Agent Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath is undoubtedly part of the French cinematic landscape thanks to the three films in the OSS series. But do you really remember the first part “Cairo Nest of Spies”?
In 2006, Le Caire nid d’espions, the first part of the adventures of agent OSS 117, played by actor Jean Dujardin, was released in cinemas. Filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius is loosely inspired by Jean Bruce’s series of novels written between 1949 and 1963. A universe comprised of eighty-eight secret agent adventures that have already spawned seven big screen adaptations.
But where previous feature films adopted the tone of a classic spy movie, the director, then known for The American Class: The Great Diversion, continues down this quirky and parodic path. Screenwriter Jean-Francois Hallin explains that the choice of Jean Dujardin for the main role was quite natural, because the actor perfectly matched the mixture of humor and physicality of Sean Connery, which the film crew was looking for.
Jean Dujardin was immediately won over by his character and became deeply involved in his role, taking inspiration from the voices of certain period film stuntmen such as Jean-Pierre Duclos or Jean-Claude Michel. The chemistry between the actor and the director was also natural and instant.
For his first adventure during the Hazanavicius era, Agent OSS 117 is assigned a mission to Egypt, in the midst of the Cold War of the 1950s. He must go to Cairo to investigate the mysterious death of his former comrade, Constable Jack. Jefferson.
The film would be a real popular and critical success and naturally three years later it would produce a second film, OSS 117 Rio no longer answering and reuniting with the same team. The third installment, Red Alert in Black Africa, this time directed by Nicolas Bedos, hit our screens last summer.
Relive Hubert Bonisseur de la Batte’s first adventure with this 10-question quiz about the secret agent’s adventures in Egypt.
So you’re unbeatable in Cairo, nest of spies? Share your score in the comments!
Source: allocine
Emily Jhon is a product and service reviewer at Gossipify, known for her honest evaluations and thorough analysis. With a background in marketing and consumer research, she offers valuable insights to readers. She has been writing for Gossipify for several years and has a degree in Marketing and Consumer Research from the University of Oxford.
