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Comments
Bond should be equally at home and able to blend in in a Mayfair gentleman's club or the dirtiest bar in Gdansk.
Sean had this in spades and so, to a lesser extent, did Laz and Tim.
Rog and Broz had the former but not the latter.
Dan the latter but slightly lacking in the former.
I was about to say it. It's a common misconception. Like drinking red wine at room temperature: in fact it depends of the room's temperature.
Style? Sure! In spades!! I was merely talking about the universal knowledge that bond developed over the run of the franchise
No of course,i just think it was a good angle to use to prove that Wint wasn't a steward.
It did raise the ending a lot after the hum-drum rig attack.
The highlight of the film and a great way for Sean to go.
Not so sure, one would be astonished about most people's poor wine knowledge.
Moreover if English is your maternal language, you can't read it of the bottle which would say 'bordeaux' instead of claret.
I didn't mean this is common knowledge but it's not in the same league as knowing the vintage of the wines of which a Brandy had been destilled.
I think the novel Bond likes what people at the time condidered sophisticated. Back then Japanese food was at best exotic.
As far as knowledge goes, Moore always impressed me most. Apart from fleeting moments like in Q's lab in TMWTGG (regarding the bullet's origin) and his claim that Stromberg's laboratory was in Corsica in TSWLM (obviously just there for Anya to get a one-up on him), his iteration of Bond was always a know-it-all. Especially in MR as he's on tour with Goodhead.
After all, there are quite enough Joe Sixpack like heroes floating around, but none that's like the Bond of yore.
Anyway, on the wine; the diversity in wines is far greater thse days, hence a light red could go with a strong tasting fish. That's the basis of the 'no red wine with fish'. After all, it's about tasting the food. And through that i come back to Fleming: Bond is a man living on the edge, so he enjoys as much of life as he can. Learning on the way. It isn't 'snobbery', allthough it comes over as, but the will to enjoy a life that can be over any second. That's why, from the start, he drinks all that champagne. In the 19 fifties that's extremely luxureaous living.
then there's the spy angle: Bond needs to know about everything something to do his job properly. A generalist (and certainly not an expert!) in many a field, capable of mixing in with any crowd.
I think the first 4 films, maybe even 5, showed this perfectly. It slowly becomes tongue in cheek, which probably adds to the charm.
I think Craig has, uptil now, focussed on the spy-part. He speaks more languages, is very well aware of what goes on in the world. He has however not expanded on the 'snobbery' that he starts in CR ('I need you to look like you belong at that table'). It would be nice if more of the 'renaissance man' was injected in the films.
I believe that decision was forced on Barry by Glen/EON - at least according to a Barry quote from the Music of James Bond book - the composer wasn't happy about it at all which makes sense considering the dangerous, menacing music of 'Snow Job' surrounding it.
Agreed - I love those moments too. I don't mind Hamlisich's score in places. The romantic Nobody Does it better instrumental is good and I love the cheesy 70s funk of Bond '77.
Exactly, sophistication is what makes Bond different and superior to all other action heroes. It's also the reason why I like these films so much.
Lose that aspect and you're basically everyone one else.
Dench is better than Fiennes imo, and I preferred Brosnan Dench to Craig Dench because no mummy issues.
Robinson and Micheal Kitchen's Tanner are so much more watchable/memorable than Kinnear's Tanner and Villiers.
Naomie Harris is a brilliant actress but just seems wooden/forced, I enjoyed Samantha Bond much more as Moneypenny, I thought she had great chemistry with Brosnan.
Wishaw is fantastic and the perfect replacement for Desmond. I like him than Cleese. But Cleese isn't bad, and Brosnan still had Desmond for most of his era (and I really liked them together because Brosnan always seemed so happy sharing scenes with him), so it's close.
It also helps how they were used. The Brosnan era regulars were used perfectly imo, given real character (even Robinson had little moments to shine) but not getting in the way of Bond's mission/the plot, except on one occasion where it was still a new concept (TWINE). Not a fan of the scooby gang approach that's plagued the Craig movies.
Fiennes could be a very good M, as long as he's used properly, which he wasn't in SP if you ask me. I like him a lot in SF.
The Tanners are a close call, allthough it seems like Brosnan's Bond has more of a friendship with Kitchen's Tanner.
For me Samantha Bond is the worst Moneypenny in the series, and Naomi Harris is the second best, so I strongly disagree there. I don't find her wooden at all. She comes over as professional, who loves a bit of banter, in the same vein as Lois Maxwell.
And of course Desmond is the best Q ever, who'll never be surpassed as he basically IS Q. I think Wishaw does an excellent job giving the role his own version, but Desmond will never be surpassed. Cleese was fun, but in only one film he's Q, and that isn't the best film in the series.
I do agree however that it would be better if the rest of the office staff of MI6 does just that: stay in the office for the next few films.
I even liked Charles Robinson.