Years before Ian Fleming birthed James Bond, code name 007, author Jean Bruce sired Hubert de la Bonisseur de la Bath, French superspy and superstud of his "OSS 117" novels. Though many of the OSS books were filmed, they were forgotten once Sean Connery bonded, so to speak, with audiences.
Enter French director Michel Hazanavicius, correctly suspecting that 117, a smug undercover op who enjoys a reputation for his under-the-covers work, too, might be ripe for an Austin Powers-type parody.
OSS 117: Lost in Rio, sequel to Hazanavicius' 2006 hit, OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies, spiffily spoofs spy flicks - and spy spoofs. This French cousin ofAustin Powersis a mash-up of James Bond, The Pink Panther, and Alfred Hitchcock thrillers. One might well call it "The Spy Who Loved Himself."
