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Some things just don't translate - bizarre Japanese comic books, technical stereo system instructions and, in the case of the James Bond parody OSS 117: Lost in Rio, French comedy. The second movie in the OSS 117 series, Lost in Rio sends France's No. 1 secret agent to Brazil to track down a Nazi blackmailer. Set in the late 1960s, OSS 117: Lost in Rio's now conventional French New Wave aesthetics are saturated with kitschy '60s style, but its slick, sometimes comical, emulation of a by-gone cinematic era isn't enough to shoulder the movie's often absurd, rarely funny brand of humor.
The problem is that Agent OSS 117's (Jean Dujardin) deadpan chauvinistic remarks are deeply rooted in French culture, which doesn't translate well to American audiences. Much of the supposed comedy comes from making light of France's role in World War II and the Germany occupation. While we might not understand the subtleties of the situation, we do understand Agent OSS 117's other anti-Semitic, anti-feminist or simply racist comments. While the way Dujardin delivers his lines may evoke a chuckle, what he's saying rarely strikes a funny bone.
The cultural divide grows with the introduction of new characters, who are often a stereotype representing a nationality. For example, the American agent, named Bill Tremendous, swears like a sailor when he's not laughing obsessively. This boisterous caricature of an American may be accurate from the French perspective, but it's not funny to American audiences. Not that it's offensive, it's just an empty stereotype that allows Agent OSS 117 to vocalize his own prejudices. And that same structure is extended to other nationalities, be them Asian, American or European.
What we do connect with is the film's New Wave style. While French directors like Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut pioneered the now standard run-and-shoot, untamed New Wave style in the 1960s, OSS 117 director Michel Hazanavicius lampoons the New Wave to create genuinely funny aesthetic set pieces. Whether it's moving multiple frames around the screen to emulate the escalator OSS 117 is riding or creating a kaleidoscope of groovy '60s skirts or totally mod bikinis, the consciously derivative style gives us something we recognize and can relate to and laugh at. That is, until it gets old halfway through the movie.
While the production is top notch and Dujardin adds childlike charm to Agent OSS 117, it's not enough to fill the cultural gap when so much of the comedy rests on subtly jabbing French politics and prejudices. The movie's runtime stretches into infinity as the laughs quickly tapper off. In the end, OSS 117: Lost in Rio feels a decade too late as it pokes fun of a sub-genre that was beaten to death by the likes of Austin Powers movies, which are at least relatable even if the jokes land with a thud.
