a slightly different and slightly less movie.

But, it is still filled with fast, and ridiculous, and comic situations. The cars are great, and Rio is great (it seems to have been largely filmed there, or some impressive CGI stuff is at work). The campy final scenes at the big Jesus statue overlooking the city is purely a Hitchcock spoof (mostly "Suspicion" on the Statue of Liberty with a little "North by Northwest" at Mr. Rushmore). Oddly, this is a kind of parody of something so specific, a kind of post-modern reference, it distracts slightly from the more generic parody that makes up the whole. However, I have to quickly add that it's really well done, very visually astonishing.

So, see this movie if you've seen the first, by all means. If you have a choice (and currently both are streamable on Netflix), I'd start with the start, and then see if you're ready for more. And hang in there because it seems there almost has to be a third. Success is hard to repress.

The two new OSS 117 movies has a kind of humor which is both intelligent and dumbed-down at the same time, which I find extremely amusing. It really reminds me of the classic Pink Panther movies with an almost as good leading man as Peter Sellers in Jean Dujardin. And unlike Steve Martin completely ruining Clouseau, Dujardin is quite brilliant.

The comments regarding the movies' being anti-semitic, are obviously a case of a complete lack of humor and therefor understanding.

Whether you will enjoy or hate this movie really comes down to what kind of humor you have. I can't wait for the sequel!