Gareth Mallory as the new M

13

Comments

  • suavejmfsuavejmf Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 5,131
    I've read all 12 novels and all the short stories, Bond's boss was always Sir Miles Messervey?
  • Posts: 15,125
    suavejmf wrote: »
    I've read all 12 novels and all the short stories, Bond's boss was always Sir Miles Messervey?

    Above him there is the Queen. Bond is on her Majesty's secret service.
  • suavejmfsuavejmf Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 5,131
    She has no power to make any real decisions at all, she is just a rich figurehead.....I don't think it counts. The PM is the only real boss of M.
  • Posts: 15,125
    suavejmf wrote: »
    She has no power to make any real decisions at all, she is just a rich figurehead.....I don't think it counts. The PM is the only real boss of M.

    We can discuss monarchy all you want and for the record I'm republican, but however symbolic she is the head of the state. Hence Bond's boss, who always talked about her with reverence.
  • SarkSark Guangdong, PRC
    Posts: 1,138
    "For queen amd country" is a saying isnt it?
  • Posts: 1,314
    I dont know... Bernard Lee's M is the definitive template for the charater, but Judy Dench and the writers brought a more complex relationship - she's unrecognisable in SF as the M of GE. Bernard Lee is just grumpy for grumpyness's sake. There is little to expand upon this relationship from Dr No to Moonraker, the odd scene aside.

  • Posts: 15,125
    Matt007 wrote: »
    I dont know... Bernard Lee's M is the definitive template for the charater, but Judy Dench and the writers brought a more complex relationship - she's unrecognisable in SF as the M of GE. Bernard Lee is just grumpy for grumpyness's sake. There is little to expand upon this relationship from Dr No to Moonraker, the odd scene aside.

    There will be a complexity to Mallory, I think. Fiennes' M has already more background than Bernard Lee's had.
  • Posts: 4,617
    Yes, again, they have made an effort to give us details and "fill out" his character. The relationship between the DC Bond and GM will be one of the keys to future success I feel. I know there is much love/affection for B Lee but to me, he added very little in terms of story/character.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited February 2015 Posts: 23,883
    patb wrote: »
    Yes, again, they have made an effort to give us details and "fill out" his character. The relationship between the DC Bond and GM will be one of the keys to future success I feel. I know there is much love/affection for B Lee but to me, he added very little in terms of story/character.

    While I agree that they will work on this relationship and that it will benefit the movies going forward, I personally thought very highly of Bernard Lee as M and the way he was characterized.

    For, me, it's not necessary to try and flesh out relationships and backgrounds of all the various supporting characters in a Bond film. I found so much more depth in some of the older Connery Bonds for instance than in TWINE, even though they attempted to flush out M in the latter movie.

    As an example, there were several small moments between Lee's M and Moore's & Connery's Bonds that really leant insight into his character over time.....what kind of man he was. That to me was enough, because Lee had the kind of acting gravitas to be convincing for that type of character.

    We had some small insights in SF for Mallory as well. For example when he questions M at the start, and when he questions Bond about not coming back, or when he lets Tanner and Q lay the breadcrumbs. All these little things can, over time, build up the character in the viewer's mind, as long as the actor portraying the role has what it takes to be consistent with the character. I think Fiennes has what it takes for this kind of delicate exposition over time.

    In a nutshell, what I'm saying is I prefer subtle buildup of a character, rather than in your face direct exposition, which I found we got a lot of with Dench's M, particularly in SF & TWINE.
  • SirHilaryBraySirHilaryBray Scotland
    Posts: 2,138
    He showed when push comes to shove he is willing to turn a blind eye to see moral victory, he will treat Bond like a naughty child but at the same time I think you will see his faith grow in Bond and he will turn a blind eye or allow him to bend the rules to get the job done.
  • Posts: 15,125
    He looks weary on the recent images. I think he will go through a rough time.
  • Posts: 1,548
    I still think Fiennes will turn out to be Blofeld!
  • SirHilaryBraySirHilaryBray Scotland
    edited February 2015 Posts: 2,138
    If you have watched Mendes latest interview talking about the movie, he said With Q, M and MP they all at some point put their jobs on the line for Bond. I don't see M doing that, then him turning out to be Blofeld. I am still sticking with ending scene and identity of Blofeld being unmasked and its Mark Strong. Setting things up perfectly for Bond 25. I never believed the Moroccan trip was just two pals hanging out.
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    If you have watched Mendes latest interview talking about the movie, he said With Q, M and MP they all at some point put their jobs on the line for Bond. I don't see M doing that, then him turning out to be Blofeld. I am still sticking with ending scene and identity of Blofeld being unmasked and its Mark Strong. Setting things up perfectly for Bond 25. I never believed the Moroccan trip was just two pals hanging out.

    No chance. Waltz is Blofeld.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    edited February 2015 Posts: 15,718
    Judi Dench's M faked her death and is revealed to be Ernestine Blofeld at the end of SPECTRE! Getting rid of her was never going to be easy.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    Judi Dench's M faked her death and is revealed to be Ernestine Blofeld at the end of SPECTRE! Getting rid of her was never going to be easy.

    Of course!!!! =))

    Sorry fanboys. ;)
  • Posts: 15,125
    RC7 wrote: »
    If you have watched Mendes latest interview talking about the movie, he said With Q, M and MP they all at some point put their jobs on the line for Bond. I don't see M doing that, then him turning out to be Blofeld. I am still sticking with ending scene and identity of Blofeld being unmasked and its Mark Strong. Setting things up perfectly for Bond 25. I never believed the Moroccan trip was just two pals hanging out.

    No chance. Waltz is Blofeld.

    It is certainly the most likely scenario. Mark Strong gave very good reasons why he was seen with Craig, for one. And Christoph Waltz fits both the bill of actors cast as villains in the Craig era so far and the Blofeld background.
  • edited July 2016 Posts: 676
    Pretty disappointed with Fiennes' M so far. I thought he was perfect as a stuffy bureaucrat in Skyfall, but in Spectre he takes that persona to a cartoonish extreme. Very stiff and 'actorly.' I wonder if playing against Dench in Skyfall helped him bring his A-game.
  • Posts: 312
    I like Ralph Fiennes as M. For me he was slightly better in Skyfall but I like him in Spectre too.
    I wish him more appearances as Mallory in future movies.
  • stagstag In the thick of it!
    Posts: 1,053
    Tokoloshe wrote: »
    My biggest fear is that the casting of a high-profile actor means that they will feel compelled to use him in more scenes. This is what happened with Dench's character, where M suddenly grew from being a relatively minor (but important) character into a major player in most of the recent films.

    I would happily go back to having films similar to the Dalton era in which a fairly unknown actor plays M in two or three short scenes and then, for the rest of the film, Bond just goes and gets on with it. I don't see it happening with Fiennes in the role, though.

    Agreed.

  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,718
    I've been wanting Fiennes as Dench's successor for over 6 years before SF (after seeing him in 'The Constant Gardener'), so I was really excited to see him in SF. He was a bit disappointing in SP (again trust issues, and in the office scene after the Opening Credits, he seemed so angry at Bond that I was expecting to see steam coming out of his ears), but it was down to the script more than him. So hopefully Fiennes is back on track in Bond 25.
  • edited July 2016 Posts: 1,469
    Librarian wrote: »
    I like Ralph Fiennes as M. For me he was slightly better in Skyfall but I like him in Spectre too...
    I agree, and also with DaltonCraig007 that his (to me) less interesting performance in SP was due to the script/storyline.

    Thought Bernard Lee was perfect of course and now glad to have a man back behind M's desk; while Judi Dench didn't diminish the role, I think a man as M provides better chemistry between Bond and his superior. I see Fiennes' M as a few years older than Bond...enough difference in age so Bond respects him as a superior and probably a slightly more experienced man, but close enough in age so Bond can see a little more "eye to eye" with him than Bond did with Lee's M.

    Love the "breadcrumbs" scene in SF with Q and Tanner, M walks in etc. and says "carry on", not to mention his quick-thinking gunplay at the public inquiry.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,281
    I've been wanting Fiennes as Dench's successor for over 6 years before SF (after seeing him in 'The Constant Gardener'), so I was really excited to see him in SF. He was a bit disappointing in SP (again trust issues, and in the office scene after the Opening Credits, he seemed so angry at Bond that I was expecting to see steam coming out of his ears), but it was down to the script more than him. So hopefully Fiennes is back on track in Bond 25.

    Heck, there was a time I wanted him as James Bond. Fiennes was linked to the character and was I think considered before GoldenEye was written and released.
  • Posts: 15,125
    I don't know why so many people were disappointed in him. Expectations too high maybe? I wonder why people complain about "trust issues". Surely given the pressures M has, he's not going to be happy about Bond's actions regardless of what happened with his predecessor.
  • Posts: 4,409
    I think Ralph is a terrific actor. I wish they found more for him to do in Spectre.

    He seemed relegated to having to repeat the same old scene over again with Andrew Scott.

    I remember when Ralph was cast in SF. It came so early in the process that many dismissed the news (it also didn't help that Fiennes is often associated with playing villains and seemed like the bland and obvious casting choice that tabloids can be relied upon to invent).

    Mallory is used so effectively in SF; when he's introduced we know immediately that he's an overly bureaucratic force who is trying to force out the more wizened Judi Dench. Naturally we don't like him. Furthermore, because he's Ralph Fiennes we are inherently suspicious of him and reckon he's likely the villain of the piece (when I saw SF in the cinema by friend leaned over after Mallory's first scene and whispered "he's the villain".)

    Slowly Mallory wins us over. He shows he's courageous, adept and willing to take risks. Once Judi is gone, we've glad that it's him who succeeds her.

    One of the more stupid ideas that came from the Sony leaks was the notion that Mallory would be a Spectre agent. I'm glad Ralph fought against this.

    In Spectre, Mallory is underused. The new M seems to be an overworked and slightly exasperated soul. He's attempting to hold together his department but he's being forced out and, subsequently is seeing the old guard crumble with him.

    Mallory seems to lack fight, he wants to sell the virtues of MI6 but struggles against C's brash modernism. I like this aspect of the character and it suits the middle-aged Fiennes well. What makes it even better is the moment at the end before he arrests Blofeld where M orders the policeman to stand down by saying "Mallory. 00 Section." There is such resolve and determination in M at that point. I think it's a great character arc - albeit slight and undernourished.

    I also like the moment where M drives Bond in the car at the end. There's a sense of them both going into battle together. Also it's something we haven't seen Bond ever do - team up with a male authority figure and theres a great sense of comradeship.

    So.....hopes moving forward? I want Ralph to continue throughout the next Bond's run. I suspect that the 007 films will become lighter in feel moving forward. I wouldn't be surprised if Ralph's marvellous comic credentials come into play (see Hail Caesar and Grand Budapest Hotel). It's interesting to note that Bernard Lee's M originally was presented as a hard-assed authority figure but by the Moore films he played a lot of deadpan comedic beats....
  • edited July 2016 Posts: 676
    Furthermore, because he's Ralph Fiennes we are inherently suspicious of him and reckon he's likely the villain of the piece (when I saw SF in the cinema by friend leaned over after Mallory's first scene and whispered "he's the villain".)
    Yes, it was great casting. Although given they wanted to make him the villain in Spectre, it was probably just a happy accident that the character might have been suspected of villainy in Skyfall... at least where casting is concerned. The writing for the character is good, though - Bond coming to trust Mallory is a nuanced, graceful arc, especially for a Bond film.

    When Andrew Scott and Christoph Waltz (Moriarty and Hans Landa to Fiennes' Voldemort) were cast, I was expecting they would be used as misdirection regarding Blofeld's identity (EON seemed desperate to make a mystery out of this). Instead, it turned out that Scott was the most obvious turncoat ever, and Waltz was... just Blofeld, no bones made about it other than a transparent name swap. Boring. I wanted Scott and Waltz to play Blofeld's underlings, might have been a fun gimmick to show how very evil Bond's big bad really is.
    I suspect that the 007 films will become lighter in feel moving forward. I wouldn't be surprised if Ralph's marvellous comic credentials come into play (see Hail Caesar and Grand Budapest Hotel). It's interesting to note that Bernard Lee's M originally was presented as a hard-assed authority figure but by the Moore films he played a lot of deadpan comedic beats....
    I watched TMWTGG the other day, and Lee's shift into playing comedy was something I noticed. I actually would like if M had a more comedic role - not out-and-out funny, but playing a sort of straight man to Bond (who wouldn't be a comedian, either). Just a lighter touch to the relationship.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Turns out Mallory was a villain after all.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited January 2022 Posts: 18,281
    Turns out Mallory was a villain after all.

    Well Kingsley Amis always considered M to be something of a villain in his The James Bond Dossier (1965) singling out 'For Your Eyes Only' (1960) as an example of M's moral cowardice and of getting Bond to do his dirty work for him. It might go some way to explain M's kidnapping and torture in his later Bond novel Colonel Sun (1968) as well.
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,637
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    Turns out Mallory was a villain after all.

    Well Kingsley Amis always considered M to be something of a villain in his The James Bond Dossier (1965) singking out 'For Your Eyes Only' (1960) as an example of M's moral cowardice and of getting Bond to do his dirty work for him. It might go some way to explain M's kidnapping and torture in his later Bond novel Colonel Sun (1968) as well.

    I like Ralph Fiennes as M, and I hope he stays on. Why should Judi Dench get treated like Bond royalty? If Kingsley Amis lived to see how Purvis and Wade wrote M (and Bond in general), he would bashed them as hard as he did John Gardener in the 80s.
  • VenutiusVenutius Yorkshire
    Posts: 3,152
    I'm actually vaguely amused by the idea of them consciously pulling the same trick twice and having the same actor play a different M to a new Bond. No explanation, just Fiennes as Sir Miles Messervy. Bit 'post-', I know, but...I'm not totally averse.
Sign In or Register to comment.