28 replies to this topic

[Quantumofsolace007]

http://www.radiotime...from-sam-mendes

Thoughts?

[Toxteth_OGrady]

Made-up nonsense.

[Shrublands]

Made-up nonsense.

 

But it's from the Radio Times. Have they ever been in the habit of making up nonsense?

[Harmsway]

She'd be fine. She's a competent director and has already shown she had what it takes.

Are there more exciting choices? Sure. But I wouldn't complain if she were chosen.

[Matt_13]

Saw this one coming a mile away. She'd be good. With a good script we'd really be in for a treat.

[SecretAgentFan]

If true, Hiddleston is in.

[TheREAL008]

Going to wait and see like everyone else. However, if she's among others in a shortlist then she'll probably close to the top. Night Manager was good and hopefully Bier will ring something stellar to Bond.

[univex]

This would be brilliant! Hiddleston and Bier work well together. That particular combo would make me one happy fan.

[sharpshooter]

I don't think this is made up. Craig will say he's done with the franchise, as Mendes did a few days ago. And some time after they will announce the next Bond, likely to be Hiddleston.

[univex]

I don't think this is made up. Craig will say he's done with the franchise, as Mendes did a few days ago. And some time after they will announce the next Bond, likely to be Hiddleston.

Hope so.

Have any info/news, Sharp?

Cheers

[sharpshooter]

Nope. Just what I read on the net.

[hoagy]

And Hugh Laurie as the villain ?  And Elizabeth Debicki as the female lead ?  And, when they're done, they switch back to LeCarre mode and make The Night Manager sequel ?  What would it be called ?  The Day Valet ?  The Turn-Down Chocolatier ?  The Pool Cleaner ?

Just having fun.  Actually, I think Hiddleston would be brilliant.  And Bier may be able to work wonders.  I read an interesting article regarding The Night Manager that pointed out she understood what half, well, perhaps more than half the audience would want to enjoy, and shot Hiddleston a few times in a way so as to appeal to the prurient interests of those who'd appreciate him.  As for Elizabeth Debicki, by the way, she who stole The Great Gatsby, she needs no help in appealing to the audience.  At any rate, it could be interesting.

[plankattack]

She'd be fine. She's a competent director and has already shown she had what it takes.

Are there more exciting choices? Sure. But I wouldn't complain if she were chosen.

I remember watching After the Wedding and enjoying it, but until The Night Manager, I think we could have had opened 100 next director threads and her name would not have appeared once, such is her resume. That said, yes, I enjoyed The Night Manager, and sure, I could see Hiddleston as Bond. But we need to be entirely fair - The Night Manager is LeCarre, whose material, always top-notch - has been directed by numerous directors who, if the timing were right, could easily be "flavour du jour" (Alfredson, Merreillias, Corbjin - please excuse my spelling), as I suspect Bier is right now.

I'm far interested to see who's writing Bond 25 before getting too worked up about director. Yes, Bier deserves credit for The Night Manager, but no more than the source material, and the likes of Coleman and Laurie, who I suspect don't need to attribute the quality of their performance to this or any other director. There is something about LeCarre's work that supercedes (to say carries a director would be too unfair) the director - you almost have to work at fouling it up (Russia House!), so the author gets the bulk of the credit.

In retrospect, Bier's previous work makes her a fit for LeCarre - Bond, as IMHO Mendes himself found out with SP, is a very different animal requiring a different touch.

Not ruling her out, but annointing her? Not by a long way, just preferring some perspective and an eye on who could write Bond 25...

[sharpshooter]

I haven't seen The Night Manager yet, but plan to. However I like the idea that these two - Hiddleston and Bier, team up again and build a chemistry together. 

[Dustin]

If anything I thought The Night Manager ended a bit too conveniently with the good guys winning on every account. But there were some Bond moments included in the story - scenes that were not in the novel - that made it clear Hiddleston was already directed with greater aspirations in mind.

[Shrublands]

Nothing much really, but back in February she said this.

 

 

 

Susanne Bier hopes on Bond

When the next James Bond movie is made, producers are more than welcome to give Susanne Bier a call. - "Of course I would like to make a Bond movie. Who would not like it?" she said.

 

 

 

So she'd be up for the idea.

 

http://www.svd.se/su...-hoppas-pa-bond

[DaveBond21]

From what I saw of the Night Manager, Hiddleston seemed good, and the plot was interesting but not enough to keep me watching.

 

Mind you I've never seen an episode of Game of Thrones so I'm not big on TV drama series.

[SecretAgentFan]

I would welcome a female director to the Bond series, and to already have her working well with Hiddleston would be a plus.

 

I wouldn´t mind Hugh Laurie as "M", by the way.  Or "Q".

[Yellow Pinky]

I would welcome a female director to the Bond series, and to already have her working well with Hiddleston would be a plus.

 

I wouldn´t mind Hugh Laurie as "M", by the way.  Or "Q".

I suggested him as Q around the time of Casino Royale, saying that if they bring Q and Moneypenny back, he'd make an excellent Q in the more classic, crusty style.

[Odd Jobbies]

Yada yada... Night Manager was all fur coat and no knickers. The direction was by the numbers and particularly lacking in the plausibility of the relationship between the principal protagonist and antagonist; the actors needed some pointers (otherwise known as direction) to allow the trust to evolve. It  was instead a carousel of cliches; all of which is passable Sunday night BBC entertainment, but a far cry from a good  Bond movie. Giving Bier the reigns would be a return to the days of John Glen's by-the-numbers Bond's of the 80s

 

TBH i think she's getting the press because of her gender - had a man directed Night Manager it wouldn't be sensational enough to raise an eyebrow. When it comes to the real female contenders Katherine Bigelow and Lynne Ramsey are far more interesting, capable filmmakers.

[Dustin]

I'm vastly unimpressed with Bigelow; to me ZERO DARK THIRTY was exactly what you found Night Manager to be, dull and uninteresting and torture porn on top of it, which I despise. On the other hand I liked THE HURT LOCKER so maybe...

[SecretAgentFan]

Despite an unusual high budget for a BBC production, THE NIGHT MANAGER still had to manage a tight schedule and limited resources - which no director on earth could turn into a lavish Bond-style looking film.  

 

What Bier has achieved - and this I say regardless of her gender which, frankly, would be a useless and very chauvinistic discussion anyway - is astonishingly good and therefore earned raves by the majority of the audience AND people within the industry.  

 

Odd Jobbies, you are absolutely entitled to not like it - but please let your opinion be informed by the facts and do not deduct from this that Bier has the same style as John Glen.  

 

Which, by the way, again is not by-the-numbers at all but clean, unfussy and to the point.  Again, you are entitled to not like it - but snark does not help this conversation at all, nor your viewpoint.

 

Also, before you put down Bier´s directing style, look at all her other films which definitely prove that she is a true auteur, knowing exactly how to draw fantastic performances from actors AND how to work within a limited budget.

 

She is well regarded within the industry and definitely someone who could handle Bond and even give it a fresh perspective.

 

 

As for Bigelow - she´s hit and miss for me.  I agree with you, Dustin: ZERO DARK THIRTY did nothing for me, HURT LOCKER, however, was interesting, mainly for its story and fresh approach.  However, I understand that Bigelow is rather interested in developing her own material than going for a big franchise. 

[Odd Jobbies]

I'm vastly unimpressed with Bigelow; to me ZERO DARK THIRTY was exactly what you found Night Manager to be, dull and uninteresting and torture porn on top of it, which I despise. On the other hand I liked THE HURT LOCKER so maybe...

True, ZDT was indeed by the numbers (seemed more a state sponsored propaganda exercise than cinema). But until Bier delivers something even close to The Hurt Locker she can go to the back of the line, imho.

[Odd Jobbies]

Despite an unusual high budget for a BBC production, THE NIGHT MANAGER still had to manage a tight schedule and limited resources - which no director on earth could turn into a lavish Bond-style looking film.  

 

What Bier has achieved - and this I say regardless of her gender which, frankly, would be a useless and very chauvinistic discussion anyway - is astonishingly good and therefore earned raves by the majority of the audience AND people within the industry.  

 

Odd Jobbies, you are absolutely entitled to not like it - but please let your opinion be informed by the facts and do not deduct from this that Bier has the same style as John Glen.  

 

Which, by the way, again is not by-the-numbers at all but clean, unfussy and to the point.  Again, you are entitled to not like it - but snark does not help this conversation at all, nor your viewpoint.

 

Also, before you put down Bier´s directing style, look at all her other films which definitely prove that she is a true auteur, knowing exactly how to draw fantastic performances from actors AND how to work within a limited budget.

 

She is well regarded within the industry and definitely someone who could handle Bond and even give it a fresh perspective.

 

 

As for Bigelow - she´s hit and miss for me.  I agree with you, Dustin: ZERO DARK THIRTY did nothing for me, HURT LOCKER, however, was interesting, mainly for its story and fresh approach.  However, I understand that Bigelow is rather interested in developing her own material than going for a big franchise. 

One man's 'snark' is another man's candour, though as you've made clear your obviously not keen on people speaking their mind (eg. Craig's Bond opines). So lets not get caught up in talking about talking, hey

 

Night Manager indeed had wonderful production values - the look and locations were superbly realised, even by BBC flagship standards. However, laying the plaudits for that at Bier's feet is hardly fair, when it's the DOP, camera operators, set designers, editors and the rest of the hard working crew that achieve most of this. Bier's priority is to realise the story and guide the actors and these are, imo, where Night Manager's short comings are.

 

I'm not poo-pooing the mini-series, it was a highly pleasurable watch, but to my mind connecting Bier to Bond is a catchy headline and nothing else. And as i replied to Dustin i totally agree that ZDT is run of the mill and i'm not suggesting Bigelow do Bond, but with The Hurt Locker on her resume she's far more qualified than Bier.

 

I'm bringing up gender not for chauvinistic reasons, but as i said because imo her direction does not merit a headline connecting her to Bond, but ever cynical about how the gossip mongering press tend to operate, her gender makes it a headline; They've run the Hiddleston rumour into the ground, so what's next...

 

'Oh, so it was a woman that directed Night Manager? Well what if she did the next Bond, directing Hiddleston again? A woman to make a Bond movie!!! Print it!...'

 

It's my guess that gender generated this story, rather than merit because, as i originally said if a man had directed Night Manager imo there'd have been no headline. I think you obviously misunderstood that  (doubtless due to my rambling scribbling). The chauvinism is on the part of the press using gender for headlines, in my humble opinion.

 

Anyhow, with the delayed schedule of B25 i'm hoping Nolan might've finished Dunkirk in time to take the reigns (one can dream )

[SecretAgentFan]

No harm done, and none intended by me.  

 

And I am absolutely keen on people speaking their mind.  But I´m claming that right for myself, too.  I was hoping I made a rationally argued point.  If that came across differently I apologize.  

[Odd Jobbies]

Likewise

[Single-O-Seven]

Now kiss and make up you two.

 

If anything, this latest round of media conjecture gives me even more cause to watch and analyze (and enjoy) the Night Manager. Just need to make myself get around to it.

[thecasinoroyale]

Mendes has Craig for the perfect pair, Bier could have Hiddleston?

 

Still....nice idea, and a first for the franchise having the 1st female director. New ground being broken; new director, female, and a new Bond to give us a fresh adventure for Bond 25.

[glidrose]

re: Odd Jobbies vs SecretAgentFan

I've not seen TNM yet - apart from several clips - but I have seen several of Bier's European films. And I can definitely say she's Bond-list material. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if BB has her on a short-list of potential Bond directors. I would however be surprised if Bier never directs Bond. Provided she agrees to do something about her annoying penchant for hand-held camera work.

I do think her gender plays more than some part in the attention she's getting. But I can also see BB deciding that it's high time a woman directed Bond. And Bier is likely to be top of that very exclusive list as we speak.

Mind you, I do understand Odd Jobbie's "John Glen" comment about the direction of TNM if the uninspired clips with their blatant tv production values are anything to go by. A world apart from her direction in "After the Wedding" which stars Bond villain Mads Mikkelsen. The cinematographer who shot TNM almost exclusively does TV.

Before we get too carried away with Bier, I did stumble across this quote about her films... "Interconnected stories, family secrets, dead or absent parents, broken relationships, emotional distress, and people struggling to reconcile the stubbornness of their ideals with the harsh nature of their realities — these are the recurrent themes in the works of Susanne Bier."

...so more of the same "this time it's personal" if she does B25.