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No room for May in all this rebooting?

TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
edited December 2012 in Skyfall Posts: 9,117
Its just struck me that perhaps EON missed a trick by not introducing May during all this SF nostalgic trip back to Bonds ancestral home.

Instead of inventing the character of Kincaide (whom I would be surprised to see return in the next film anyway) from scratch why not have May being the person who watches over Skyfall instead? The character is hard as nails anyway so I could see her brandishing a shotgun during the final firefight.

Then we could have a swift scene where Bond says 'well as youve nowhere to live I'm in need of a housekeeper' (or, as I cant really see where it would fit nicely after Ms death, at the start of the next film have Bond doing his press up routine and then coming down to some Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee and Tiptree Little Scarlet served up by May).

I'm not desperate for it because shes a pretty superfluous character but I'm all for getting more Fleming on screen and dont get me wrong I loved Finneys Kincaide.

The only thing is I'm really struggling to think of an actress who could pull it off. Basically the character and script would be virtually the same as Kincaide but obviously a woman. I'm sure theres someone out there who could nail it but all I can think of is Maggie Smith. Any thoughts?

Also I have a few reservations that pairing Bond with not one but two old women in a massive shoot out might be stretching credibility.

Or what about have her as Kincaides wife and have him get killed in the house and she takes M down the tunnel?
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Comments

  • JWESTBROOKJWESTBROOK
    Posts: 5,745
    I thought we had a thread for Skyfall questions..
  • thelordflasheartthelordflasheart
    Posts: 1,370
    Not being English I don't know the answer to this, but would someone like Bond even have a housekeeper in 2012? I assume that it would be more of a 1950s thing.

    I understand your point about May replacing Kincaid and it could have been an interesting way for her to be introduced. However, that would have eliminated the "parental" concept at Skyfall which I think was a fairly obvious part of the script.

  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    Posts: 15,408
    Skyfall is fine how it is. No need to shoehorn in any more characters. I've always been keen to see May, Bond's flat, and her serving up some delicious breakfast before Bond steps out to save the world once again!
  • dkem91dkem91
    Posts: 66
    I would love to see May in a quick scene, but the scene should not dwell on her.
  • BounineBounine
    edited December 2012 Posts: 2,614
    thelordflasheart wrote:
    Not being English I don't know the answer to this, but would someone like Bond even have a housekeeper in 2012? I assume that it would be more of a 1950s thing.

    I understand your point about May replacing Kincaid and it could have been an interesting way for her to be introduced. However, that would have eliminated the "parental" concept at Skyfall which I think was a fairly obvious part of the script.

    Bond likes to do things "the old fashioned way". :)

    I've always wanted to see May. A scene in his flat off the Kings Road serving him breakfast would be great. We haven't even seen Bond's pad since LALD. I would like her to be a white Scott too. This isn't a racial thing but they've already changed Felix and Penny to black people which I don't mind but another would be too much. It's about staying physically faithful to the character too. Some, perhaps humourous dialogue where she mentions how it was quite a task to look after Bond after his parents demise and still is, would be good too. Or is this supposed to have been Kincade's role now? No, Kincade and May could have both been present during Bond's childhood. Charlie Higson invented Uncle Max.

    If May had have actually replaced Kincade then nobody could have been accused of shoehorning in characters. If she was there aswell as Kincade then okay, this would have been shoehorning. I'm not sure if it would have been appropriate to have had May there instead of Kincade though. He had experience with guns and it wouldn't really have seemed realistic to have May, an elderly lady in this role. Two old ladies and Bond would have probably seemed a bit unreal too.

    Just to go off topic slightly, is it just me or did anyone else think that Moneypenny's and M's new traditional office in Skyfall were a bit on the small side? Maybe this is in keeping with contemporary offices but I miss the bigger offices of the old days. M's new office is now in the vein of the old school ones which isn't entirely realistic anyway in this day and age. I love that they've returned to this decor and I hope it stays like this. I hope Fiennes will stay on as M too for a good few films. I would have thought that Eon would have had him sign a contract for a few films as M is an important, recurring character, but who knows.
  • echoecho 007 in New York
    Posts: 7,019
    Leolia Ponsonby?
  • BounineBounine
    Posts: 2,614
    I would like to see Leolia Ponsonby but I'm not sure if Eon would have two secretaries in the films. I would be a little surprised if they bring in May too but one can dream.
  • boldfingerboldfinger
    edited December 2012 Posts: 5,767
    There is a reason they kept it down to M and Moneypenny in the first place: Because films work better with fewer characters than novels.

    Old woman with shotgun sounds fine though! One of my all-time favorite characters is the granny with the machine gun in GF ;;) .
  • BounineBounine
    edited December 2012 Posts: 2,614
    boldfinger wrote:
    There is a reason they kept it down to M and Moneypenny in the first place: Because films work better with fewer characters than novels.

    Old woman with shotgun sounds fine though! One of my all-time favorite characters is the granny with the machine gun in GF ;;) .

    Yeah, true but introducing May wouldn't make much of a difference. Having Ponsonby though would be overkill.

    Too bad Bond's DB5 in Goldfinger didn't shoot tranquilizer darts. He could have taken down that annoying old biddy in a humane way and escaped GF's thugs. :)

  • LotusEspritLotusEsprit
    Posts: 160
    Having her serve him breakfast is a nice nod. I don't think we need a scene (or more) that focus on her though. Especially not after Skyfall. I can hear people complaining about the next elderly woman looking after Bond ;-)

    I actually would have a bit more fun when they show Bond at his desk again and in that scene introduce Leolia.

  • BAIN123BAIN123
    Posts: 11,216
    May would be quite a nice addition for us Fleming fans but I'm not too bothered to be honest as she wasn't in the books much anyway.
  • ggl007ggl007 www.archivo007.com Spain, España
    Posts: 2,549
    echo wrote:
    Leolia Ponsonby?

    Errr... you talking about Loelia Ponsonby??
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    ggl007 wrote:
    echo wrote:
    Leolia Ponsonby?

    Errr... you talking about Loelia Ponsonby??

    Doubt he is mate, couldn't possibly have misspelt a name like that.
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    I have to say that whilst it might be nice for us to dream of a 3 hour Bond film which starts off with breakfast with May then Bond going to his office and greeting Lil before sifting through his inbox it's not really practical for a modern blockbuster to have so much room to breath and when you look at the plot holes and cut scenes in SF I'd sooner they used every minute to flesh out the plot rather than waste it on superfluous scenes which are all May and Lil would be.
  • boldfingerboldfinger
    Posts: 5,767
    Especially since Moneypenny takes on all the secretary roles the different ones in the novels had. Fleming hadn´t do Moneypenny hardly anything at all. All the things Ponsonby and later Goodnight did in the books are basically done in the films so far by Moneypenny.
  • PeppermillPeppermill
    Posts: 15
    Now Bond's flat is sold in Skyfall he will have to find a new one in Bond 24. Who knows, maybe May will be in Bond 24. I don't think it would have worked in Skyfall as May was always Bond's housekeeper in London, not in his parents' mansion in Scotland.
  • BounineBounine
    edited December 2012 Posts: 2,614
    Oh yeah, I was thinking of Bond's Aunt Chairman who looked after him in Scotland. It wasn't May!

    A short scene with May in his flat wouldn't take up too much time. SF had scenes cut thus creating plot holes because alot of the movie not only focused on Bond but the development of M's and Moneypenny's character too. Then again the plot revolved around M. SF didn't seem like almost 2 and a half hours at all to me. There's still room to cut down on the action. Didn't Mendes say in an interview that Eon stipulated that there only has to be three action scenes in a Bond film? There was more than three in SF.
  • boldfingerboldfinger
    edited December 2012 Posts: 5,767
    Bounine wrote:
    A short scene with May in his flat wouldn't take up too much time.[/b]
    Indeed it wouldn´t. At the beginning of LALD, we get a short tour through Bond´s flat, which doesn´t distract from anything. So the next time M and Moneypenny ring Bond out of bed due to an emergency, and the door is answered by Bond´s houskeeper, M could greet Bond with words like, "You do like to do some things the old fashioned way, don´t you?" Could be a cool counterpoint if Bond´s interior is as avantgarde as it was in LALD!

  • brinkeguthriebrinkeguthrie Piz Gloria
    Posts: 1,400
    May has never been referenced once in the films I believe. That would be a welcome addition- and actually seeing his house! He'll be needing another car too.
  • BounineBounine
    edited December 2012 Posts: 2,614
    It's time for Bond to have a battleship grey classic Bentley like in the books.

    "Could be a cool counterpoint if Bond´s interior is as avantgarde as it was in LALD!"

    I always thought that the decor of Bond's flat in LALD was typical contemporary 70's style. Well, atleast the kitchen.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,376
    Right now, I think this would be a step too far, you never know though. The next film may surprise us.
  • 001001
    Posts: 1,575
    There's room for may after april. :)
  • boldfingerboldfinger
    Posts: 5,767
    Bounine wrote:
    It's time for Bond to have a battleship grey classic Bentley like in the books.

    "Could be a cool counterpoint if Bond´s interior is as avantgarde as it was in LALD!"

    I always thought that the decor of Bond's flat in LALD was typical contemporary 70's style. Well, atleast the kitchen.
    Yeah but it had this coffe making contraption that appeared to M to come from outer space ;-).

    As for the Bentley, in Fleming´s novels Bond had a variety of cars , and thought of getting a new one.

  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 16,193
    thelordflasheart wrote:
    Not being English I don't know the answer to this, but would someone like Bond even have a housekeeper in 2012? I assume that it would be more of a 1950s thing.

    It is conceivable for a bachelor living a busy professional life that requires him to travel a lot to have a housekeeper. In fact, I know some rented houses and flats in the UK have cleaning ladies coming every week or so to keep the places clean and tidy.

    I would personally love to see May and I think she'll fit the time perfectly.But in Skyfall she would have been out of place.

  • BounineBounine
    Posts: 2,614
    Cleaning ladies are a bit different as they only come in once a week or something and just clean. May cooks for Bond too. However, that is a good point about Bond always being busy hence the need for a maid/cook. Anyway, I want May. Bring on May!
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 16,193
    Bounine wrote:
    Cleaning ladies are a bit different as they only come in once a week or something and just clean. May cooks for Bond too. However, that is a good point about Bond always being busy hence the need for a maid/cook. Anyway, I want May. Bring on May!
    True, of course May is more than a cleaning lady. That said, I personally know doctors, lawyers, etc. who have "maids" (although they use a more politically correct term, like "house help" or smtg) and basically they do this, clean and cook for someone who has a busy life. Thinking about it, it is a very modern job and a very modern character. And it fits Bond's character perfectly.
  • GrindermanGrinderman
    Posts: 165
    I’m skeptical about whether that would work. The film version of Bond – and especially Craig’s Bond – is far too much of a loner, and far too self-sufficient, to have other people around the flat. Might be a good idea for the next re-boot however.
  • mdo007mdo007 Katy, Texas
    Posts: 260
    I would like to see May in the DC continuity. I'm glad people brought up Loelia Ponsonby, she really needs to make an appearance on film (her or Helena Marksbury, another secretary and Bond's playmate from Raymond Benson's Bond novels). I think EON should kindly bring those characters up for future Bond film. I don't know who could play May but I hope she fit.

    For Loelia or Helena, I would love Mischa Barton to play as that character, she's young and she's a very promising actress and she has expressed interest to be a Bond girl.
  • echoecho 007 in New York
    Posts: 7,019
    May would seem a little weird and motherly for the cinematic Bond. It's more likely he would have a love interest in his apartment a la LALD.
  • myworldisenoughmyworldisenough
    Posts: 1,143
    echo wrote:
    May would seem a little weird and motherly for the cinematic Bond. It's more likely he would have a love interest in his apartment a la LALD.

    Completely agree. A love interest knocking about maybe but an old Scottish housekeeper? Not a good idea IMO.
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