96 replies to this topic

[Shrublands]

She’s probably too young, but could she be a version of May Maxwell?

I can see Bond’s Chelsea flat featuring. With the stubble and what looks like borrowed clothes from the spy photos, it’s possible that his home has been ransacked and May injured (or even killed).
Bond could have been on the run for a few nights, even disguising himself amongst London’s down and outs, particularly if ‘who to trust’ is an important part of Skyfall.
It’s not very much of a stretch to picture Craig trying to freshen-up in that filthy toilet set we saw a glimpse of.

[Zorin Industries]

Just putting this one out there...

The reason three male characters cannot be fully disclosed is because at least two of them are playing the same part, but in different eras (?). Likewise Helen McCrory may indeed have a passing resemblance to a younger Dench... well spotted earlier posters.

Anyway, that is quite enough speculation from the Zorin Press office.

[Captain Tightpants]

How do you have such a poor reputation when you make such intelligent comments?

[The Shark]

People can't handle the truth.

[Zorin Industries]

How do you have such a poor reputation when you make such intelligent comments?

Because 'some' people firstly have clearly un-liked me A LOT in the last few weeks (only just noticed myself) and secondly, think that I care anyway.

It is quite flattering to have such a bad reputation round here. But that is what happens when the great unwashed are given the vote...(!).

And I think the hits I have for my thoughts on SOLACE and ROYALE are a better indicator of things than some reputation click-track.

[Zorin Industries]

How do you have such a poor reputation when you make such intelligent comments?

Perhaps someone personally sought out some posts and pressed the red button on every one.

Can't really think who, off the top of my head. Lucky the system can tell me....

[Skudor]

Just putting this one out there...

The reason three male characters cannot be fully disclosed is because at least two of them are playing the same part, but in different eras (?). Likewise Helen McCrory may indeed have a passing resemblance to a younger Dench... well spotted earlier posters.

Anyway, that is quite enough speculation from the Zorin Press office.

This theory seems more likely than the Blofeld angle. A shame - I really liked the idea of Fiennes as Blofeld.

[Captain Tightpants]

This theory seems more likely than the Blofeld angle. A shame - I really liked the idea of Fiennes as Blofeld.

If he is playing a reimagined version of a familiar character (one of the suggested reasons why his name was withheld), there are till plenty that he could be - Miles Messervy, Admiral Hargreaves, Frederick Grey, Marc-Ange Draco, Anatol Gogol, Ali Kerim Bey, Valentin Zukovsky, Milos Colombos. Of course, some of those are more likely than others, and they vary in degrees of popularity, but Blofeld isn't the only revived character that he could play.

[Melack]

Ola is not a great actor by any means, ok at best. But he is competent in action and I can see him as a random villain Bond takes out in a hand to hand fight.

[Peckinpah1976]

So Whishaw is playing a younger version of Fiennes, then? That doesn't rule out Blofeld, necassarily.

[PPK_19]

Hmmmm this 'so-and-so is playing a younger version of so-and-so' is slightly worrying, that is, in a pacing sense.

I assume that Skyfall will rely quite heavily on flashbacks, perhaps detailing the story of a bungled mission involving M in the past (Helen McCory?). I'm just worried that if there are too many flashbacks it will ruin the flow of the narrative.

Thoughts?

[Peckinpah1976]

I'm gonna put my money on McCrory being Moneypenny..and she already has reddish hair anyway

McCrory is a brunette.

Not sure how you can possibly dismiss McCrory by considering her too old for Moneypenny! Maxwell opposite Connery from DN onwards and Bond opposite Brozza hardly scream young-chick infatuation. Both are similar age to Bond and, I suggest, of similar attractiveness toward their Bond as McCrory is to Craig.

And she's more likely to be up to reprise the role for however many Bond's Craig has remaining.

That was 50 years and Maxwell's age became quickly apparent - if they were casting the part today, they'd go for an actress in her 30's (similar to Samantha Bond in GE).

McCrory is Moneypenny.

I'll bet my left bollock she's not.

I don't know if anyone has noticed but McCory is 43 years old, the exact same age as Mr Craig.

Yes, I mentioned that.

[Captain Tightpants]

Actually, the film could probably get away with one or two of them - especially if they were used as some kind of framing device. For example, M starts explaining to Bond what "Skyfall" is, and as she talks, we actually see the events unfold, rather than just getting a metric ton of exposition. If the events in the past were really that horrible, a flashback would have more impact than a simple recount.

[David Schofield]

Hmmmm this 'so-and-so is playing a younger version of so-and-so' is slightly worrying, that is, in a pacing sense.

I assume that Skyfall will rely quite heavily on flashbacks, perhaps detailing the story of a bungled mission involving M in the past (Helen McCory?). I'm just worried that if there are too many flashbacks it will ruin the flow of the narrative.

Thoughts?

Quite. Never a gooe idea in a movie unless it's done extremely well.

Most often, just a cheap trick. Think/thought Mendes might be beyond that?

McCrory is Moneypenny.

I'll bet my left bollock she's not.

[

Not much use for it, eh?

[Captain Tightpants]

Most often, just a cheap trick. Think/thought Mendes might be beyond that?

If there are to be flashbacks, why can Mendes do it extremely well, as you suggested would be necessary to sell it?

Quite. Never a gooe idea in a movie unless it's done extremely well.

[David Schofield]

Most often, just a cheap trick. Think/thought Mendes might be beyond that?

If there are to be flashbacks, why can Mendes do it extremely well, as you suggested would be necessary to sell it?

Quite. Never a gooe idea in a movie unless it's done extremely well.

Don't quite understand what you're asking?

If you're asking can Mendes do it, most likely yes. But possibly not. And it's always seemed a bit of a cheap trick.

Still, doubtless Mendes thinks he can or it wouldn't be in the script as it would appear to be.

[Germanlady]

Good British website

http://www.skyfallmovie.co.uk/

[Skudor]

This theory seems more likely than the Blofeld angle. A shame - I really liked the idea of Fiennes as Blofeld.

If he is playing a reimagined version of a familiar character (one of the suggested reasons why his name was withheld), there are till plenty that he could be - Miles Messervy, Admiral Hargreaves, Frederick Grey, Marc-Ange Draco, Anatol Gogol, Ali Kerim Bey, Valentin Zukovsky, Milos Colombos. Of course, some of those are more likely than others, and they vary in degrees of popularity, but Blofeld isn't the only revived character that he could play.

Anything is possible. Gogol in particular could be interesting.

But I find it unlikely that they would fish out a one-time villain or 'ally' from the past. Not saying it couldn't happen, but it just doesn't ring true. Perhaps if there's an interesting relationship to be explored and completed (e.g. Mathis in QOS).

So you're left with the recurring characters, and frankly there aren't many that would be worth repeating (what's the value in repeating Freddy Grey - when was he ever interesting?). The big guns are characters like Messervy and Boothroyd, perhaps also Gogol. The first two would be repeaters and I don't see Fiennes coming back to play M - he's too young, and Finney is too old. Neither fits Boothroyd. Gogol... possible.

Blofeld probably a little less so as his character is tied to specific Fleming stories - would EON feel the need to return to him in the context of a new story? One reason they might is to lead up to an OHMSS remake (or rather the Tracy story arch) - which I'd discount immediately, except for the fact that they seem hellbent on giving Craig good material, and that story is probably the pearl of the lot (and was fed to the Bond equivalent of a pig). I'd love it - but I just don't see it happening. Blofeld would make a much better object of revenge than 'the dude who manipulated Vesper'. Would they really go there so soon after the whole Vesper thing, if at all?

The angle that some of these actors are playing the same characters at different points seems more plausible. We know that M's past is coming back to haunt her and McCrory seems like a fitting choice for a young M. Fiennes could then be a young Finney or Whishaw a young Fiennes. The former seems to rule out Blofeld (why have Finney as an ancient Blofeld - doesn't seem like much point). The latter could conceivably still leave Fiennes as Blofeld, but seeing that we'd already have a solution to the secrecy conundrum it just doesn't seem as likely.

I assume the flashback will be (mostly) confined to the PTS - which works.

[Orion]

How do you have such a poor reputation when you make such intelligent comments?

Because 'some' people firstly have clearly un-liked me A LOT in the last few weeks (only just noticed myself) and secondly, think that I care anyway.

It is quite flattering to have such a bad reputation round here. But that is what happens when the great unwashed are given the vote...(!).

And I think the hits I have for my thoughts on SOLACE and ROYALE are a better indicator of things than some reputation click-track.

Well I like you dude, you always have interesting stuff to say in a discussion.

Back on topic, I like the idea that we're getting flashbacks, but a large part of me would like to see McCrory have scenes with Daniel Craig as she is one of my favourite actresses, also their few seconds together in Flashbacks of a Fool were fantastic.

Edited by Orion, 08 November 2011 - 01:30 PM.

[David Schofield]

The angle that some of these actors are playing the same characters at different points seems more plausible. We know that M's past is coming back to haunt her and McCrory seems like a fitting choice for a young M. Fiennes could then be a young Finney or Whishaw a young Fiennes. The former seems to rule out Blofeld (why have Finney as an ancient Blofeld - doesn't seem like much point). The latter could conceivably still leave Fiennes as Blofeld, but seeing that we'd already have a solution to the secrecy conundrum it just doesn't seem as likely.

I assume the flashback will be (mostly) confined to the PTS - which works.

McCrory as young pre-M M (assuming she's not Moneypenny; bet ya she is ) and Finney as her mentor/boss M, Miles Messery, anyone???

[David Schofield]

Okay, try this.

Harris is a young Dench. Hence the she's not Bond's equal because she drops a total bollock.

Harris admitted she been doing some fitness training. Cocks up Operation Skyfall in the 70s/80s. Ties in nicely with the "I miss the Cold War" line in CR, FFS!

Now before you point out the obvious flaw in this theory, don't worry; the loooonnng flashback will be in black and white so you won't notice the difference, see?

[Peaceful]

SkyFall: Flashbacks of a Double-Oh



Has anyone speculated that Fiennes and McCrory could be playing Andrew & Monique Bond yet?

[David Schofield]

SkyFall: Flashbacks of a Double-Oh



Has anyone speculated that Fiennes and McCrory could be playing Andrew & Monique Bond yet?

"Stay off the Mountain".

[Zorin Industries]

Who said anything about flashbacks?

Flashforwards!!! They are the future!!

[Skudor]

Who said anything about flashbacks?

Flashforwards!!! They are the future!!

Oooh so we can have the present day reboot looking forward in time to when M was younger, which she will be in the next reboot.

[Zorin Industries]

Isn't the pre-title sequence in GOLDENEYE a flashback? And parts of DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER and OHMSS?

I don't think (apart from maybe one role) that we are getting much of a look back at past characters. That will have no bearings on anyone apart from the die-hard book fans, who are not who this film is being made for.

Oooh so we can have the present day reboot looking forward in time to when M was younger, which she will be in the next reboot.

Exactly.

Dench is already dead at the beginning of this film and the new young M (played by Ben Wishaw) has such a hard few months in the job he ends up looking like Judi Dench in her late 70's. It's like a HAROLD AND MAUDE thing the next Bond film is going for... Wishaw and Dench on a M-charged odyssey... all to a Cat Stevens soundtrack.

[Shrublands]

It could all come across as more than a bit confusing - a character who is only known by a code name (M), is seen in flashback, before she was given the code name, being played by another actress.

I suppose they could tell us M’s name to make it all a bit clearer, but still…

Ben Whishaw, Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney. What if all three are playing the same character?

Ben in the past, Ralph in the present, Albert in the future.

Perhaps Ben is Judi before a sex change operation. They used keep going on about her 'balls' in the Brosnan days. That’s the secret from her past…

[Zorin Industries]

And folk are going to cry when they hear that Helen McCrory is replacing Jeffrey Wright. Felicia Leiter is a new take on an old character and is going to bring everything up to date and really make Leiter Bond's equal.

[David Schofield]

Finney as M (Messervy-version) waiting in a pannelled office. Which, essentially, looks just like the office from DN-TLD. He's puffing on a pipe.

Now we are expecting James Bond to enter this very familiar scene. But no. In trots young Cold Warrior pre-M female M....

Shocked audience. Wow.

Bet ya didn't think of that one, eh, Sammy.

[Shrublands]

Isn't the pre-title sequence in GOLDENEYE a flashback?

The film still progresses in a linear temporal order, it just omits so many years via the symbolism of the title sequence. Strictly speaking, it would only be a flashback if they were to establish the here-and-now, then flash back to something that had happened previously. A sequence outside the temporal order.

Lots of movies chop out years on end, (2001 being the most spectacular) but stick to a linear temporal order, the bits before the cuts are not considered flashback because they are not flashing back from anything.