OSS 117: Lost In Rio Opens In France; Variety Has Review

The newest OSS 117 film, sequel to 2006's dead-on period spy spoof OSS 117: Cairo Nest of Spies, opened in France last night. Kees Stam of the Harry Palmer Movie Site was in Paris earlier this week and reports that "there is a Rio poster on every corner of every street or square or boulevard in Paris. The film is on every cover of every major TV or film magazine in France as well." Sounds like a total saturation campaign, the equivalent of an actual James Bond opening! I wish that sort of thing were going on here in America, but as far as I know the sequel doesn't even have a U.S. distributor yet. That didn't stop trade magazine Variety from reviewing it, though. Critic Jordan Mintzer gives the film (apparently officially titled OSS 117: Lost In Rio for English-speaking audiences, as opposed to the much more Eurospy-sounding OSS 117: Rio Doesn't Answer) what can only be described as a rave review. "Returning team of scribe Jean-Francois Halin and writer-director Michel Hazanavicius once again turns the original character and timeframe upside down, presenting a hilariously straight-faced mockery of the Cold War era and its nationalist mindset," writes Mintzer. He particularly praises star Jean Dujardin, saying "the actor invents a persona that, like Sellers' Inspector Clouseau, is a continual joy to watch." Read the full review for more praise and a preview of some of the gags. He gives away a few jokes (that sound quite funny), but doesn't really tread into any spoiler territory. I cannot wait to see this movie! (Somehow!)