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jobloffski -> RE: Bond 23 (15/1/2010 9:24:00 AM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: musht
quote:
what the big deal about bringing back moneypenny and q? why bother?
I get what your saying, they're not that important to plot, but they are important to the world of Bond if you get what i'm saying
On the subject of Moneypenny, if Mendes is directing maybe he could get his wife to fill those particular high heels, Winslet and Craig sparking off each other would be awesome
Wont they want an actress who will do more than one film? Hard to see Winslett doing that.
Sorry to refer to the core characteristics of Bond here, but given his fatal flaw/recurring nightmare is that he's human enough to fall in love but every woman he gets close to seems to end up dead I feel it's more likely that'll be the reason Bond and Moneypenny have the frisson upon which they never act
A genuine attraction, with both of them knowing it'll never happen, because they both know about the trail of dead women Bond leaves in his wake, Bond feels cursed in that respect, and if he can know one woman to whom he doesn't pass on the curse, there's one more tiny glimmer of light in his empty existence. With Moneypenny seeing through all his posturing and being the one woman who really doesn't put up his shit (even M pits up with it).
He can't possibly shag her, that's part of the reason the 'relationship' works. It seems appropriate to me that they should be absolutely perfect for each other, and both know it, both know it'll never happen, and because they know that, there is no bullshit between them, only the love that can never be requited, because for Bond, that always ends with tragedy...And potentially feminist enraging as is may be, Moneypenny could wait in hope for Bond to leave 'the life' for her. Because whatever PC anger button that would push, it's reality that if someone does actually truly fall in love, they'll wait forever if they have to.
And rather than a big deal being made of their meeting, I feel that he shouldn't even notice her presence at first, too busy joshing with/pissing off M...Moneypenny amused to see her usually organised boss flustered...that's the inital spark...after a few brief moments of this in the film, while pissed off by M saying something like he's an overgrown schoolboy, he notices she's amused, ask her in a pissed off way what's so funny, making her even more amused...he's suddenly feels sheepish, slighlty amused himself...there's something there, maybe longer conversations between films, but we only ever see them spark off each other when he calls into the office between jobs or for dressing downs.
Create the impression of a genuine possibility of something real, dangle it in front of both of them, but never leave them alone enough for the inevitable to take place. With perhpas a line here and there between Bond/Moneypenny and M/Moneypenny to make the points about the fate of the women bond loves to create a subtle tragic love that can never be as the undercurrent, with sparky banter on the surface.
Incidentally, the girl he shagged in QOS was basically working in admin for the secret service. He shagged her. She's dead. So maybe I'm just picking up on seeds that have already been sown for why he wont be able to let himself chase moneypenny (who works in admin) too hard, and also seeds for the disapproval M might show at the possibility Moneypenny (who M works closely with) might end up going the same way.
Once again, the understated nature of the content of QOS seems to be revealing the amount of important work it does for the Bond saga as a whole...
Potential key scene:
Brief two hander scene after Bond watches Moneypenny leaving M's office.
M: Bond, don't.
Bond: (amused) What?
M: Don't look at her like that.
Bond: M...
M: I mean it. You look at her like that and you know what I see?
Bond: Enlighten me.
(Bond's amusement draining as M's line develops its point)
M: A rainy day. People under umbrellas. Her coffin being lowered. I'm there because I work with her every day. Her parents look at me. I've seen faces like that before. Loved ones wondering the hell happened. And I have to pretend I don't know...Don't you dare, Bond. Don't you dare
The promise Bond makes to not put M through that is unspoken. He'll never do more than speak to Moneypenny...
And, for a later movie:
M puts her neck on the line for Bond and takes an assassin's bullet through the chest (for when they want to recast the part). She survives but only long enough to share a few final moments with Bond...
In the hospital room, Moneypenny is weeping in Bonds arms as M is on life support. Her eyes open, she sees the 'couple' deliberately coughs weakly. The 'couple' part to look at her.
M: (To Moneypenny) Can you give us a moment?
MP nods, the other two watch her leave. Bond watches longer.
M: (Weakly) Don't you dare. Don't you dare
There is some hint of humour to the way she says the line, harking back to the exchange from years ago, and Bond catches it. He half smiles as he turns to M
Bond: Don't worry. She's not my type
M: They're all your type, you bastard...
Bond: But not you?
M: I'd say grow up, 007, but what's the point?
These are her last words. She dies with a smile on her face.The joke of her final moment gives way to a wider shot tracking away from Bond. We see that he is holding M's hand. His head slowly bows as the camera continues to track back, out of the room, into the hallway, pauses to frame on Moneypenny, getting further and further away (holy visual storytelling). Fade to black...but it's not the end of this film, the final act and showdown is still left to go. Against all expectations, Bond doesn't go ballistically apeshit. He gets the job done. And though he will flirt with moneypenny in future, he will always keep his word to the M that promoted him to OO status...
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