Best Actor Oscar-winner Jean Dujardin (The Artist) stars as Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath, code name Agent OSS 117 — the pride of French Intelligence — in two hilarious and witty spy send-ups. Featuring jubilant retro musical scores, pitch-perfect period production design, and inspired performances by the irrepressible Dujardin, this double feature follows the cluelessly suave secret agent on gut-busting adventures to Cairo and Rio de Janeiro.

For in-depth thoughts on OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies and Lost In Rio, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/xWdeP8yLjmQ?si=rEU7DCLuptQt1BrI&t=1819]

Video Quality

Cairo, Nest of Spies and Lost In Rio arrive on Blu-Ray in a 1080p presentation that is very stylized while maintaining the aesthetic intention of the features. These are visually playful films with old-school techniques introduced to mirror the films that this series is satirizing. Overall, the transfer looks great with fine detail shining through and even purposefully revealing the creative limitations. The features appear to have been shot on film, and the natural grain is present and resolved well without anything seeming too unwieldy or clumpy. This process not only aids in maintaining the illusion of the world, but it provides a richer experience in terms of texture.

Colors radiate off the screen consistently in these dynamic locales with countless moments that impress from the lush nature to some of the heightened elements of the production design. There are plenty of scenes that take place underneath the scorching sun, and there are never any blown highlights to mire the picture. The black levels are likewise deep with detail even in the most challenging circumstances. The skin tones look very detailed and natural all around. The overall look of the film presents as a kind of fantasy, and this transfer represents it perfectly.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with both a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio track in the original French that brings this reality to life quite confidently over the two pictures. The clever dialogue comes through crisp and clear without ever being overwhelmed by the sound effects or the score. The adventures use music in really engaging and effective ways which always presents with unwavering fidelity while settling you into this reality. The sound design matches the sonic ambition of the narrative with all of the sounds positioned just right in the mix. The environmental effects create an eclectic soundscape of nature and exaggerated action noises. Activity in the low end is moderate thanks to the music and certain altercations. This is a great release that brings the movie to life in a really rewarding way. This disc offers optional English subtitles.

Special Features

Cairo, Nest of Spies

Audio Commentary: Star Jean Dujardin and director Michel Hazanavicius provide an entertaining commentary track in French with English subtitles in which they playfully take you through the production of the film, the motivations behind certain stylistic flourishes, memories of the various performers, the shooting locations, and more.

Making OSS 117 – Cairo: A 20-minute featurette that takes you behind the scenes of the production featuring a mixture of interviews and on-set footage. In this piece you learn about the process of adapting the source material, the decision to embrace the cliches of spy movies, the direction of Michel Hazanavicius, the character dynamics, the performances, and more.

Deleted and Alternate Scenes: A nearly 18-minute selection of unused material is provided in HD with text introductions to acclimate you.

Blooper Reel: A nearly 13-minute collection of malfunctioning props, flubbed lines, laughing fits, and more.

Photo Gallery: A selection of stills are provided from the production.
Theatrical Trailers: A four-minute selection of trailers is provided for both OSS 17 movies.

Lost In Rio

Audio Commentary: Star Jean Dujardin and director Michel Hazanavicius return for another worthwhile commentary track in French with English subtitles that takes you through the production of the film, the inspiration for certain moments, the costumes, the production design, and more.

Cavalcade In Rio – Making of Documentary A nearly 25-minute featurette that takes you behind the scenes of the production featuring a mixture of interviews and on-set footage. In this piece you learn about the decision to embark on a sequel, what they wanted to do differently with this follow-up, the direction of Michel Hazanavicius, the character dynamics, the performances, and more.

Deleted Scenes: An eight-minute selection of unused material is provided with a video introduction from Jean Dujardin and Michel Hazanavicius.

The Jean Show – On Set with Jean Dujardin: A three-minute candid piece of the star goofing around on set.

Blooper Reel: A nearly 12-minute collection of malfunctioning props, flubbed lines, laughing fits, and more.

France Never Responds Anymore: A 12-minute look at the premiere of the film.

Photo Gallery: A selection of stills are provided from the production.

Teasers: A three-minute selection of teaser trailers is provided.

Theatrical Trailers: A four-minute selection of trailers is provided for both OSS 17 movies.

Final Thoughts

Cairo, Nest of Spies and Lost In Rio are two OSS 117 tales that poke fun at the spy genre while embracing the tropes in a way that produces pretty consistent laughs. The attention paid to crafting these worlds is impressive from the production design to the cinematography. Jean Dujardin is pitch-perfect in the lead role as a slightly oblivious but not completely inept spy, and the ensemble supporting him in both movies modulates their performances to the perfect note. These are simply good fun for fans of spoofs and satire. Music Box Films Home Entertainment has given these films a Blu-Ray release featuring a grand A/V presentation and a fine amount of special features. Recommended

OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies and Lost In Rio is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Music Box Films Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.