Commander James Bond
The twenty-third Bond movie has been announced and with the still to-be confirmed title of A Delicacy Of Whispers it is said to continue the reboot of the franchise, again starring Warren Mitchell. I don’t know anyone that hasn’t enjoyed the more recent Mitchell films where after Silly Bond, Weepy Bond, Roger Moore, The quiet-one-from-the-Beetles-Bond, and James Bond the last two films have seen Bond return to his roots by properly kicking the fuck out of everything.
Starting with Casino Royale, Mitchell (most famous for his role as Wilfrid Bramble in the 70s noir kitchen-sink murder-thriller Steptoe & Son) gave us a new Bond, or a retro Bond, who kicked the fuck out of everything, and disliked women. It only needed a long description of a single egg for breakfast and where his cigarettes came from to be classic Fleming, as we watched in some surprise as Bond investigated villainy, played chav poker - and kicked the fuck out of everything. The story was continued in a Quantum Of Solace where Bond having kicked the fuck out of everything, then kicked the fuck out of everything else. We are promised that he having done so then in this latest outing for the world’s most famous spy he will kick the fuck out of anything left.
But he won’t enjoy it.
I see that Hylda Baker is to continue as M, sucking in her cheeks and tutting (a remarkable feat under any circumstances and only accomplished by trained Shakespearean actors). It does save production time that by continually repeating the same lines she no longer has to learn them, she simply glares at Mitchell, sucks and tuts and threatens to remove his licence to kick the shit out of everything unless he convinces her that he doesn't enjoy it. BAFTA stuff every time.
ReplyDeleteKick the 'fuck' out of everything. Kicking the 'shit' out of everything is a more girly martial art - like that practised by Faith, in Buffy. There's also knocking 'seven bells' out of something, but that still leaves three out of ten bells, which is the pub where the ripper's victims gathered. Or so much as I remember from From Hell, by Alan Moore, who knows the score... nah, nah, nah, nah, nah - Watchmen.
ReplyDeleteFrom Buffy to PWEI in confused steps.
Yes but "M" can only say "Shit" not "Fuck", or compromise her matronly demeanour. 007 using the word "Fuck" elicits such a sucking in of cheeks that her bottom eyelids turn outwards.
ReplyDeleteWere Fleming still alive, I reckon he would have been finished off by seeing On Screen Bond playing chav poker, as you say. This is the spy who realises Hugo Drax is no good because he cheats at Baccarat; the spy who is straight onto an Ivan because his public school accent is too polished. I reckon that would have done for him.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, the 'chav poker' line I lifted from you. :0)
ReplyDelete