This Double-Feature Blu-ray set from Music Box Films is now available for purchase.
There have been dozens of parodies of James Bond films and spy flicks over the years, from the original Casino Royale (1967) and the late 1960s Matt Helm series with Dean Martin, to Spy Hard (1996) and the Austin Powers movies, as well as Rowan Atkinson’s Johnny English series that began in 2003. But one of the most painstakingly accurate comedic riffs on the superspy character came from France.
The OSS 117 movies are derived from a series of dead-serious French spy paperbacks written by Jean Bruce that were published in the 1950s. This was actually before Ian Fleming’s Bond became a cultural phenomenon. A series of films were produced, but didn’t ignite the public imagination the way that Bond did. Decades later, director Michel Hazanavicius and writer Jean-François Halin decided to revamp the character, turning the source material into a spy parody. While few people in North America saw their movies upon their initial releases, these titles were massive successes in France and made celebrities of the Hazanavicius and the title’s star. Now Music Box Films has delivered a wonderful new double-feature Blu-ray set containing OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies and OSS 117: Lost in Rio.
OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies is set in 1954 and introduces audiences to French secret agent Hubert Bonisseur aka OSS 117 (Jean Dujardin). One day, a government authority contacts the hero about strange goings on in Egypt. A Russian cargo ship has disappeared, as has fellow spy Jack Jefferson (Philippe Lefebvre), whom Hubert has, well, very, very warm feelings about. After arriving in Cairo and being given the amusing cover identity of an noted poultry trader, the lead contends with an Egyptian princess (Aure Atika), as well as Larmina el-Akmar Betouche (Bérénice Bejo), the former assistant of vanished associate Jack. Hubert encounters eccentric spies from other countries, a strange business contact Gerhard Moeller (Richard Sammel), Russian thugs and many more. The investigation soon uncovers a secret plot by a Nazi faction.
The movie is hilarious, with star Dujardin perfectly emulating the mannerisms and posturing of a James Bond-like figure. Hubert has a smug smile and acts confident, yet he isn’t particularly clever. In fact, he’s about as culturally insensitive as it gets, often making jokes in bad taste as well as incorrect assumptions about those around him (which leads to plenty of awkwardly comedic exchanges).
There is a great bit early on involving a series of silly code words spies use to identify themselves. The lead has a lot of trouble finding his cohort and ends up in an entertainingly bizarre conversation at the airport with a stranger. Flashbacks with old pal Jack are also entertainingly over-the-top. Later, when a group of spies get together and converse, a lengthy string of analogies between them generates laughs. The business backstory also adds humor as the hero does battle with a villain in a chicken coop.
What also really helps the picture stand out is just how perfectly it recreates old James Bond pictures. As the extras later reveal, the director and star were devoted to copying the production methods used in films like Dr. No. In fact, they used the same lighting rigs, camera lenses and more that these titles employed in the late 1950s. The appearance of the film is stunning (especially on this sharp Blu-ray) and it’s completely convincing as something that could have been made in 1960.
The disc comes with an archived commentary track featuring Hazanavicius and Jean Dujardin. The pair talk about their efforts to develop the character, who in some ways is a child-like hero. They talk about making fun of the out-of-date and colonialist tendencies in Hubert, yet finding a way to keep him well-intentioned and likable. Hazanavicius also spends time identifying the jokes he likes that didn’t seem to go over with French audiences. In particular, he mentions using establishing shots of obvious landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, pausing on the shot, and then showing the word Paris to identify the obvious setting. He thought these bits were funny and seemed disappointed that they didn’t always play as well as hoped with local crowds.
There’s also a lengthy making-of that goes into the production and attempting to recreate the exaggerated fictional sets that spy movie audiences would see in these types of movies. Deleted and alternate scenes are included and, best of all, bloopers in which we see just how hard it was for Dujardin and his castmates to keep a straight face while delivering and listening to some blunt dialogue. Finally, there is also a photo gallery and trailers for the movie.
OSS 117: Lost in Rio followed a couple of years later, and the second Blu-ray in the set contains this title. It ups the ante in almost every department, with bigger and less-subtle (though still funny) gags. The follow-up has a slightly different tone and feels more in sync with the Austin Powers series, but still manages to deliver plenty of memorable moments.
The story follows Hubert in 1968. After an elaborate opening at a party in Switzerland, the lead is asked to team up with a female Israeli Colonel Dolorès Koulechov (Louise Monot). Theri task is to retrieve a secret list from a Nazi Professor named Von Zimmel (Rüdiger Vogler) that identifies French Nazi sympathizers. The pair encounter luchador enforcers, extraordinarily foul-mouthed CIA agent Bill Tremendous (Ken Samuels) and a group of LSD-pushing, free-love promoting hippies.
Hubert is even more sexist and culturally insensitive in this sequel. But while the gags are a little blunter, plenty of them do land. There’s a side-splitting scene in which the leads are shot at by villains – bullet sparks continually bounce off the ground around them as they run from the initial location and down a set of stairs… and along a street for an absurd period of time. There’s another riotous bit when the lead and his cohorts are lost in the jungle. After gunning down a crocodile, he insists that Dolorès cook it for him. When she refuses, his attempts to carve and roast the reptile over a campfire are very entertaining to watch. Of course, just as in the original, there are also a number of awkward exchanges between the leads that do earn a chuckle.
And again, the filmmakers manage to capture the feel and look of a spy movie from 1968. Once again, it is revealed that the same technique was used to create an authentic-looking filmic environment. As with the first disc, the picture looks excellent and really clean. For this reviewer, the sequel isn’t quite as perfect as the original, but is still a hoot and has plenty of great moments.
There’s another archived commentary track here from Hazanavicius and Dujardin as they talk about the problems of making a sequel that is different and yet still entertaining in the same manner as the original. Additionally, the disc contains on-set footage with the star, as well as deleted scenes and extended bits with different tweaks that highlight the options the moviemakers were giving themselves. As with the previous disc, the bloopers are also a highlight. There’s also a funny bit during the French premiere with Hazanavicius and Dujardin in which the director pokes fun at initial negative reactions to the first public screening of the original film. It also comes with plenty of publicity materials.
This is an excellent Blu-ray combo set of two wonderful Bond parodies that really should be seen by anyone who enjoys spy movies. OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies and OSS 117: Lost in Rio feature a charismatic lead and talented director at the top of their comedic game. In fact, the pair would soon win Oscars for their work together on the 2011 film, The Artist. The image quality is great, the movies are funny and this set is well-worth picking up.