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Nolan is not only not a bad screenwriter, Nolan is an excellent screenwriter.
Ok, @Colonel_Venus , I’ll bite…, randomly chosen years for winners of the WGA best scripts and some nominees:
1994
The Adventures of Pricilla, Queen of the Desert
Bullets Over Broadway
Ed Wood
Heavenly Creatures
Winner: 4 Weddings and a Funeral.
Now all of these nominees are better than anything Nolan has written, but most “professional” screenwriters would say there were possibly better scripts than the winner, but, Four Weddings caught the attention that year…
1999
American Beauty
Being John Malkovich
Magnolia
The Sixth Sense
Three kings
The winner: American Beauty
Now, again, all of these scripts are better than anything Nolan could write, but “professional “ screenwriters may not vote this way today. Is American Beauty really the best script out of the nominees?
And further, last years winner of best adapted screenplay, Sarah Polley; does anyone really think that was the best adapted screenplay of last year? No, not at all.
So my point is, @Colonel_Venus , do you know what goes on behind the award campaigns in the film industry? They’re more intense than political campaigns over a shorter period of time.
And please keep in mind the annual controversies we hear of behaviour behind the scenes (where we hear of members of guilds not even watching, or not reading the nominees)!
But if you’re going to base talent on awards ceremonies that you will have forgotten who got nominated and who won, a week later, then fine.
Oppenheimer came at the right time, and, combined with Barbie, made an explosive debut— no two ways about it. But that had more with what the film culture needed (superhero fatigue; more original programming).
I’m actually one of these “professional screenwriters” (working writer, like most of us, small time and nothing to brag about accept I’ve got credits, options, and that’s how I’m making a living, presently working on an adaptation of a BA Paris novel and we are starting to crew-up), and, although it’s a no-brainer that Nolan will win, there will be many guild members who wouldn’t have voted for Oppenheimer, some, who saw it, will; others will literally vote the way others are, and; I can assure you, there are many scriptwriters who can’t stand Nolan as a writer; there are many articles out there on the web, written by writers, talking about the great flaws of Nolan as a writer and how he can’t write character and action.
There are many actors, writers and directors who’ve won awards in the past, like a Cameron. But that doesn’t change my mind, and my criticisms are based, not on emotion, but merit, skill and talent of the other person; I I judge them on their craft and the success of banging out a beautiful script or not.
You’re voting with your heart, when you discuss Nolan.
I’m shooting from education, and everything I’ve ever learned about the craft.
And saying all of this @Colonel_Venus , whatever Nolan brings, I don’t think it’s (write) right for 007.
Edit: and further, @Colonel_Venus (and I apologize for my continuing on, but this really is my passion as a craft and an art form): I just recently binged SLOW HORSES. And from the very first scene, in S1, to the very last in S3, these writers are MILES AHEAD of Nolan when it comes to writing crafty scripts, with excellent, likeable and real characters, tight plots that are focused and are moving forward; they're masters of suspense and intrigue. These are elements missing in Nolan scripts. And these are all elements that Bond would need.
If EoN was going after new writers, they should knock on Will Smith's door and have him bring one or two of his staff writers along with him, because they have the obvious chops to knock a Bond adventure out of the park.. They have all the attributes that I see Nolan is lacking in...
Forget it, Jake, they're Nolanites. ;)
I love the idea of EON looking for writers within the British TV industry. That makes a lot of sense, although I don't think they should jettison P&W because they do know their Fleming.
P.S. And of the above contests, I'll take Ed Wood and Being John Malkovich please.
Love the reference!!! Now Towne was a writer….
I agree about P and W; I think they can launch concepts in outlines and maybe a draft or two. And I’d love to see what Will Smith and a couple of his writers could do from there on out. Slow Horses is slyly funny, high IQ writing. They keep the action moving forward, yet simultaneously pepper each episode with lots of great character work. They show, don’t tell (as in you won’t get any unnatural Nolan’esque monologues, with handsome actors staring off and waxing poetic about some such things that takes up a valuable 45 seconds to a minute. His monologue really do add up over two and a half to three hours of film. Value the audiences time: start late, get out early. Nolan just doesn’t understand, or maybe he doesn’t respect that concept (?)….)
Obviously Slow Horses is based on a series of novels, but I don’t know how closely the adaptations follow them. I certainly wouldn’t object to anyone involved moving to the Bonds: it’s a class act. Imagine Kristin Scott Thomas as M: fantastic.
God, those convoluted Nolan monologues always annoy me, especially in TDK. Again though, perhaps that's something one can argue is executed better in context of the actual films (and again, goes back to the idea just how 'good' the likes of Nolan or Cameron need to be as a scriptwriters for their films to work). Never been for me though.
That’s very interesting, thank you. Not least as it sounds like the books are still worth reading! I didn’t want to read ahead as the show is so enjoyable.
One of my notes on writing if I ever teach one day is: you deserve and should want a good editor! Challenge is creativity. You can find your voice in an echo chamber, but then you'll be the only one to hear it. Working with people helps get your vision into their head.
Nice post, and so very true. And that’s why there are so many writers groups in operation. Film is a collaborative effort, and it starts at the script development phase. Notes are given en masse to have the tightest working script ready to shoot and put to market. If these steps aren’t happening at the script level, the production would be playing with fire…
Great post @LucknFate ….
Speaking of Slow Horses, bring on the writers and some of its other talent.
You’re right @talos7 , the cast is brilliant (along with everything else); and, at the cost of whipping up a debate, which I don’t want to do, but Sope Dirisu is in S3. And I just can’t help but see him as a serious and viable candidate. Before anyone gets upset with this, I’m not playing a game of “well, he’s black and it’s time for a black actor in the role”. Nope. He just has all the qualities I see in Bond. He’s a great actor with range and is remarkably alpha male and physical but has shown he can play tender and introspective…. No actor yet has come close to Dirisu’s innate charm, masculinity, physical work…. saying that, I don’t see him being cast, in the end, so the haters can put down their pitch-forks, 😂 (although I hope he gets a look at).
Oh yeah, the backstory behind Lady In The Water/the issues with M Night and Nina Jacobson is pretty interesting (very weird film, and very much one that shows the pitfalls of ego when it comes to that type of director, to the point where you can read all of that in the film itself if you wanted).
Not that Nolan is quite in Shyamalan territory creatively (I don't think he's quite at the technical or creative level his biggest fans believe, and I'd argue he's made some very bad filmmaking decisions that seem quite baffling for a director with his years of experience, but I think he's more competent than Shyamalan). I suppose it's probably not easy maintaining a level of quality (or at least success) when such people are given so much freedom and are making these types of films. Even when you look at heavy hitters you find they either took very long gaps in order to prepare their films (so a Kubrick type) or they have frequent collaborators around them in various departments who they've worked with long enough/can work with them honestly (I guess someone like Scorsese amongst others).
Agree on all points @007HallY ...
I had exactly the same reaction to him in it. He seems a strong candidate to me; I guess it depends if they feel he has enough experience.
Lowden I just don't get Bond from. I think he's great, but not Bond. He's more of an everyman, not the top of the tier.
Lowden is so warm and has a great twinkle in his eye. He's talented and had a nice, inviting presence, but he doesn’t have enough of the edge, the bastard that Bond needs to be— at least not in Slow Horses.
He also looks like he could be a relative of Simon Pegg— and I can’t unsee that, 😂.
But I genuinely find him very appealing and I think he will play a wide range of characters. But he’s just not James Bond to me.
Sope Dirisu really does the traits for 007. But that’s a good call about his experience and body of work.
But Dirisu has starred in a big high profile, big budget TV series made by a movie director, and nowadays that's not far off being on a movie. That may work for him.
I can’t keep having this discussion @Colonel_Venus … I don’t think you work in film or TV and therefore I’m not sure where you’re getting your information from??? What you said is based on what? Certainly not reality.
I’m not talking about studio heads.
I’m talking about producers that assemble the army to make the movies you consume. They assemble the scripts and work on development, they hire the director, they hire the heads of departments… they have so many plates spinning, and they’re remarkably talented people who know “story”… and I’m talking about the BIG PICTURE, from start to finish, story.
Nolan’s best films, to me, are Insomnia and Batman Begins. When there was the leash on him…
You love Nolan, and that’s great. I’m not saying you shouldn’t. I don’t think any less of you as a member on this site.
But he’s been brought up in the same breath as Bond. First off, I don’t think this will happen in the immediate future, but if it does, or doesn’t, I’ve stated *why* I think he is utterly wrong for this job.
Once again, I don’t think you work in TV or film; not sure where you’re getting your info about producers from, but in reality, producers are the SUPERGLUE that keeps films together.
It goes back to what I said a few days ago: my first agent told me: just because you watch films, doesn’t mean you know how to write a script.
The same applies here: it’s frustrating to me, and others who work our asses off to make a buck, in film and tv, and hear ppl say: Nolan is better than 90% of the producers out there.
Thats just not true.
That’s like me stepping into my financial advisors office and say, I know nothing about taxes, about the markets, but I like money and know money makes the world go round, so this is how we are going to run my finances now.
Just because you watch movies and tv doesn’t mean you know what’s really going on.
Once again, you’re speaking from emotion. I’m speaking from a life that has been embedded, in one way or the other, in film and tv (I started as an (bad) actor, nailed commercials, started writing plays and got paid, that led me to films…), and therefore I’m not pulling numbers out of my rear. I speak from some kind of experience. I know producers are mostly the top people in the industry (and therefore your comment is somewhat insulting to these people), and I do know what makes a great screenplay. I’m not speaking emotionally. I’m speaking from being “in it”.
You don’t have to agree with me— and obviously you don’t as this has been going on too long. But please also consider I know a little bit, just a little bit, of what I’m talking about. And maybe the little bit I know, maybe maybe, is maybe a lot more than what you know about this industry.
In the end, you love Nolan and his films. And I’ve repeatedly said: awesome! I don’t want you to stop loving him. I don’t want to change your mind about how his films make you feel.
But if we are going to say he’s the next coming for film and for James Bond, I will throw in my two cents, as someone who has been working in this industry. The writers on Slow Horses are much more obvious choices to write the next 007 adventure with EoN, much more so than Nolan.
Okay? I really have nothing more to say on the topic. I tried to be patient and explain my perspective. But as I don’t want to change your mind, there’s nothing you can say that will change mine, or change the experiences I’ve had, or try and convince me Nolan is greater than 90% of producers or that he’s a great storyteller.
There’s nothing more to say, is there?
EDIT: @Creasy47
That was brutallllll (you know what I’m saying (right, 😂))….
I do feel like he exudes more of a quiet strength rather than the overt confidence that I usually associate with Bond, but I have no doubt he has the acting chops to pull it off. I haven't seen him do action though. Any actor is gonna have their work cut out for him with the physicality Craig brought to the role.
This is a good point. IMHO, Craig brought the best points of Connery (acting ability) and Lazenby (physicality). That's going to be hard for any actor to follow.
A valid assessment. I’m not being a “hater” when I say that the odds of a 5’8” , which I am, actor being cast as James Bond are extremely slim.
If not Bond, I always thought Josh O'Connor would make a good young Ian Fleming if they ever do a bio pic.