OSS117之开罗谍影

1955年，埃及首都开罗落寞的法老王家庭后代想夺回他们的王位，秘密的宗教组织K想操纵政府。法国总统也派来了自家的密探117来趟混水。荒唐无稽的事情层出不穷。　　英国有个邦德007，法国则出了个特工117。而且这个117早在1949年就活跃在银幕上了，比第一部邦德还早4年。不过这个117的长处是搞笑而不是枪战和特殊武器。影片整体格调轻松、诙谐，很有法国风味。男主角十足的50年代的语言、表情、动作都让人发笑，甚至有打了发胶的溜光的头发！当然也缺不了女间谍，她们不像邦德女郎那样火辣身材但是一言一行都优雅风趣。　　你是不是已经对于百战百胜的邦德和他的女郎们有点厌倦了，那不如让我们一起感受一下法国式的自嘲吧。

The first outing of THE ARTIST trio, French director Michel Hazanavicius’ second feature film, an 007 spoof based on the popular novel series penned by Jean Bruce, its protagonist is the French secret agent Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath codename OSS 117 (Dujardin), who is narrow-minded, feather-headed and a hardened skirt-chaser, but has a slick head of hair and optimal luck to land on his feet among silly international intrigues.

So this time he is assigned to Cairo (often stood in by Morocco) to investigate the disappearance of his fellow agent Jefferson (Lefebvre), liaised with the latter’s secretary Larmina (Bejo, grudgingly playacting a Middle East stock and stomaching most of 117’s racially insensitive remarks, until being inexorably overcome by 117’s irresistible potency), he runs afoul of a series of multinational (British, Russian, Belgian, German) espionage, as well as clashing with the local Egyptians, from authority, factional radicals, to the royal princess Al Tarouk (Atika), who just cannot get enough of him, nudge nudge.

Unashamedly ethnocentric, and deficient in intelligence, logic and sensibility, fortunately the film boasts the winning appeal of its star, Jean Dujardin confidently chaperones us through 117’s escapade with his beaming smile, pervasive swagger and faux-naïf blarney, sprinkled with small wonderment: ribbings on 117’s sexuality and the flashback of his beach side bromance never fails to delight, a fez-worn music number of Dalida’s BAMBINO in Arabic ebulliently epitomizes the picture’s frothy nature, to say nothing of its clever opening title sequences paying homage to Saul Bass. OSS 117: CAIRO, NEST OF SPIES shows Hazanavicius’ competence in his craftsmanship, but whether one will find it intoxicating or fatuous squarely depends on your Gallic humor quotient.

referential entries: Hazanavicius’ THE ARTIST (2011, 8.4/10); Guy Hamilton’s GOLDFINGER (1964, 6.3/10); David Kerr’s JOHNNY ENGLISH STRIKES AGAIN (2018, 6.0/10).