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Sévérine (SF) vs. Andrea Anders (TMWTGG)

Gustav_GravesGustav_Graves
edited July 2013 in Bond Movies Posts: 11,119
Both Miss Severine and Miss Anders had two big similarities:
A) They were the misstresses of the leading villain
B) They were pure sacrificial lambs; they were killed by the villain

Actually, I found the scenes between Miss Anders and Bond and Miss Anders and Scaramanga the best highlights of a rather weak Bond film. And all these scenes, especially the shower scenes and the first contact between Anders and Bond, reminded me a lot of the scenes between Bond and Severine in 'Skyfall'.

And.....in a way I can't really say which acting performance I found better. Both Maud Adams and Berenice Marlohe did a wunderful job in portraying this sacrificial lamb. Still, I'd like to ask you the inevitable difficult question: Which actress portrayed the better misstress/sacrifical lamb? Maud Adams as Andrea Anders in 'The Man With The Golden Gun'? Or Bérénice Lim-Marlohe as 'Sévérine' in 'Skyfall'?
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Comments

  • Perilagu_KhanPerilagu_Khan
    Posts: 2,483
    Good observations.

    Adams did a very good job in Gun, but Marlohe was something very special indeed. With more screen time, she would probably have been the greatest Bond girl of them all. As is, she's solidly in my top five.
  • Gustav_GravesGustav_Graves
    Posts: 11,119
    Perilagu_Khan wrote:
    Good observations.

    Adams did a very good job in Gun, but Marlohe was something very special indeed. With more screen time, she would probably have been the greatest Bond girl of them all. As is, she's solidly in my top five.

    So who will it be? Anders or Severine ;-)? You need to choose.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,803
    Very neat observations indeed, there. Well done. I've not yet seen Skyfall often enough to make that decision.
  • Perilagu_KhanPerilagu_Khan
    Posts: 2,483
    Gustav_Graves wrote:
    Perilagu_Khan wrote:
    Good observations.

    Adams did a very good job in Gun, but Marlohe was something very special indeed. With more screen time, she would probably have been the greatest Bond girl of them all. As is, she's solidly in my top five.

    So who will it be? Anders or Severine ;-)? You need to choose.

    Severine. I thought I'd made that reasonably clear.

  • ThunderbirdThunderbird
    Posts: 7
    Both also owned Beretta pistols, though only Anders took hers into the shower.

    I also thought Maud Adams was one of the best things about The Man With The Golden Gun, but Bernice Marlohe was an absolutely outstanding highlight of an already outstanding film. Part of me wishes she had a bigger role but what she did do in a tricky and demanding role was pitch perfect for Skyfall, an amazingly talented actress.
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    Both were great in their respective performances but i'm going to go with Anders on the basis that she had more screen time.
  • SirHenryLeeChaChingSirHenryLeeChaChing
    Posts: 3,494
    Severine all the way for me. Stunning and somewhat iconic already, at least in my mind. I liked Maud better in Octopussy.
  • StirredNotShakenStirredNotShaken Toronto
    Posts: 2,400
    Severine based simply on the fact that Maud Adams is possibly the most wooden actress ever to play a Bond girl. Though she wasn't nearly as bad in TMWTGG as she was in Octopussy.
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    @stirrednotshaken, you think Adams is more wooden than Barbara Bach??
  • SirHenryLeeChaChingSirHenryLeeChaChing
    Posts: 3,494
    doubleoego wrote:
    @stirrednotshaken, you think Adams is more wooden than Barbara Bach??

    I see his point to a degree, but agreed with you that Bach (and Richards too while we're on the topic) was more wooden than Maud.

  • LicencedToKilt69007LicencedToKilt69007 Belgium, Wallonia
    Posts: 523
    Great remark ; To answer your question, I prefered Maud Adams to Bérénice Marlohe because she had more class indeed. Similar role but different type of women (Skyfall's casino scene reminds more of GoldenEye's Onatopp for me), but doesn't discredit Marlohe who played her role correctly.
  • Gustav_GravesGustav_Graves
    Posts: 11,119
    I think I'll go for Berenice here. Perhaps Berenice had less screentime than Maud Adams in TMWTGG, but it's only a bitttt less screentime. Both actresses did not land the full Bond girl-lead.

    But screentime for me only is never the best argument to favor the other actress. On the contrary, I think Berenice did way more with her character than Maud Adams did with hers. Because Severine still had some bad sides in her personality. She openly wished Bond good luck at the end of the casino chat scene, because 'they are going to kill you'. I call that a small 'Viona Volpe-moment'.

    It makes Severine both a bad girl and a completely helpless girl. Having said that, I think both actresses portrayed their characters wunderfully. Maud Adams and Berenice Marlohe both showed us how you can give a minor role overwhelming presence in a Bond film. Hence the fact that there are even categories for these roles to award them with prizes (Oscar statue for 'Best Supporting Actress? Anyone?).

    Anyway, I go for Berenice, butttt it was a difficult choice.
  • StirredNotShakenStirredNotShaken Toronto
    Posts: 2,400
    Ehh, now that you mention it they're about tied. I like Anya a hell of a lot more than Octopussy, though.
  • Perilagu_KhanPerilagu_Khan
    Posts: 2,483
    doubleoego wrote:
    @stirrednotshaken, you think Adams is more wooden than Barbara Bach??

    The average totem pole is less wooden than Barbara Bach.

  • ShardlakeShardlake Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 4,043
    Serverine, Bernice looks like she can actually act whereas Adams wasn't that convincing, she gave a better performance in OP.

  • Gustav_GravesGustav_Graves
    Posts: 11,119
    Current standings:

    6 votes so far: Severine
    2 votes so far: Andrea Anders
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,350
    Sévérine I think is the better of the two characters as well.
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    I need to rewatch TMWTGG again but as good as Berenice was, I just couldn't really invest in her character in a way I would have liked and that's not Berenice's fault. Severine was shockingly wasted by having insufficient screen time imo. It was as if she was so good that they were scared to feature her more, you know like those collectors who buy expensive art and lock it up in a vault and only look at it once every 15 years. With Maude, there was a bit more to see and what we saw wasn't comparably bad which is why I voted for her in the end.
  • Gustav_GravesGustav_Graves
    edited July 2013 Posts: 11,119
    doubleoego wrote:
    I need to rewatch TMWTGG again but as good as Berenice was, I just couldn't really invest in her character in a way I would have liked and that's not Berenice's fault. Severine was shockingly wasted by having insufficient screen time imo. It was as if she was so good that they were scared to feature her more, you know like those collectors who buy expensive art and lock it up in a vault and only look at it once every 15 years. With Maude, there was a bit more to see and what we saw wasn't comparably bad which is why I voted for her in the end.

    I completely disagree. Killing off Severine that early contributed to the gravity and psychotic demeanor of villain Silva. Sometimes you can't have both. Moreover, I think with the amount of screentime given to Berenice, we have perhaps seen the best Bond girl ever with so little screentime. Or someone needs to mention another Bond-girl with so little screentime.

    I personally think.......Berenice deserved an Oscar nomination in the category 'Best Supporting Actress'.
  • RogueAgentRogueAgent
    Posts: 12,506
    As much as I like both characters? I will go with Severine due to her sultry looks and cold bloodedness until Bond got into her head.
  • timmertimmer
    edited July 2013 Posts: 4,622
    I'll vote Maud Adams. The opening pts shot of her langorously lounging and stretching on the beach at Scaramanga's island clinches it for me. :x
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,459
    Both were good characters, but I definitely prefer Severine overall as a stronger character and vote for her.
  • Perilagu_KhanPerilagu_Khan
    Posts: 2,483
    timmer wrote:
    I'll vote Maud Adams. The opening pts shot of her langorously lounging and stretching on the beach at Scaramanga's island clinches it for me. :x

    That opening sequence was sheer brilliance. "Nic Nac! Tabasco!"--the Benign Bizarre in spades, particularly with that exotic Phuket backdrop. And the rest of the PTS was equally good.

    But Severine was simply mesmerizing. One of those actresses you can't take your eyes off of. I can only imagine the impression she would have created if she were filmed in a bikini lounging on a beach in Thailand.

  • Gustav_GravesGustav_Graves
    Posts: 11,119
    Perilagu_Khan wrote:
    timmer wrote:
    I'll vote Maud Adams. The opening pts shot of her langorously lounging and stretching on the beach at Scaramanga's island clinches it for me. :x

    That opening sequence was sheer brilliance. "Nic Nac! Tabasco!"--the Benign Bizarre in spades, particularly with that exotic Phuket backdrop. And the rest of the PTS was equally good.

    But Severine was simply mesmerizing. One of those actresses you can't take your eyes off of. I can only imagine the impression she would have created if she were filmed in a bikini lounging on a beach in Thailand.

    So if you had to make a choice? Andrea Anders or Severine? ;-).
  • timmertimmer
    Posts: 4,622
    @gustavgraves I think PK has cast his lot with severine. Put him in the severine column.
  • SirHenryLeeChaChingSirHenryLeeChaChing
    Posts: 3,494
    Gustav_Graves wrote:
    doubleoego wrote:
    I need to rewatch TMWTGG again but as good as Berenice was, I just couldn't really invest in her character in a way I would have liked and that's not Berenice's fault. Severine was shockingly wasted by having insufficient screen time imo. It was as if she was so good that they were scared to feature her more, you know like those collectors who buy expensive art and lock it up in a vault and only look at it once every 15 years. With Maude, there was a bit more to see and what we saw wasn't comparably bad which is why I voted for her in the end.

    I completely disagree. Killing off Severine that early contributed to the gravity and psychotic demeanor of villain Silva. Sometimes you can't have both. Moreover, I think with the amount of screentime given to Berenice, we have perhaps seen the best Bond girl ever with so little screentime. Or someone needs to mention another Bond-girl with so little screentime.

    I personally think.......Berenice deserved an Oscar nomination in the category 'Best Supporting Actress'.

    GG, that's an interesting counterpoint to why you were fine with Severine's early exit and I must admit that her death did benefit Silva's persona, although I think he would have been fine either way. I just wanted to see a girl in the end and she would have been amazing like that, I thought she was just so iconic like I also find the CR women to be most recently. The last girl Bond ended up with was Jinx, and I still have that bad aftertaste. As far as Best Supporting, much as I would have loved that, I think Dench deserves it even more.

    I will mention two girls right off that come to mind since Spy and Bach were brought up- Caroline Munro and Olga Bisera. They were baddies like Severine, but also deserved way more time than they got and were equally hot. Especially Munro, who indeed did have such lovely lines :)


  • Gustav_GravesGustav_Graves
    Posts: 11,119
    Yeah...but....if we compare Naomi (Caroline Munro) with Severine (Berenice Lim-Marlohe), I thinkkkkkk we can find one or two...or three differences between those characters :P.
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    Gustav_Graves wrote:
    doubleoego wrote:
    I need to rewatch TMWTGG again but as good as Berenice was, I just couldn't really invest in her character in a way I would have liked and that's not Berenice's fault. Severine was shockingly wasted by having insufficient screen time imo. It was as if she was so good that they were scared to feature her more, you know like those collectors who buy expensive art and lock it up in a vault and only look at it once every 15 years. With Maude, there was a bit more to see and what we saw wasn't comparably bad which is why I voted for her in the end.

    I completely disagree. Killing off Severine that early contributed to the gravity and psychotic demeanor of villain Silva. Sometimes you can't have both. Moreover, I think with the amount of screentime given to Berenice, we have perhaps seen the best Bond girl ever with so little screentime. Or someone needs to mention another Bond-girl with so little screentime.

    I personally think.......Berenice deserved an Oscar nomination in the category 'Best Supporting Actress'.

    Berenice did a good job but in no way was it Oscar worthy. I think you've over excited yourself. If Eva Green didn't get an Oscar nom then there's no chance in Hell Betenice would, especially with her minuscule screen time. As for best Bond girl ever, again your jumping the gun. Sure, it's your opinion but Luciana Palluzi's Fiona an infinitely better character in every respect imo was killed off too soon also and would rank her as a superior Bond girl in addition with Eva Green.
  • Gustav_GravesGustav_Graves
    Posts: 11,119
    I said 'the best Bond girl ever given that small amount of screentime'. Eva Green had way more screentime and was the leading Bond girl. Why I mentioned the example of 'Oscar for best supporting actress', I wanted to make clear certain actresses can do marvellous things with only a tiny bit of screentime. It is one of the reasons why Dame Judi Dench won her Oscar...
  • OHMSS69OHMSS69
    Posts: 2,341
    Ms Anders had some good scenes in TMWTGG and Swedish born Maud Adams does a great job with her. She was the better of the bond girls in the movie. She has enough screen time to show her stuff and let audiences care about her.

    Severine is fine and very sexy. I only wish she had more screen time. We barely knew her. Her death is even more tragic than Anders death.
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