171 replies to this topic

[Vauxhall]

Cover of May's edition of Japanese Vogue (not one of my usual publications, I admit):

 

[seawolfnyy]

Duhhhhh.....

[x007AceOfSpades]

Saw the original image on Twitter. She is one gorgeous woman

[Luigi Ferrari]

BMFTV Spectre interview - March 2015

[thecasinoroyale]

Just wanted to bring this thread back from the depths now to discuss, speculate and praise/scorn her performance from what we know in the film and trailers etc.

 

[seawolfnyy]

I have to wait until I see the film, so I can't comment on Seydoux's performance, but Swann was not my favorite Bond girl er...lady from the script.

[Surrie]

I was pleased with Seydoux's performance. I liked Swann's character and felt her and Bond worked well together! 

[thecasinoroyale]

She reminded me of Vesper a few times (not acting talent from Eva of course), but that level on intensity at times, and how she was a Bond girl who really got involved with the story and drama, unlike Camille and Severine.

[Surrie]

She reminded me of Vesper a few times (not acting talent from Eva of course), but that level on intensity at times, and how she was a Bond girl who really got involved with the story and drama, unlike Camille and Severine.

 

IMO when a Bond girl gets involved in the story/drama and provide support/help to Bond (much like Natalya does in GE) that's the difference between a memorable Bond girl and someone who is there just to please the voyeurists!

[thecasinoroyale]

That's true. I think that's why I was disappointed Monica Bellucci was under-used here as she could have given something good to this story rather than just a name and a brief "romantic interlude".

 

But yeah, Swann did walk a good path here, even if I felt her motives towards Bond weren't totally natural.

[Surrie]

That's true. I think that's why I was disappointed Monica Bellucci was under-used here as she could have given something good to this story rather than just a name and a brief "romantic interlude".

 

But yeah, Swann did walk a good path here, even if I felt her motives towards Bond weren't totally natural.

 

Agreed. Seydoux wasn't gifted with the best script in terms of building our trust in her characters intentions - but she still made me believe. Sign of a great actress? 

[Vauxhall]

That's true. I think that's why I was disappointed Monica Bellucci was under-used here as she could have given something good to this story rather than just a name and a brief "romantic interlude".
 
But yeah, Swann did walk a good path here, even if I felt her motives towards Bond weren't totally natural.

 
Agreed. Seydoux wasn't gifted with the best script in terms of building our trust in her characters intentions - but she still made me believe. Sign of a great actress?

I was very impressed.

A couple of scenes in particular:

Spoiler

Drunk in Morocco hotel room and reacting to Oberhauser's video of Mr White

[Guy Haines]

She gave me the impression of being, on the surface, a cooler customer than Vesper - even though she's capable of losing her temper - vulnerable underneath, but like Bond with a part of her she wishes she could forget but knows she can't. And like Bond it comes back to haunt her in this film.

Well, I said "comes back to haunt Bond" but;

Spoiler

The film doesn't dwell too much on Bond's childhood and neither does he - rather he is shocked that a man he had long thought dead was very much alive. Lends a whole new perspective to the film's title - at one point Bond must have thought he'd seen a ghost. (And at that point in the film the words "identity theft" came to my mind, but no, the explanation isn't that!)

[Surrie]

 

 

That's true. I think that's why I was disappointed Monica Bellucci was under-used here as she could have given something good to this story rather than just a name and a brief "romantic interlude".
 
But yeah, Swann did walk a good path here, even if I felt her motives towards Bond weren't totally natural.

 
Agreed. Seydoux wasn't gifted with the best script in terms of building our trust in her characters intentions - but she still made me believe. Sign of a great actress?

I was very impressed.

A couple of scenes in particular:

Spoiler

Drunk in Morocco hotel room and reacting to Oberhauser's video of Mr White

 

 

I agree. The one scene that stuck in my mind was:

Spoiler

when she was sat next to Oberhauser when Bond was strapped to the torture chair. She looks utterly terrified of him!

[seawolfnyy]

Spoiler

I did enjoy the scene in the Morocco hotel from the script. Did the scene of her disassembling the gun and explaining about stopping an intruder when she was a child make it into the film? I enjoyed that description as well. Though, I still do lament the loss of the poker game, which was one of my favorite scenes from the script.

[Surrie]

Spoiler

I did enjoy the scene in the Morocco hotel from the script. Did the scene of her disassembling the gun and explaining about stopping an intruder when she was a child make it into the film? I enjoyed that description as well. Though, I still do lament the loss of the poker game, which was one of my favorite scenes from the script.

 

Disassembling the gun and the intruder story made it in! 

[antovolk]

My issue with the relationship between Bond and Swann

Spoiler

the rewritten Morocco hotel drunk scene and the cutting down of the dinner scene - in the script these scenes provided for a very much needed middle point of the progress of their relationship which just isn't there in the final film.

[Surrie]

My issue with the relationship between Bond and Swann

Spoiler

the rewritten Morocco hotel drunk scene and the cutting down of the dinner scene - in the script these scenes provided for a very much needed middle point of the progress of their relationship which just isn't there in the final film.

 

Although I really enjoyed the dynamic they had together, I will have to agree. I would have liked more time spent on building their relationship (such as an extended dinner scene) and less time perhaps on scenes that didn't really add much to the story. 

[thecasinoroyale]

Agree with all points. Morocco is where she really shines as both Bond girl and actress.

It just lacked more time to develop the relationship with Bond, like we saw Vesper and Bond do a great deal. I hate to compare, but I have to in regards to what Bond does for each girl during the course of each film.

[Surrie]

The scene in the hotel room and when she's in Oberhausers presence is where she shines for him. What I do feel though is that the producers and writing team have tried to bring Spectre back to the more traditional Bond format - or even the Brosnan format. 

 

If you think about the past relationships with Bond and Bond girl in TWINE, GE etc. did Natalya and Dr. Christmas Jones really get more screen time than Dr. Swann? I don't think so. I would have liked her too, but they were loyal to what I felt was more of a Brosnan era Bond formula. 

 

Related/Unrelated - what I liked the most about Spectre was, of course, Lea Seydoux, but also Daniel Craigs performance as Bond. I feel as though this time round he played the character we all know and love. In his previous outings we were watching a Bond that we had never seen before... haunted, pained etc. Spectre gave DC the opportunity to really play James Bond. 

[x007AceOfSpades]

Spoiler

I did enjoy the scene in the Morocco hotel from the script. Did the scene of her disassembling the gun and explaining about stopping an intruder when she was a child make it into the film? I enjoyed that description as well. Though, I still do lament the loss of the poker game, which was one of my favorite scenes from the script.

Spoiler

I too wish that scene was made. Always liked it in the script, felt tense to me.

[seawolfnyy]

 

Spoiler

I did enjoy the scene in the Morocco hotel from the script. Did the scene of her disassembling the gun and explaining about stopping an intruder when she was a child make it into the film? I enjoyed that description as well. Though, I still do lament the loss of the poker game, which was one of my favorite scenes from the script.

Spoiler

I too wish that scene was made. Always liked it in the script, felt tense to me.

 

Spoiler

My thoughts too. The dialogue probably needed some polish, but overall the scene was a great cat and mouse game between Bond and Bloferhauser. Especially, as Bond comes to reveal the backstory between the two whilst not paying any attention to the game.