lördag, april 17, 2010

OSS 117: Rio ne répond plus


by Michel Hazanavicius is a french, humorous version of James Bond 007.

At first I thought - before watching this film - that it would show itself being a somewhat ridiculous version of Bond, with some kind of slapstick humour à la french (oh la la, how dare I say so, living in France) but I was positively surprised.

First of all this is a recent version of older ones made during the 1950's, 60's and 70's and the events in this film is taking place during the late 1960's.

The main character is Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath, agent 117, the very best agent in the world, according to his superiors.
He is sent on a mission to Rio de Janeiro to find an old nazi officer who is hiding there. On this mission he have to work with the Israeli secret service Mossad and a very beautiful and charming Israeli female agent, who he at first take for granted being his secretary.
Superfluous to say it - after quite a while - evolves into a romantic love story between the two even if the female agent at first is totally uninterested in Hubert. This does of course hurt his ego, being fully convinced that he is totally irrestible.
On the other hand Huberts indiscrete comparisons and commentaries about Jews doesn't please the Mossad agents.
In one scene he doesn't want to leave his case containing valuable things to them and when they ask why he explains that it's to precious to leave to anyone else but "this doesn't at all have to do with the idea about Jews and money!" (my relative representation of what was said).

Interfoliated by bossa nova music sung by, among others, Dean Martin, this story blends the classic agent story à la Bond but combined with a humour, not to loud and slapstick-like, no on the contrary, rather charming.

Jean Dujardin and Louise Monot are both very good in their roles as agents and I think that Dujardin once more display his talent as a comedian.

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