101 replies to this topic

[O.H.M.S.S.]

Pierce Brosnan is not getting the most support from Bond fans these days, and I must confess to be very critical towards DAD and TND to a lesser extend. However, I do enjoy Brosnan as Bond and I think he did well. For the infamous oneliners of TND and DAD I blame the writers, not the Brozzer.

Now, what I wanted to ask; if we look at Pierce's non-Bond work (The Tailor of Panama, The Matador, recently The Ghost Writer to name a few) I must say I think he is a good actor. He is capable of giving great performances is (very) good films. That makes him a good actor in my book.

So if we look at his convincing performance as Bond in GE (and for me TWINE as well), can we say that there are some missed opportunities in his tenure?

[SecretAgentFan]

I think that Brosnan gets better the older he gets. He certainly is not an actor with a DeNiro-like versatility. Neither was Connery or Moore. Or Cary Grant, for that matter. Yet, they are all great at what they were doing best: projecting a certain persona based on their looks and charme.

But Brosnan´s smartie-looks do get in the way of his acting, IMO, especially in the earlier stages of his career. Now that he grows older he can finally concentrate on being an actor and does not have to do the matinee idol anymore. Connery did the same.

Answering your thread´s question: yes, he is.

Are there missed oppotunities during his tenure as Bond? Well, as you know, reading the posts on this board, lots of people seem to agree on that.

I guess it was more a question of solidifying Bond as a relevant box office draw during the Brosnan years. Having done that, EON began to take risks and offer those opportunities that seem to be missing from the late 90´s Bond.

However, I do think that EON was trying to give Bond more depth since TLD. These opportunities just had to take a backseat to getting audiences excited again.

[bond 16.05.72]

He can be. I think Matador & Seraphim Falls are good evidence of that, I look forward to seeing him in Ghost Writer, never liked his Bond but good luck to him, he defintely showing his talent since leaving Bond.

[Aris007]

Firstly I don't think that Bond is a character that can show if an actor is great or bad. It's an one dimension character that can be played in different ways, but it still goes round the typical action, women, things we all love.

In my opinion Brosnan has many moe to show after his departure from Bond. The Ghost Writer is a fair example that he can make many things on screen.

[RTomZ]

We at HMSS think so. Have a look at the editorial of the latest issue:

http://www.HMSS.com/editorial/0602/

A quote:

"No other Bond actor except for Sean Connery can boast such a distinguished resume. (Where have you gone, Timothy Dalton?) Mr. Brosnan has six projects either in production or development as this is written. No doubt each will be better with his name attached.

So thank you for your great and enduring contribution to the James Bond film canon, Mr. Brosnan. HMSS trusts you might take a quantum of solace in that statement of heartfelt gratitude. Godspeed on your post-Bond career."



Tom Zielinski

[Safari Suit]

He has a certain amount of talent. I think he's a better "star" than "actor" per say, though he hasn't always had the films which are as effortlessly appealing as he is/can be, and at times it's felt like he's self-consciously "trying" rather than just "being".

[Judo chop]

THE MATADOR

(yes)

[elizabeth]

He's amazing. He doesn't have everything, like Sean, nor does he have just enough to get by. He's a perfect balance of talent and sex appeal. He can do it all.

[marktmurphy]

He's actually been getting some good reviews recently; I think he's getting his second wind now and is hitting his stride.

[DamnCoffee]

He is a good actor. It's just the writing that let his Bond films down, Imo.

[DaltonCraig]

Nope.

[jaguar007]

He is certainly not a bad actor. He comes across the screen very well, I have liked him since Remington Steele, but he will probably never win an Oscar. I find he does better when playing lighter more relaxed characters, it is when he tries to get to dramatic and heavy that he comes across poorly (granted I have yet to see Ghost Writer).

[mccartney007]

He was an absolutely atrocious actor until about 1994 and then he miraculously got better, but has been hit and miss over the years. I haven't seen THE GHOST WRITER yet, but I did see THE GREATEST which I think showcases his talent perfectly (the only scene I really didn't buy was the scene in which he is crying in the hospital). He's still not the best actor, but he's certainly good enough.

[BryanHerbert]

Should this even be a thread?!?! Your damn right he is a good actor, better yet he is a great actor. That's all i need to say.

[Nicolas Suszczyk]

"He's my agent and I trust him!"



He's Pierce The Great for me!!!

[JimmyBond]

Should this even be a thread?!?! Your damn right he is a good actor, better yet he is a great actor. That's all i need to say.

Apparently others disagree with you. That's why this is a thread.

[DAN LIGHTER]

He did an Irish film some years ago that he was awful in. Really bad. For me his bond was good enough and that's it. I found him cringeworthy in the Bond love scenes.

Then The Matador came along, and he was brilliant in it. Is it just sone parts he can't do? I don't know. So he is a good actor in the right role and film. The Matador was the best move he made after Bond. Then Mama Mia. Ok not great acting, it's not a film that you can judge that on, but we saw he doesn't take himself to serious.

[The Ghost Who Walks]

Pierce Brosnan is a very good actor, he just forgets to show it a few times (see the unintentionally hilarious Dante's Peak). Same goes for lots of movie stars, sadly, but I overally like Pierce's Bond very much (though it's a shame he didn't have the Moore-ish ability to turn mediocre dialogue into poetry) and I appreciate him even more in his recent films (if you haven't watched his western Seraphim Falls, shame on you. Pierce is terrific in it).

I look forward to seeing The Ghost Writer and avoiding Remember Me.

[LTK_(1989)]

Brosnan can be a good actor with the right script and circumstance - Seraphim Falls is easily is finest performance and he is very good in The Matador and Evelyn as well. I think Brosnan was pretty good in GoldenEye but his floundering in that film was expanded into flat-out awfulness in the next three films. Not all of it was his fault, his scripts were just bad, but it didn't help that he didn't delve into Fleming and try to understand the character he was playing - I think he felt he could jump in and do his Remington Steele Hollywood thing and nobody would care - but even when he is given meatier things to do in his films he fails to convince.

He's hit-or-miss for me.

[Turn]

I liked Pierce Brosnan on Remington Steele. He was something different on TV at the time, a suave alternative to the Tom Sellecks. Almost immediately, he was annointed the heir to Roger Moore for the Bond role. I didn't necessarily agree then although he was overwhelmingly winning magazine polls and such.

But those types of polls are based on popularity - many people named Mel Gibson the ultimate Bond successor at one point and a very recent one asked who the next Bond girl should be and that produced names like Megan Fox and Heidi Montag (Denise Richards, come back, all is forgiven).

When Brosnan was announced as Moore's replacement in TLD, I wasn't surprised, but not enthused. I felt he would become Remington Bond, an extension of Moore. We never go to find out and I was enthused at Dalton's appointment, even if he was underwhelmingly received by the public.

Again, I wasn't surprised when Brosnan was chosen as Dalton's successor in '94, nor was I surprised of his acceptance by the public. I was glad to have the series back, but at no time during his tenure did I feel he ever came off as the ultimate 007 nor rival any of his predecessors. Many fans chalk this up to poor scripts or other factors. At the same time, I wouldn't say the scripts of TLD or LTK would rival FRWL, GF, TB or OHMSS as great scripts, but I thought Dalton did enough that he made the role his own and much of my enjoyment of those films comes from watching his Bond.

I maintain it was because Brosnan was always the natural heir and therefore we knew what we were getting for my lack of enthusiasm of the way he played Bond. He didn't particularly play to his natural strengths and wanted to stretch, which didn't often work, at least in my view. Whereas a Daniel Craig was prejudged by many before they saw a frame of his work and it was amazing to see how much of that sentiment disappeared after he did.

But maybe that is why in many of his non-Bond roles Brosnan has been successful and continues to be in demand. People may have thought he could only do suave Bond-like roles or direct-to-video actioners as he was before Bond and it's enjoyable seeing him succeed against that type. I applaud his success and enjoy watching him, just not as much in his Bond films as I do the other actors who have played 007.

[Dekard77]

He's a pretty good actor. Once you play Bond it's hard to nail other parts as people tend to know his every move on screen. Also he wanted more from Bond than wall to wall action. Probably one of the most hardest working actors post Bond.
The Fourth Protocol
The Matador
Thomas Crown Affair
Mama Mia
Seraphim Falls
The Believers
Nomads
Mrs Doubtfire
Tailor Of Panama.
Dante's Peak
Liked all the Bonds except TWINE.

Edited by Dekard77, 24 April 2010 - 04:55 PM.

[jaguar007]

Great post Turn, your thoughts and feelings mirror many of my own.

Last week a saw After the Sunset. Hardly a great movie, but a very entertaining one. Pierce was comfortable in the role and I really enjoyed him in it. Pierce really does excel in lighter material.

[Royal Dalton]

Depends on the role, really. I've always found him better in slightly comedic roles in the past. But I think he's evolved into a rather good character actor recently.

[RufusCobb]

The Fourth Protocol, Thomas Crown Affair, Tailor of Panama, Seraphim Falls, Matador, Butterfly On A Wheel and hopefully The Ghost (aka The Ghost Writer). Nuff said.

Edited by RufusCobb, 24 April 2010 - 07:57 PM.

[jamie00007]

Brosnan is a great actor. Its just a shame that he didnt choose to showcase that talent in a Bond film. The dramatic or emotional scenes in his Bond films are just painful to watch. About at the level of a daytime soap actor.

[Nicolas Suszczyk]

"The Matador"
"The Thomas Crown Affair"
"Butterfly On A Wheel"
"Dante's Peak"
"Remember Me"
"Percy Jackson and The Lightening Theft"
"Live Wire"
"Nomads"
"After The Sunset"
The "Remington Steele" Episodes
"Mrs Doubtfire"
"Laws of Attraction"
"The Tailor of Panama"
All his Bond films (tough Die Another Day is a bit weak)

He's done A LOT of different and good roles. He IS a great actor and,
opposed to many opinions, he's having an excellent post-Bond career.

[BryanHerbert]

Should this even be a thread?!?! Your damn right he is a good actor, better yet he is a great actor. That's all i need to say.

Apparently others disagree with you. That's why this is a thread.

Well i have read a lot of the posts on here, and it seems a lot of people agree with me, so yeah.

[jaguar007]

he's having an excellent post-Bond career.

No argument there. With the exception of Connery, he is having the best post-Bond career of any of his predecessors.

[Lachesis]

Brosnan is a great actor. Its just a shame that he didnt choose to showcase that talent in a Bond film. The dramatic or emotional scenes in his Bond films are just painful to watch. About at the level of a daytime soap actor.

Hmm I think that is a bit unfair, yes TND has those cringeworthy scenes with Teri Hatcher (badly written, badly directed and with no support from an unusually tame Hatcher).....but lets be fair in TND even the awesome Jonathan Pryce can't make the material work.

In GE and Twine he delivers a nicely balanced performace that elevates the emotional and physical aspects of the material imo.

Edited by Lachesis, 25 April 2010 - 12:12 AM.

[jaguar007]

In GE and Twine he delivers a nicely balanced performace that elevates the emotional and physical aspects of the material imo.

Honestly I think GE and TWINE are his 2 poorest performances as Bond. I know I am in the minority about GE, but I don't think he exuded confidence in that film. He seemed stiff and uncomfortable. I thought he played to his natural talents better in TND (actually my favorite Brosnan/Bond performance). I think some of the dramatic bits in TWINE come off soap opera and over dramatic. DAD sure had some shotty dialogue, but much of the film he looks confident and like he is enjoying himself.