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But there's quite a large leap from changing hair colour, eye colour and height to changing a character's race. So, just imagine what that would be like.
Not really sure why people keep calling Idris sauve. He comes across as much of a brute, if not more, as Craig did in his earlier "becoming Bond" stories. He's a fine actor when cast right all the same, but that element of him escapes me. It doesn't help that beyond Stringer Bell and Luthor, he just seems to play varying versions of himself - some are just less shoutier than others.
I don't think Luke Evans has the right face for Bond but he plays heterosexuals very convincingly. And he's a very solid actor. If another gay actor can be as good and look the part then I'd be all for him.
Within the past year, I have re-watched American Gangster-- which has two explosive performances from Denzel and Russell Crowe...
However, this re-watch also showed me that Idris can't swim with the big fishes; I used to say he has the Connery animalistic coolness about him. Then I watched this film and he got utterly blown off the screen-- IMHO-- utterly blown away when he shared scenes with Denzel.
I hadn't seen such a mismatch in acting talent since Daniel Day Lewis decimated his co-stars in Gangs of New York.
Denzel made Idris look like a novice. Idris "acted" like a bad ass. Denzel just was.
And, unfortunately for me, I have not enjoyed Idris in anything since.
well said.
I think Evans looks very Bondian, but this only highlights how different people see actors. I've never warmed to Craig Bond, for example.
Having said that, I can appreciate the continued appeal of Elba as the poster boy for such perspectives. I'm of the opinion that he has something to him.
Yes, very well said.
There really is no debate here
This is a great comparison, but , often, when presented there will be those who rationalize that it's "different"; well it's not.
How about, Jackie Chan is, John Shaft?
Elba is a fine actor and has all of the charisma and physical presence to carry off the role and in many ways he shares a lot of Connery’s characteristics. He is handsome, moves like a cat and is tough but with a twinkle in his eye.
That said, this could have been an interesting idea fifteen years ago. Today, he is just way too old to take on the mantle of Bond. Right now, he is 45. By the time he straps on the PPK he will be 48. By the time he finishes a 4 picture deal he will be at least 56 !
In PussyNoMore’s not so humble opinion, the optimum age to start as Bond is probably 30 (Lazenby), one could probably be flexible for a super fit 40 year old but beyond that .......... come on, it’s for the read and laugh file.
Yes this is optimum age. See Connery (31-32) and Lazenby -the two most convincing Bonds IMO.
Both had the right look and requisite physicality. Both moved exceptionally well. Both of course were naturally athletic. This age gives the right actor opportunity to grow in the role and be retired by Age 45. Fleming's 00 section mandatory retirement age, which make perfect sense for a host of reasons.
Moore, Dalts and Broz all had the right look, but all debuted at 40+, and none moved particularly well. Mind you, I don't think Rog ever moved well. Never mind 40+. He was not an athletic person.
Craig has been quite good, despite not having the right look, but still should be considered a one-off ( ie going forward stick with the classic look)
DC though, has at least brought the physicality back to the role. His portrayal of Bond I find both convincing and enervating - brings back echoes of the Connery menace.
I'd rank Craig, performance-wise, best among the Connery-Lazenby successors, but going forward, please let's get back to basics.
As @DarthDimi says, there is no shortage of actors who fit the right look and age range.
We only need but one, who can also pull off the performance.
portrayed as an Englishman? what you mean as with Connery's 'English' accent?
Brosnan sounded like Seamus O'Bond half the time.
And okay Dalton was never anything other than English, but I'm not sure his lapses into Lancastrian were really nailing it on the characterisation front
Otherwise I agree with you.
but it's worth bearing in mind how much the Fleming character has been played around with already.
Brosnan didn't have even a hint of Irish in his accent when he was Bond. Not sure what kind of Irishmen you've been hanging around with, but we certainly don't sound like that.
Agree other than a micro second of an inflection of Irish, I have English, Irish and Welsh and Scottish grandparents. All none English Bond actors had micro moments when there accent appeared.
Exactly. James Bond has been a companion for 20 years now, since I watched GoldenEye on TV. It was a door to the English language and British culture, and whenever I look at any item of my collection the person or the moment behind it, which goes far beyond "only movies".
For the Elba Army, Bond films are "only movies". They don't care about the character like us. They want to make it black on a whim.
Before someone calls me racist, here's a list of movies starring black actors I have enjoyed: The Pursuit of Happiness, Collateral Beauty, Man on Fire, Collateral (ok, it's Cruise but Jamie Foxx has a leading role too).
Okay not quite “Oirish” but his mid Atlantic accent definitely has strong hints of his Irish origins.
Trust me - Brosnan doesn’t have an English accent.
Transatlantic is how I'd describe it, for me it was one of the big turn off's of his Bond for me.
So who has an English accent?
Moore and Craig I guess
Connery had a Scottish Burr.
Laz kind of covered his Aussie accent.
So that leaves Dalton. What was his accent?
Welsh?
English, I guess. T-Dalts was born in Wales (Colwyn Bay), but grew up in Northern England (hence the brief accent slip in LTK).
I still loved that slip, “you were just in time, things were about to get naastay “... don’t know why, but he just seems very natural and relaxed in the scene (I think Dalton was at his best with Davi).
Dalton’s accent is 100% English. As pointed out above he was born in Wales but that’s it. He grew up in England.
I have a feeling his dad was in the SAS or secret service or something and that he has Italian heritage - which shows I guess in his looks.
His RP accent slips quite often though to reveal his northern English origins.
I think he dropped out of RADA after only a year because they were obsessed at the time with getting young British actors to drop their regional accents.