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[Vauxhall]

Now on the CBn main page...

Olga Kurylenko Discusses 'Quantum of Solace' With IGN

The 'feisty' Camille, how she got the role, physical training and more...

Continuing with this week's series of interviews with the stars of QUANTUM OF SOLACE on IGN is today's feature on Olga Kurylenko. Not a great deal of new information but a bit more detail on her weapons training and action sequences.

I do fighting, stunts for fight scenes, I do body-flight, which is very physical - everything hurts after that. You come out of the tunnel and your whole body hurts. Work with weapons, car driving - it's a real action movie.

I've tried a few [weapons], but I hadn't tried an automatic machine-gun before and that's pretty impressive. But mainly guns.

[Judo chop]

What the frick is this chick up to?

[Santa]

I wish my job were like that.

[Judo chop]

Seriously, everybody. What's the deal with Olga's character? All this weapons and high-action training? Rationally, I know that she's not going to be a Jinx reprise. There's no way that would ever slip through the quality gates of Haggis and Forster (and Craig). Even a Wei Lin type seems much too shallow and predictable for what I'm expecting from the team. But then what's up with all the combat training? Who is she? If she's half as badass as she appears to be training for, how is she not going to be <sigh> another

[HildebrandRarity]

Who cares as long as the movie's as good or better than the last one.

[JP007]

"...fight scenes, machine-guns, real action movie..."

Oh dear...
Ok, I

[Judo chop]

Who cares as long as the movie's as good or better than the last one.

Well, deeply embedded in my post was the point that:

IF she is indeed

[DamnCoffee]

I know that she's not going to be a Jinx reprise.

I agree. I think the problem with Jinx was that, the actress was too well known, and the dialouge was terrible. Now, we have Olga Kurylenko, an unknown actress and I think, since Haggis is on board the script will be top notch. I have no worrys, aslong as she doesn't try to steal the movie.

[Judo chop]

[quote name='Judo chop' post='831601' date='31 January 2008 - 12:57']Seriously, everybody. What's the deal with Olga's character? All this weapons and high-action training? Rationally, I know that she's not going to be a Jinx reprise. There's no way that would ever slip through the quality gates of Haggis and Forster (and Craig). Even a Wei Lin type seems much too shallow and predictable for what I'm expecting from the team. But then what's up with all the combat training? Who is she? If she's half as badass as she appears to be training for, how is she not going to be <sigh> another

[Harmsway]

Seriously, everybody. What's the deal with Olga's character? All this weapons and high-action training? Rationally, I know that she's not going to be a Jinx reprise. There's no way that would ever slip through the quality gates of Haggis and Forster (and Craig).

Yeah, there's no way she's Jinx II.

But then what's up with all the combat training? Who is she? If she's half as badass as she appears to be training for, how is she not going to be <sigh> another "Bond's equal"?

Well, bad- does not necessarily equal bad. In fact, I'd argue that neither Jinx or Wai Lin ever achieved "cool" or "bad-." The writers were too caught up as presenting them as the "female Bonds," which got in the way of letting the characters just do their own thing. It's fine to have a female who is capable in combat, as long as you just don't make a point of overstating it and make her a compelling character in her own right.

And it's interesting to note that nowhere in this product has Camille been oversold as the "Bond's equal" character, which occurred with Wai Lin and Jinx. They're not trying to advertise her character that way, which means they're up to something different. Given the comments about her character role (she has her own vendetta, and she's going to help Bond with his feelings about Vesper), she strikes me as being of a different substance than what we've had before.

[JP007]

And it's interesting to note that nowhere in this product has Camille been oversold as the "Bond's equal" character, which occurred with Wai Lin and Jinx. They're not trying to advertise her character that way, which means they're up to something else than they were. Given the comments about her character role (she has her own vendetta, and she's going to help Bond with his feelings about Vesper), she strikes me as being of a different substance than what we've had before.

That

[Judo chop]

Seriously, everybody. What's the deal with Olga's character? All this weapons and high-action training? Rationally, I know that she's not going to be a Jinx reprise. There's no way that would ever slip through the quality gates of Haggis and Forster (and Craig).

Yeah, there's no way she's Jinx II.

But then what's up with all the combat training? Who is she? If she's half as badass as she appears to be training for, how is she not going to be <sigh> another "Bond's equal"?

Well, bad- does not necessarily equal bad. In fact, I'd argue that neither Jinx or Wai Lin ever achieved "cool" or "bad-." The writers were too caught up as presenting them as the "female Bonds," which got in the way of letting the characters just do their own thing. It's fine to have a female who is capable in combat, as long as you just don't make a point of overstating it and make her a compelling character in her own right.

And it's interesting to note that nowhere in this product has Camille been oversold as the "Bond's equal" character, which occurred with Wai Lin and Jinx. They're not trying to advertise her character that way, which means they're up to something different. Given the comments about her character role (she has her own vendetta, and she's going to help Bond with his feelings about Vesper), she strikes me as being of a different substance than what we've had before.

I totally agree. Wei Lin, though tough, was the most boring Bond girl ever in my book. Jinx was not a badass. Bad? Yes. An ? Yes. But the two never met.

I appreciate your optimism, Harms, but I

[Harmsway]

I appreciate your optimism, Harms, but I'm having a hard, hard time imagining what a well-written co-leading, machine-gun toting female looks like. Ripley? Sarah Connor? I don't want either of them near Bond.

Okay, here's an imaginary, not very impressive, backstory for Camille that might give you a sense of what her character might be like that I think doesn't feel anything like a Ripley/Sarah Connor character would (those are pretty mannish characters, after all, and also imply a lot of machine gun usage):

Imagine Camille as a modern Fiona Volpe (who actually is bad-, with her motorcycle rocket and all), working for Dominic Greene. She helps him take care of the dirty work, sometimes as an assassin, sometimes as other things. But for whatever reason, Dominic Greene betrays her and now she's out for blood.

I want Bond to be the sole hero!

Again, I think that's the case. Why do we think he wouldn't be? Again, they're not pushing Camille forward as a "Bond's equal" character.

[00Twelve]

Well, to be fair, the nineties were the nineties, and the feminism/sensitivity angle was understandably shoved in our faces in a way that it's not really being done anymore. Hopefully they've put character over agenda, and I couldn't imagine a script drafted by Haggis, directed by Forster, or starring Craig and Amalric that isn't character-focused. Gun toting or not, she's got to have some depth that none of the "female Bond" agent types had (which isn't a terribly impressive feat, but it's got to be so nonetheless).

[Judo chop]

I'm going to have a martini tonight and calm down.

Breathe, judo...... breeeeeaathe...

[00Twelve]

When all else fails, trust in Haggis. He shan't lead you astray.

[Harmsway]

I'm going to have a martini tonight and calm down.

Breathe, judo...... breeeeeaathe...

You really should. Make yourself a nice Vespertini and chill out with some John Barry in the background.

I honestly don't get what's so worrying about a female character knowing how to use (and using) a gun. Maybe Camille comes from a criminal background, and naturally would be acquainted with such things. It doesn't mean she's an OTT martial artist all of a sudden, or "Bond's equal."

[Qwerty]

Now on the CBn main page...

Olga Kurylenko Discusses 'Quantum of Solace' With IGN

The 'feisty' Camille, how she got the role, physical training and more...

[Skudor]

I'm going to have a martini tonight and calm down.

Breathe, judo...... breeeeeaathe...

You really should. Make yourself a nice Vespertini and chill out with some John Barry in the background.

I honestly don't get what's so worrying about a female character knowing how to use (and using) a gun. Maybe Camille comes from a criminal background, and naturally would be acquainted with such things. It doesn't mean she's an OTT martial artist all of a sudden, or "Bond's equal."

There's nothing wrong with a female character holding a gun.

I think it's also worth pointing out that, unlike Wai Lin and Jinx she's not meant to be some sort of secret agent.

I'm more worried about the accent thing. It can be done very well, but it isn't always perfect. Eva Green's accent in Casino Royale was frankly just weird - I still can't buy her as a Brit.

[.0.0.7.]

The more I've read about the revenge theme, I'm wondering if she's more of a Tilly Masterson or a Melina Havelock type of character than a Wei Lin or Jinx. Someone out for personal revenge, rather than another secret agent from [insert competing foreign power here]... which would probably allow me to forgive some gratuitous fight scenes.

Plus the thought of her in a mean driving scene, that sounds cool.

[Skudor]

The more I've read about the revenge theme, I'm wondering if she's more of a Tilly Masterson or a Melina Havelock type of character than a Wei Lin or Jinx. Someone out for personal revenge, rather than another secret agent from [insert competing foreign power here]... which would probably allow me to forgive some gratuitous fight scenes.

Plus the thought of her in a mean driving scene, that sounds cool.

I think she probably is - with both Melina and Tilly there was some sign of ability, but mostly a drive for revenge.

[Binyamin]

MMMMmmmmm.... Latina-Melina.

Edited by Binyamin, 01 February 2008 - 02:08 PM.

[Jackanaples]

I'm going to have a martini tonight and calm down.

Breathe, judo...... breeeeeaathe...

You really should. Make yourself a nice Vespertini and chill out with some John Barry in the background.

I honestly don't get what's so worrying about a female character knowing how to use (and using) a gun. Maybe Camille comes from a criminal background, and naturally would be acquainted with such things. It doesn't mean she's an OTT martial artist all of a sudden, or "Bond's equal."

Involving Bond with weaker women serves only to make him look weak and ridiculous by association. Wai Lin and Jinx were paper-thin characters in movies that are from the strongest in the series. It's not that they were "Bond's equals" that made them poor Bond girls. They were billed as such and failed to deliver on the promise.

Strong, intelligent, sexy women are plentiful both in real life and pop culture. The 1960's had it's share with Modesty Blaise, Julie Newmar as Catwoman, and the never equaled in my opinion Diana Rigg as Emma Peel.

Daniel Craig has such a strong masculine screen presence as Bond that he needs an equally strong woman to play off of. Thankfully, we're in good hands with QOS. Haggis and Forster's movies are both known for their strong female characters.