OSS 117: CAIRO, NEST OF SPIES
aka OSS 117: LE CAIRE, NID D'ESPIONS

Year: 2006
USA: Music Box Films
UK: ICA Films
Cast: Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo, Aure Atika, Philippe Lefebvre, Constantin Alexandrov, Said Amadis, Laurent Bateau, Claude Brosset, Francois Damiens, Youssef Hamid
Director: Michel Hazanavicius
Country: France
Language: French (English subtitles)
USA & UK: 99 mins
UK Certificate: 12A contains one use of strong language, moderate violence and sex references
USA Release Date: 9 May 2008
UK Release Date: 7 November 2008 (Limited Release)

UK Distributor
Synopsis

Double-oh who? This year the spy on everyone's lips should be OSS 117 - a man, a lover, a spy, a legend. Hubert Bonnisseur de la Bath (Jean Dujardin) code-name OSS 117 is France's first line of defence in the Cold War, a master of disguise; deadly with a weapon; invincible in hand-to-hand combat; irresistible to women; big on charm...small on brains.

Our hero's story begins in 1945; OSS 117 and his fellow agent/best friend Jack Jefferson (Philippe Lefebvre) are outsmarting the Nazi's and rescuing vital Allied documents with gleaming smiles and witty puns. Ten years later, Jack is murdered on duty in Cairo, OSS 117 is ordered to take his place working under cover as the head of a poultry firm. Using this alias and with the help of local contact the beautiful Larmina El Akmar Betouche (Berenice Bejo), OSS 117 investigates Jack's death, monitors the Suez Canal crisis, checks up on the British and the Soviets, burnishes France's international standing, brokers peace in the Middle East and establishes friendly relationships with the local populace - all with Gallic subtly and sensitivity.

A box office sensation in France, this hilarious spoof on the espionage genre takes the wind out of imperialism, lambasting the notions of cultural superiority that were so prevalent in spy films of that era. In the tradition of Inspector Clouseau, OSS 117 insults, desecrates, destroys his way around Cairo while still managing to get the girl, put the bad guys away and sing a song.

Created by Jean Bruce in 1949, four years before the publication of the first James Bond novel, OSS 117 has been the hero of 265 novels, translated into 17 languages, published in 21 countries and selling 75 million books worldwide. Eight feature films saw him played by a variety of actors, including Ivan Desny, Kerwin Mathews and Frederick Stafford. But now OSS 117 is Jean Dujardin.

Winner: Tokyo Grand Prix 2006 Tokyo International Film Festival, Michel Hazanavicius
Winner: Etoile D'Or 2007 Etoile D'Or - Best Actor, Jean Dujardin
Nominated: Cesar - Best Actor, Jean Dujardin