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The faces of Moneypenny

LudovicoLudovico
edited February 2014 in Actors Posts: 15,117
Something struck me recently looking at Naomi Harris: in spite of being of a different race to Lois Maxwell, there is a sort of family resemblance between them. Something about the shape of their face and their mannerism in the role. Especially at the end of SF, which of course can easily be explained by the fact that they were revealing Eve as the character. it might be a one off, but I hope not, I hope Harris emulates, without imitating, Maxwell.

But this reminded me that Moneypenny was very inconsistently pictured from actress to actress. Of course, like for Q we had one actress playing her for a very long period of time, but what followed was very different from Maxwell's portraiture. Caroline Bliss was a cliché 80s secretary, with glasses and all, while Samantha Bond ended up playing her like a groupie in DAD, and making bad innuendos. They were both very different from the original. I find it interesting than in SF, they made a Q very different from Llewellyn's take, to avoid making a poor imitation, while for Moneypenny they seem, at least near the end, to make one closer to the original. Of course, I am not talking about the background of Eve Moneypenny, which I still find questionable. But even then, the affectionate yet platonic interaction she has with Bond is akin to Maxwell's Moneypenny's.

Or is it only me?

Comments

  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    edited February 2014 Posts: 13,355
    It could possibly be, I get that sense too. I did at least from some of the scenes they shared throughout the course of the film. Next year's film will tell all and I hope these characters are used in the correct way.
  • saunderssaunders Living in a world of avarice and deceit
    Posts: 987
    I remember reading an interview with Lois Maxwell that said that when she first played Moneypenny in DN she agreed a backstory with Connery that the characters had once had a brief passionate romance (shag!) in the past and remained very fond of each other, it sort of perfectly fits with SF and Harris's interpretation of the role.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,117
    saunders wrote:
    I remember reading an interview with Lois Maxwell that said that when she first played Moneypenny in DN she agreed a backstory with Connery that the characters had once had a brief passionate romance (shag!) in the past and remained very fond of each other, it sort of perfectly fits with SF and Harris's interpretation of the role.

    I thought that too actually. Although I don't think they consummated anything in SF.
  • saunderssaunders Living in a world of avarice and deceit
    edited February 2014 Posts: 987
    Ludovico wrote:
    saunders wrote:
    I remember reading an interview with Lois Maxwell that said that when she first played Moneypenny in DN she agreed a backstory with Connery that the characters had once had a brief passionate romance (shag!) in the past and remained very fond of each other, it sort of perfectly fits with SF and Harris's interpretation of the role.

    I thought that too actually. Although I don't think they consummated anything in SF.

    I think the SF shaving/seduction scene in the hotel was left deliberately ambiguous, personally I like to think they consummated like rampant, Swedish, teenage, bunny rabbits on heat before hitting the casino, but I think leaving it as a did they/didn't they scenario will probably make their future scenes all the more intriguing.

  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    edited February 2014 Posts: 12,480
    Yes, Mendes has stated it was ambiguous. I think he also said that there was a scene cut that gave info to confirm that they did not actually have sex. That seems to be best, really, the ambiguous ending. It was ambiguous before, although stressing the platonic part. But I do like what Lois said about the back story she and Sean agreed upon.
    For Skyfall, in my mind, I happily have Bond and Moneypenny fully consummating their relationship. I like, though, that is is ambiguous (to each his/her own imagination for them) and I think it should stay ambiguous in the future. So Mendes made the right decision on how that ended up being portrayed, in my opinion. It's good to have the intrigue and wondering how much, when, if ever, etc.
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    edited February 2014 Posts: 12,837
    Any one else find it weird that Bond went on a mission with Moneypenny and most likely banged her but didn't even know her name until the end of the film?
  • SandySandy Somewhere in Europe
    Posts: 4,012
    thelivingroyale wrote:
    Any one else find it weird that Bond went on a mission with Moneypenny and most likely banged her but didn't even know her name until the end of the film?

    Does it feel weird that I don't find it weird, not coming from Bond /:)
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    thelivingroyale wrote:
    Any one else find it weird that Bond went on a mission with Moneypenny and most likely banged her but didn't even know her name until the end of the film?

    He banged Kissy and never bothered to ask for her name. ;)

  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,117
    Murdock wrote:
    thelivingroyale wrote:
    Any one else find it weird that Bond went on a mission with Moneypenny and most likely banged her but didn't even know her name until the end of the film?

    He banged Kissy and never bothered to ask for her name. ;)

    It doesn't surprise me in the least.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    edited February 2014 Posts: 12,480
    Not really weird, no. Her knew her as Eve ... I think.
    She knew his name, though. ;)

    Oh, it's all good. I liked their chemistry, too.
  • RevelatorRevelator
    Posts: 2,917
    Ludovico wrote:
    Caroline Bliss was a cliché 80s secretary, with glasses and all, while Samantha Bond ended up playing her like a groupie in DAD, and making bad innuendos.

    Samantha Bond's Moneypenny was initially rather standoffish and dismissive in the earlier Brosnan films, which made her DAD scene doubly incongruous.
    Caroline Bliss got something of a raw deal--she was a very likable actress and projected good humor and warmth, but she only appeared in two films, and in both her role was not written as well as it could have.

  • MayDayDiVicenzoMayDayDiVicenzo Here and there
    Posts: 5,080
    Although Lois Maxwell will always be the Moneypenny, I thought Samantha Bond was very, very good as Moneypenny. She is a fine actress and she was perfectly cast. Though I hate the virtual reality glasses from DAD, I can't help but laugh at Moneypenny's raunchy encounter with a virtual reality Bond, it was good fun.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,117
    Revelator wrote:
    Ludovico wrote:
    Caroline Bliss was a cliché 80s secretary, with glasses and all, while Samantha Bond ended up playing her like a groupie in DAD, and making bad innuendos.

    Samantha Bond's Moneypenny was initially rather standoffish and dismissive in the earlier Brosnan films, which made her DAD scene doubly incongruous.
    Caroline Bliss got something of a raw deal--she was a very likable actress and projected good humor and warmth, but she only appeared in two films, and in both her role was not written as well as it could have.

    Caroline Bliss' name sounded perfect for a Bond girl. As Moneypenny I think she had the problem of being cast right after Lois Maxwell and with a character nobody knew what to do with.
  • Bradford4Bradford4 Banned
    Posts: 152
    Can't believe they kept Lois Maxwell as long as they did. By the time of AVTAK it is getting a little sad.
  • Pierce2DanielPierce2Daniel
    Posts: 4,409
    Does Harris get more screentime in SF than Maxwell gets in 14 films? I think she may, or at least comes close.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,117
    Pierce2Daniel wrote:
    Does Harris get more screentime in SF than Maxwell gets in 14 films? I think she may, or at least comes close.

    I don't think she gets more screentime than Lois Maxwell in ALL her 14 Bond films, but certainly more screentime than Maxwell in one movie.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,355
    Maxwell got about 20 minutes in all of her films, so Harris may indeed already have more screen time to her name.
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