This sequel to the hilarious OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies supplies the further adventures of Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath, a secret agent so chauvinistic, he pities anyone not lucky enough to be French. The character, who appeared in novels that predate Ian Fleming’s 007, is deliciously spoofed by director Michel Hazanavicius and hunky star Jean Dujardin.
In this outing, which is set in 1967, Agent 117 is sent to Brazil to secure a microfilm list of Nazi collaborators. (Hubert’s protestation that all French people were in the Resistance is met with awkward silence on the part of his boss.) Once there, he teams up with a female Israeli spy (Louise Monot) to track down an escaped-Nazi wrestling promoter.
Although it drags a bit, Lost in Rio offers plenty of quips and sight gags as Hubert’s Old World brio clashes with the Israelis’ earnestness. Dujardin has flawless comic timing as the hero who may stumble but — with the arch of an eyebrow and a flash of a grin — always rises to the defense of the République.
