OSS 117: Lost in Rio

Written at the time of the film's release...on video.

OSS 117— Lost in Rio aka OSS 117: Rio Ne Répond Plus (Michel Hazanavicius, 2009) Another one that got away from theaters last year and ended up in the video aisles. Too bad. Because the first of the OSS 117 spoofs starring Jean Dujardin (Cairo: Nest of Spies) was an amusing spoof of the James Bond films, circa early 1960's under the direction of Terence Young—all high-light filming (it didn't rain in a Bond film until 2006's Casino Royale), clueless cool, casual absurdism, star Jean DuJardin's cheery resemblance to Sean Connery mixed with James Coburn's cheesy grin, and a pace that didn't give you a chance to question "Q'est-ce que c'est?"

Cairo: Nest of Spies nailed it. And the sequel: Lost in Rio (literal translation: "Rio Doesn't Answer") was to be filmed partially in the city of Brasilia, a 60's construct that could have been designed by Bond-architect Ken Adam—and played a role in the french spy spoof That Man from Rio.

Lost in Rio doesn't disappoint. Establishing the time-frame as 1967, French agent Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath (with newly longish side-burns) enters the play-room of his Swiss villa in Gstaad, and begins to twist with a bevy of snow-bunnies in his Jean-Claude Killy snow-suit to Dean Martin crooning "Gentle on my Mind," documented in groovy split-screen (the year it was used extensively at Expo '67). 

The OSS spoof trademarks are trotted out—the adherence to early Bond director Terence Young's photographic style, that de La Bath's Walther ppk fires an endless supply of bullets from its clip (that's okay, as the enemy's Lugers do the same), he is still cluelessly sexist and racist in his attitudes, this time being particularly rude dealing with the Mossad and the Chinese. Here, he's helping Israeli agents track down yet another Nazi hiding out in Rio de Janeiro, with the passive-aggressive assistance of the CIA's Bill Trumendous (Ken Samuels). 

But, while paying homage to the Bond style, it also goes after Hitchcock (particularly his penchant for staging precarious situations on national monuments)—seems that, to add a little intrigue, de La Bath was once a circus gymnast where an accident gave him a phobia for heights. Where better, then, to have your climax than in/on Rio's most famous monument, the Christ the Redeemer statue that overlooks the entire city. Why, it would almost be blasphemous NOT to take advantage of it, given the film's encyclopedic use of Rio locations and it's slightly broader film references.

The humor is all over the map from subtle film references to absurd slapstick and Dujardin is still an amiable lizard-y presence.  This one wasn't as successful as the first film (hence its straight-to-video status in Region A-The States), but here's hoping they do more.*

* Plans for any more of these films has been side-tracked as both Hazanavicius and Dujardin both won Oscars for their next project, the silent film The Artist. Nothing can ruin a good thing like winning an Oscar. Damn legitimacy, anyway.