17 replies to this topic

[Loomis]

Why does Bond ask Mathis to accompany him to Bolivia?

Sure, Mathis tells him that he spent several years as an agent in South America (although Bond is made privy to this information only after turning up at Mathis' door), but why, exactly, does Bond ask him to tag along?

What does Mathis end up doing for Bond that Bond couldn't have done by himself? What contacts does he throw Bond's way? All he does is bugger off for drinks with his friend "the colonel". What insights into Bolivia does Bond glean from Mathis? What tricks of the trade? QUANTUM OF SOLACE makes clear that Bond is a fluent Spanish speaker, so it's not even as though 007 can't get by in the local lingo.

Now, I do love Mathis. I find him perhaps the coolest and most compelling character in the Craig era next to Bond himself. But isn't his presence in QUANTUM OF SOLACE a little, well, contrived? It's as though the filmmakers were looking for a way of shoehorning him into the flick. "Do you know much about South America?" "Sure, I was stationed there for seven years." (Obviously, I'm paraphrasing this dialogue from memory.) "Woo-hoo! In that case, Rene, old buddy, come with me, why dontcha?" "Alrighty. I'll leave my comfortable retirement with plenty o' wine and a gagging-for-it sexy strumpet, and I'll follow you to Bolivia, just because---- erm, well, just because."

I mean, it's rather like how Leiter is coincidentally working in Latin America at the very time that Bond's hunt for Quantum starts to focus on the region.

[Captain Tightpants]

Because by the time he gets to Talamone, M has put a hold on Bond's passports and credit cards. He needs all the help he can get, and the man to do that is Mathis. And while Mathis might have enjoyed his retirement, I got the distinct impression he's like Bond in that he'd never be truly happy with it, unless he was chasing down the next great evil.

[Blofeld's Cat]

Bond needed to put something in the dumpster.

[The ides of Mark]

Mathis had acces to a wide range of pills.

[HildebrandRarity]

Because ...M has put a hold on Bond's passports and credit cards. He needs all the help he can get, and the man to do that is Mathis. And while Mathis might have enjoyed his retirement, I got the distinct impression he's like Bond in that he'd never be truly happy with it, unless he was chasing down the next great evil.

[Mr_Wint]

He had to come. It was a sequel.

[Byron]

Why does Bond ask Mathis to accompany him to Bolivia?

Sure, Mathis tells him that he spent several years as an agent in South America (although Bond is made privy to this information only after turning up at Mathis' door), but why, exactly, does Bond ask him to tag along?

What does Mathis end up doing for Bond that Bond couldn't have done by himself? What contacts does he throw Bond's way? All he does is bugger off for drinks with his friend "the colonel". What insights into Bolivia does Bond glean from Mathis? What tricks of the trade? QUANTUM OF SOLACE makes clear that Bond is a fluent Spanish speaker, so it's not even as though 007 can't get by in the local lingo.

Now, I do love Mathis. I find him perhaps the coolest and most compelling character in the Craig era next to Bond himself. But isn't his presence in QUANTUM OF SOLACE a little, well, contrived? It's as though the filmmakers were looking for a way of shoehorning him into the flick. "Do you know much about South America?" "Sure, I was stationed there for seven years." (Obviously, I'm paraphrasing this dialogue from memory.) "Woo-hoo! In that case, Rene, old buddy, come with me, why dontcha?" "Alrighty. I'll leave my comfortable retirement with plenty o' wine and a gagging-for-it sexy strumpet, and I'll follow you to Bolivia, just because---- erm, well, just because."

I mean, it's rather like how Leiter is coincidentally working in Latin America at the very time that Bond's hunt for Quantum starts to focus on the region.

Very contrived. Even worse he is given so little to do/has almost nil screen time whilst in Bolivia, before he gets captured. As soon as he tagged along, i had a feeling he'd end up as a sacrificial lamb.

A total waste. The film would have been fine if he wasn't in it. They should have brought him back in a proper role, in a future film (Bond's mate in Europe) instead of shoehorning him into QOS and disposing of him in such an idiotic way.

[byline]

Mathis was necessary on two fronts: To help Bond, who had been cut off from MI6 resources, and also to help him come to terms with Vesper's betrayal and death, as well as the nature of his work as a double-O. I thought his presence in the story was handled superbly; my only preference is that he should have been given more screentime than he got. But some of the film's best moments are with him in it (the conversation he has with Bond on the jet, the cab ride to the hotel, etc.).

[Double-Oh Agent]

Why does Bond ask Mathis to accompany him to Bolivia?

Sure, Mathis tells him that he spent several years as an agent in South America (although Bond is made privy to this information only after turning up at Mathis' door), but why, exactly, does Bond ask him to tag along?

What does Mathis end up doing for Bond that Bond couldn't have done by himself? What contacts does he throw Bond's way? All he does is bugger off for drinks with his friend "the colonel". What insights into Bolivia does Bond glean from Mathis? What tricks of the trade? QUANTUM OF SOLACE makes clear that Bond is a fluent Spanish speaker, so it's not even as though 007 can't get by in the local lingo.

Now, I do love Mathis. I find him perhaps the coolest and most compelling character in the Craig era next to Bond himself. But isn't his presence in QUANTUM OF SOLACE a little, well, contrived? It's as though the filmmakers were looking for a way of shoehorning him into the flick. "Do you know much about South America?" "Sure, I was stationed there for seven years." (Obviously, I'm paraphrasing this dialogue from memory.) "Woo-hoo! In that case, Rene, old buddy, come with me, why dontcha?" "Alrighty. I'll leave my comfortable retirement with plenty o' wine and a gagging-for-it sexy strumpet, and I'll follow you to Bolivia, just because---- erm, well, just because."

I mean, it's rather like how Leiter is coincidentally working in Latin America at the very time that Bond's hunt for Quantum starts to focus on the region.

Very contrived. Even worse he is given so little to do/has almost nil screen time whilst in Bolivia, before he gets captured. As soon as he tagged along, i had a feeling he'd end up as a sacrificial lamb.

A total waste. The film would have been fine if he wasn't in it. They should have brought him back in a proper role, in a future film (Bond's mate in Europe) instead of shoehorning him into QOS and disposing of him in such an idiotic way.

Very good points Loomis and I totally agree Byron.

Another problem I have with Mathis' final scene(s) is that Bond leaves him at the party with the colonel. And about five minutes later (or less) Bond leaves the party with Camille. How and where did Mathis get beaten up to near death and still secretly wind up in the back of Bond's car which also just happens to be sitting out in front of the party's entrance?

[byline]

Another problem I have with Mathis' final scene(s) is that Bond leaves him at the party with the colonel. And about five minutes later (or less) Bond leaves the party with Camille. How and where did Mathis get beaten up to near death and still secretly wind up in the back of Bond's car which also just happens to be sitting out in front of the party's entrance?

I don't have a problem with the timing. Yes, it does happen quickly, but that's the case for many Bond films. My sense was that as soon as Camille left to go see what was happening with Bond and Camille, it would have been a simple thing for Carlos to pull Mathis aside and either beat him up himself, or have his police officers do it, then hide Mathis in Bond's car. It wouldn't have taken long.

Also, wouldn't parties like these have valets? I'd assumed that was how Bond's car was out front; we just didn't see the scene where the valet brought it there and handed Bond the keys (which also would have added more time). That would also explain how the car ended up with Mathis stuffed inside the trunk, if a valet were also working for Carlos.

[eddychaput]

Bond needed to put something in the dumpster.

That was my initial thought.

Seriously though, I think he just needs a helping hand. Doesn't Mathis say that he worked in South America for seven years and has contacts or something of the sort? If I were in Bond's shoes I'd take the guy along with me too.

I think the lack of screen time for Mathis matters less when one considers that this is a direct sequel to CR. As the second chapter in the same story, he already has had a decent amount of screen time. He's a supporting character after all, not a main character.

[[dark]]

I understand your asking, Loomis. On the face of it, there's not much of a reason, but I'm happy to settle for Mathis being help for Bond after being cut off by MI6.

Why does Bond ask Mathis to accompany him to Bolivia?

Sure, Mathis tells him that he spent several years as an agent in South America (although Bond is made privy to this information only after turning up at Mathis' door), but why, exactly, does Bond ask him to tag along?

To me, it would have been more convincing if Bond already knew Mathis had worked in South America, thus giving him a bona fide reason to tag along.

[Lazenby]

I'm still wondering how Mathis was proven innocent. It was obvious that LeChiffe was informed of his "tell". It would have been interesting if this were also clarified.

[MajorB]

I'm still wondering how Mathis was proven innocent. It was obvious that LeChiffe was informed of his "tell". It would have been interesting if this were also clarified.

Yes, it's hard to know how Mathis demonstrated his innocence so conclusively that MI6 felt they had to give him a villa. It's difficult to prove a negative, after all. But I suppose if they could trace his movements during the poker game, check his cell phone records, bank accounts, etc., they might have concluded that the evidence just wasn't there. And given that Vesper had unquestionably been working for the bad guys, they may have decided there was no reason to think he had too. Just because she was guilty didn't mean he wasn't innocent.

[RedKelly]

Mathis had acces to a wide range of pills.

I'm surprised he didn't say, some make you excited.

[Pierce - Daniel]

Narratively the film needed Mathis, and on a storyline basis he too was needed.

Narratively: The film follows CR, and it's a direct sequel. Mathis was ambigous at the end of the last movie, who was he working for, up to his last scene we were convinced he was a good guy by the time he left the film we thought he was evil. Only at the end for M to insist that he is cleared. The film needed him, firstly so we could see just where his alliance really was. the question of whether he actually helped Le Chiffre is held in the balance, or Le Chiffre was lying, will always be argued. But we needed to see him in QOS and understand his intentions were good in CR. Also on a narrative level, the idea of going to the man you trust least and had arrested... for help, is fantastic character development, the fact Bond goes to find him is a huge step forward for the man.

Storyline: Bond has only just seasoned as 00, the events of Cr are dipicted as his first field assignment, the only mi6 contact he had asside M, who has now shut him out and turned her back on him, is Mathis, he dosen't know anyone else, he isn't the seasoned Bond of the world yet, Mathis is his nearest and closest ally and his quickest resource for help.

[Skudor]

Bond was on the run after the Bregenz situation and Mathis was someone he could turn to (he felt). If I rember correctly there was some issue with money as well - didn't Bond ask for funds / a credit card or something. Mathis then tags along to Bolivia because he has contacts there and to support his buddy. Seems fairly straightforward to me.

[Paul Scrabo]

The way that P&W and/or Haggis handled this cool Bondian charactor (and killed him off...?!)in QOS convinced me that they indeed do have a photo of Michael Wilson in a dress locked in a safety deposit box somewhere in order to be hired and re-hired...

Paul

Edited by Paul Scrabo, 03 June 2009 - 03:27 PM.