OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies
Overview
Set in 1955, French secret agent Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath/OSS 117 is sent to Cairo to investigate the disappearance of his best friend and fellow spy Jack Jefferson, only to stumble into a web of international intrigue.
Backdrop
What makes this movie Worth Watching
Set in 1950s Egypt, the film reflects on the post-colonial era and the tensions between Western powers and Middle Eastern countries. It also subtly criticizes French colonialism and its impact on local cultures.
- The movie offers a unique blend of comedy and espionage, providing a humorous take on traditional spy films.
- OSS 117's bumbling and oblivious protagonist creates numerous hilarious situations, making for an entertaining watch.
- The film explores themes of cultural clash, colonialism, and sexual politics in a satirical manner.
- The dialogue is filled with double entendres and clever wordplay that adds to the comedic appeal.
Fun Facts
- The character OSS 117 is based on a series of French spy novels written by Jean Bruce in the mid-20th century.
- Many scenes pay homage to classic James Bond films, adding a layer of familiarity for fans of the genre.
- The film's title sequence features an authentic Arabic song called 'Ana El Helali', performed by Abdelhalim Hafez.
Available Languages
English
US
Title: OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies
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Deutsch
DE
Title: OSS 117 - Der Spion der sich liebte
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Français
FR
Title:
"J’aime me battre !"
Español
ES
Title: OSS 117: El Cairo, nido de espías
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Türkçe
TR
Title: Ajan 117 Kahire'de
"Komedi, Macera... Eğlence ve Heyecan Bir Arada..."
suomi
FI
Title: Agentti 117 - Tehtävä Kairossa
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Where to Watch
Cast
Crew
Reviews
This was a solid debut for Hazanavicius and a very fun film. There's uneven pacing, but I was very pleased with this, which seemed an interesting hybrid between the James Bond and Pink Panther film series. I loved the scoring and cinematography as well. Dujardin's character was a bit strange and the pacing was a tad uneven, but those are small flaws. This is the first of Hazanavicius' films I have seen, though I have 'The Artist' on blu. I've heard that in the sequel, he jumps a decade to the 60's--it would be interesting, if they decide to eventually continue the series, if each film could be of following decades, straight through to the present day. It was clever of the writers, through parallelism, to subconsciously suggest a linkage of the Nazis to radical Arab terrorists, so soon after 9/11, and, six years before 'Skyfall', what anyone knowing anything about espionage and counterintelligence would undoubtedly know--that all agents would probably be bisexual. I look forward to checking out Hazanavicius' other films, and hope there are eventually more in this series, for I have loved all kinds of spy films and spoofs of them, in the history of cinema.
Oscar Awards
Wins
Haven't Won A Oscar
Nominations
Haven't Nominated for Oscar