Sadly Over-hyped
... View Moren my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.
... View MoreIt was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.
... View MoreA terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.
... View MoreI am yet to see The Artist, the film that conquered the Academy preferences and received the Oscar for the Best Film, as well as the Best Actor award for Jean Dujardin. I had recorded however about one year ago one of the previous films made by director Michel Hazanavicius with Dujardin in the principal role as well. Now I included it in the holidays season viewing package, and it was one of the most pleasant and holiday-suited choice that I made.Lost in Rio (the English title) or Rio ne répond plus happens in the 1960s, when most of the novels of Jean Bruce were written. Bruce's hero Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath was a replica of James Bond, one of the many created in the decades after the apparition of the novels of Jan Fleming, but he had a French touch and Gallic humor, which is the focus of the interpretation of director Hazanavicius. At no moment does he try to be politically correct, actually under the cover of making a film about the 60s he allows to himself to mock and exaggerate stereotypes of French, German and Israelis, Nazis and Nazi-hunters, macho men and babe-shaped women. The result is pretty funny.Do not invest too much into probing the credibility of the story, sit, relax and prepare for a few good laughs. If you follow this path there are good chances to enjoy this film. Jean Dujardin is certainly a great actor, and watching his work is a delight. An eyebrow, a faint smile or an hysterical laugh can sustain a full gag. He is in good company. I remember some of the French comedies of the 60s and they were really good, not only because they were blessing by actors such as Louis de Funes, Fernandel and Bourvil, but also because they allowed themselves to be crazy and ignore the social conventions. Everything was fair game for laughing. Films like this one, even if they do not hit gold as The Artist contain the promise of starting to build another significant lot of comedies in the French cinema.
... View MoreComedy spy-thriller with Jean Dujardin as inept secret agent versus nasty high-ranking Nazi played by Rudiger Vogler . Secret agent OSS 117 foils Nazis, beds local beauties , and brings peace to Rio De Janeiro . It's 1967 and the secret agent Hubert Bonisseur De la Bath, a.k.a. OSS 117 is ordered a dangerous investigation in Brazil to the strains of Bossa nova. Hubert Bonisseur is the French spy considered by his superiors to be the best in the business , this time his assistant is the charming Mossad agent who is also seeking the Nazi . He's been sent on a mission to Rio De Janeiro , to look for a former SS officer who went into exile in South America after WWII . His eventful mission takes him all across Brazil , from Rio to Brasilia and the Iguazu Falls , accompanied by a beautiful girl named Dolores Keulachov played by Louise Monot. The man is charming , and so is the young girl spy . Filmed on luxurious sets their tale is by turns an exciting intrigue and a love story . He acts as a playboy , this results to be his cover while he is busy investigating, foiling Nazi attacks and bedding local beauties . Hubert Bonisseur De la Bath, a French spy, is in Brasil to investigate the disappearance an ominous Nazi . He is he smart spy , or is he an imbecile ? He fights well but he's supremely smug and self-confident, even as he's deaf to cultural nuance and others' feelings , so the odds are even that he might survive .Funny moments along with embarrassing in this second entry about secret agent OSS 117 with a likable Jean Dujardin , role of the accidental spy who doesn't know fear or danger in this comedy spy-thriller . In this entertaining adventure, the most unlikely intelligence officer in French Secret Service must stop a group of international Nazis conspirators led by a previous SS officer before they cause global chaos on the world . Hubert Bonisseur, a French secret agent who dreams of rising beyond his menial job within the OSS organization, after all the other agents are bumped off is hired to discover a microfilm where appears names of collaborationists with Nazis . With one shot at redemption, he must employ all kind of means to unravel a web of conspiracy that runs throughout an ambitious plot . Hubert must use every trick in his play-book to achieve his objectives . For Hugo Bonisseur, disaster may be an option, but failure never is. This second installment is an acceptable comedy though the formula is well known with 'The Pink Panther' series and recently with 'Johnnny English' by Rowan Atkinson . It stars clumsy Jean Dujardin as one man show accompanied by a gorgeous Louise Monot . The movie gets entertaining and hilarious moments here and there. This slapstick picture contains amusing , funny scenes , fresh and diverting moments but also flaws and gaps . Jean Dujardin steals the show parodying the ordinary international secret agent , James Bond-alike , including his ordinary faces , grimaces and gestures ; he plays stunningly the highly unorthodox agent, the inept and bungler secret agent from OSS .Appears as secondary the prestigious German actor Rudiger Vogler , Win Wenders's usual ; furthermore two French beauties as Louise Monot and Reem Kherici. The actors seem to enjoy themselves immensely giving funny interpretations . Lively and atmospheric music by Ludovic Bource. Colorful and glimmer cinematography by Schiffman . The film is well penned and directed by Michel Hazanavicius that maintains the slapstick franchise . He also directed in similar style the original film titled ¨OSS 117 El Cairo¨ with Jean Dujarjin and Beatriz Bejo ; both of then will repeat in the successful and recent ¨The artist¨ including Golden Globe nomination . Several chuckles and gags , the result of which is one acceptable second entry . The flick will appeal to comedy fans .
... View MoreAlthough I was pleasantly surprised by the previous OSS movie ; this sequel is just terrible. The story lacks rhythm and logic. Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath in the first movie was a caricature of the conservative Frenchman of the 50s : racist, sexist, arrogant... However, these traits were not emphasize so much as in the sequel and he had charisma.In Rio ne répond plus, he is just a one dimensional obnoxious a**hole. The other characters are simply useless (especially Dolores ; I cannot even blame the actress for her performance, as the character lacks personality). As for humor, I did laugh a few times, but not as much as I was hoping. French cinema at its worth.
... View MoreApparently, there was some OSS 117 series back in the 60s. I have never seen it and know nothing about the films. I do know, however, that just recently there have been a couple cute French spy films starring Jean Dujardin. Neither film makes a lot of sense, but they are entertaining and fun. Previously, OSS 117 went on a mission to Egypt. Now he's being sent to Rio to track down an ex-Nazi and obtain a list of French collaborators. Oddly, this film is set in the 1960s--and the previous one was set in the 50s. No matter, it's the same silly old spy character.As I said above, the film makes almost no sense at all. The Nazis have two Mexican luchadors (wrestlers in hoods) who run about Brazil in suits! This is an obvious nod to the silly Mexican luchador films where you see characters like el Santo going on dates, fighting crime or monsters or making love--all in the silly hood. There are also some black Nazis--again, this film never tries very hard to make sense! While it is all silly fun, this is still a rather adult movie--much more so than the one set in Cairo. There is some nudity, a lot of blood and a CIA agent named Bill who uses the most amazingly colorful language I've seen in a long time. Also, while it makes fun of OSS 117's racism, sexism and overall arrogant xenophobic manner, the easily offended might still blanch at the film. But considering he IS supposed to be an idiot, his comments about Jews, women and the like are all intended to point out his idiocy.In many ways this film is like an Austin Powers and Matt Helm film put together. Like Helm, there is the Dean Martin music and OSS 117's manner is pure Helm. Plus, like Helm, Dujardin is a nice looking guy. It is a bit Powers-like....but much, much more subdued and subtle--something you'd never call a Powers film! Cute and entertaining in a very low-brow sort of way.
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