The 'For Your Eyes Only appreciation thread'

2

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  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    OP is my favourite Moore Bond closely followed by FYEO.
    FYEO feels like it was written for Dalton and had it starred him FYEO might be my No 1 Bond even.
  • ForYourEyesOnlyForYourEyesOnly In the untained cradle of the heavens
    Posts: 1,984
    Octopussy follows The Spy Who Loved Me in terms of my favorites among the Moore films, but I do think FYEO brings more objectively impressive storywriting and has some more memorable scenes. However, like OP, it's marred by the introduction of certain ridiculous elements like the PTS.
  • AceHoleAceHole Belgium, via Britain
    Posts: 1,730
    Funny as I have always liked the PTS.
    The whole buildup from the grave visit - to Bond reluctantly getting aboard the chopper - then the mid-air struggle without any background music, only for Conti's victorious take on the Bond theme to kick at just the right moment...
  • ForYourEyesOnlyForYourEyesOnly In the untained cradle of the heavens
    edited November 2015 Posts: 1,984
    The grave visit was fine in my opinion (it was a great nod to the older Bonds after years of increasingly detached Moore movies), it's just the whole turning of Blofeld into a comedy instrument. He literally doesn't even have a spectre of his previous menace. Laughable villain.
  • Carole Bouquet has talken more and more freely about her experience in this movie in the French media.
    Do you know why she has a weird, attitude of detachment when she gives her exposition speech at the beginning of the car chase ? Well, she wasn't told it would take place during the chase, she played it as if it was just an exposition scene with no danger anywhere.

    Interesting. Honestly, it seems like she carries the air of detachment throughout the film though. Not a lot of visible emotional range.

    Carole Bouquet was dubbed (poor decision imo). That's why her line readings are so flat.

  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited November 2015 Posts: 23,883
    Carole Bouquet has talken more and more freely about her experience in this movie in the French media.
    Do you know why she has a weird, attitude of detachment when she gives her exposition speech at the beginning of the car chase ? Well, she wasn't told it would take place during the chase, she played it as if it was just an exposition scene with no danger anywhere.

    Interesting. Honestly, it seems like she carries the air of detachment throughout the film though. Not a lot of visible emotional range.

    I liked her portrayal. There was an air of icy rage underneath her grief for most of the film. Like her parent's deaths had buried her emotions, which she openly showed initially on the boat when she came to meet them.

    I think she did a much better job than the similar Kurlyenko in QoS.

    They should have given her a more meaningful scene for the finale on the mountaintop though. Something with weight.....meaning, like they gave Camille
  • Interesting. Honestly, it seems like she carries the air of detachment throughout the film though. Not a lot of visible emotional range.

    She said something like "The stuntwoman acted more than I did".
  • JNOJNO Finland
    Posts: 137
    My favorite Bond movie with OHMSS.

    I just can´t appreciate it more. I´m sorry :))
  • AceHoleAceHole Belgium, via Britain
    Posts: 1,730
    I thought Bouquet was a solid Bondgirl, and actually had good chemistry with Moore. In fact I can't think of a female lead whom he had better on-screen chemistry with than her...
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    Bouquet was an amazing Bond girl, and a total babe as well. As I said, she did a much better job than action girl Camille imho, and I wish she was given a little more to do in the finale.....there were too many cooks up on that mountaintop and I would have preferred just Bond/Melina/Columbo.
  • JNOJNO Finland
    Posts: 137
    Bouquet was amazing. True beauty with acting skills. One of the best Bond girls ever.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    She was originally supposed to be in MR, and even visited the set. What a damn shame. I can imagine her as Goodhead now (reimagined from American CIA of course)
  • I've seen little discussion over the score so far. I know it often gets lumped into the 'dated and weird' category, but I quite enjoy it. Theres a jovial lightness and fun to the various pieces and they make the action scenes that much more exciting. It certainly helps keep the tone rather light and not TOO serious.

    The PTS is complete nonsense, but in an entertaining way. It's so far removed from the rest of the movie that it feels a bit jarring, but it works within the 'lets just have some fun with this' ethos of the Moore era.

    As for Moore himself, I feel his age was better suited for something like Octopussy, but he manages to be his charming self and you quickly forget it, even if it's quite noticeable at times
  • augie7107augie7107 Boston
    Posts: 108
    Was in Meteora last summer. That is an amazing pace and most definitely a Bond setting.
  • JNOJNO Finland
    Posts: 137
    Thank God Bouquet wasn´t in MR! Of course it would´ve made the film a lot better but still... FYEO is so perfect and miss Carole is like a cherry on the pie.

    I´ve been to Corfu once and I visited the filming locations.
  • Regarding the score, why oh why didn't they make more use of the submarine score?
    His best piece by far and he uses it once.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    bondjames wrote: »
    Carole Bouquet has talken more and more freely about her experience in this movie in the French media.
    Do you know why she has a weird, attitude of detachment when she gives her exposition speech at the beginning of the car chase ? Well, she wasn't told it would take place during the chase, she played it as if it was just an exposition scene with no danger anywhere.

    Interesting. Honestly, it seems like she carries the air of detachment throughout the film though. Not a lot of visible emotional range.

    I liked her portrayal. There was an air of icy rage underneath her grief for most of the film. Like her parent's deaths had buried her emotions, which she openly showed initially on the boat when she came to meet them.

    I think she did a much better job than the similar Kurlyenko in QoS.

    They should have given her a more meaningful scene for the finale on the mountaintop though. Something with weight.....meaning, like they gave Camille

    That close-up shot of her eyes (and what eyes) after the assassination of her parents is an iconic moment of the series. As is the image of her with the crossbow.

    Funny you mention Camille. Melina and Camille are maybe my two favourite Bond girls ever, with honourable mentions to Vesper and Tracy, of course.
  • Interesting thread! I love love love FYEO. For me, it felt like a throwback to the down to earth earlier films such as DN, FRWL, and OHMSS. In fact I'm watching the movie tonight as part of my mini Bond marathon. Moore is just great, he was channeling his inner Connery, he did it better in this film than say TMWTGG.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    The shift from MR to FYEO (a positive one, for those who are in denial), is second only to the shift from DAD to CR. (Also positive, for those who are lobotomized.)
  • AntiLocqueBrakesAntiLocqueBrakes The edge
    Posts: 538
    Interesting thread! I love love love FYEO. For me, it felt like a throwback to the down to earth earlier films such as DN, FRWL, and OHMSS. In fact I'm watching the movie tonight as part of my mini Bond marathon. Moore is just great, he was channeling his inner Connery, he did it better in this film than say TMWTGG.

    May not have been easy to get Moore to be more like Connery as you say. I heard somewhere, for example, that Moore didn't want to kick Locque off the cliff. Glen had to talk him into it.
  • The shift from MR to FYEO (a positive one, for those who are in denial), is second only to the shift from DAD to CR. (Also positive, for those who are lobotomized.)

    I completely agree sir!
  • ForYourEyesOnlyForYourEyesOnly In the untained cradle of the heavens
    edited November 2015 Posts: 1,984
    Interesting thread! I love love love FYEO. For me, it felt like a throwback to the down to earth earlier films such as DN, FRWL, and OHMSS. In fact I'm watching the movie tonight as part of my mini Bond marathon. Moore is just great, he was channeling his inner Connery, he did it better in this film than say TMWTGG.

    May not have been easy to get Moore to be more like Connery as you say. I heard somewhere, for example, that Moore didn't want to kick Locque off the cliff. Glen had to talk him into it.

    It's in the audio commentary for FYEO. Moore wanted the Mercedes to be so precariously perched on the cliffside that simply flicking the pin into the car was the pivotal difference necessary to knock it over. But Glen thought that was too light and laughable, so he wanted a bolder and more defining move. That's why he had Moore kick the car off the cliff (but he still implemented Moore's idea of flicking the pin in, which adds to the tense atmosphere of the scene). The result is Moore's second best scene ever, behind only the patriotic parachute, IMO.
  • Posts: 1,165
    I love this movie. My favourite of Roger's after TSWLM.
    My only issue with FYEO is the campy PTS with Blofeld. I love the helicopter stunt but the Blofeld character and the chimney drop is so at odds with the rest of the film. However once you get past that, and luckily it's at the very beginning, then the film comes into it's own and it's a cracker.

    Part of me though would love for it to have had Dalton in the lead.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,346
    I love Blofeld's death. I also love how smarmy Roger is when he free's the helicopter from Blofeld's control, grinning as he's about to finally finish off Blofeld and avenge Tracy. It's short and sweet.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    No doubt SPECTRE payed tribute to it. PTS, I mean.

    Probably no coincidence either, as it was the last film to feature Blo..oberhauser.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,346
    Ernesto Bloberhauser! =))
  • Interesting thread! I love love love FYEO. For me, it felt like a throwback to the down to earth earlier films such as DN, FRWL, and OHMSS. In fact I'm watching the movie tonight as part of my mini Bond marathon. Moore is just great, he was channeling his inner Connery, he did it better in this film than say TMWTGG.

    May not have been easy to get Moore to be more like Connery as you say. I heard somewhere, for example, that Moore didn't want to kick Locque off the cliff. Glen had to talk him into it.

    Yeah that story is true, but the film really cut back on all the humor and camp from Moore's previous films, that includes his characterization. Moore's Bond in this film just reminded me a lot of Early Connery and Lazenby.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,788
    Murdock wrote: »
    I love Blofeld's death. I also love how smarmy Roger is when he free's the helicopter from Blofeld's control, grinning as he's about to finally finish off Blofeld and avenge Tracy. It's short and sweet.
    The ultimate FU.
    =D>
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    Posts: 15,423
    The film is my favourite of all the Bond films, to tell you the truth. The thing is... I do consider The Spy Who Loved Me to be Moore's best, but For Your Eyes Only is my favourite, if that makes sense.
  • Junglist_1985Junglist_1985 Los Angeles
    edited December 2021 Posts: 1,026
    Bringing this to the front.

    Had a very pleasant rewatch recently. I tend to forget how much solid ACTION this film has… Everything from the car chase, to the ski chase, to the scuba diving and keelhauling, the raid on Kristatos’ warehouse, and of course the rock climbing! The Fleming vibes are strong, it has a tight script, and Roger handles serious moments very well. It’s shame we didn’t get that side of him more often.

    I think where people downgrade the film is due to having a “weak” villain - however the reveal is rather well done as you’re led to believe it is Colombo. And then there’s the score. Would I have preferred Barry? Of course! But Conti has a few great pieces in there.

    Can’t forget to mention Colombo is certainly one of the best allies in the whole franchise.

    FYEO has for a long time fought with TSWLM as my top Moore film, but I’m now putting FYEO solidly ahead.
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