RISICO

Shortened version of what was said before.

Synopsis: When an anonymous terror threat is delivered to the British Embassy in Jakarta, James Bond is sent on an investigation that takes him from the mansions of East Hampton to an abandoned Japanese airfield deep in the Indonesian jungle to prevent global catastrophe.

JAMES BOND

Bond's out of his emo phase.

KARL VON HAMMERSTEIN

The scion of an old money family who lost their fortune, he's dedicated his life to rebuilding his wealth through expansive mining ventures around the globe.

SARAH VAN ACKER

A New York heiress and socialite who gets caught up in Bond's investigation.

GALA BRAND

The tall, capable MI6 veteran assigned to assist Bond in Jakarta. She plays a vital role in Operation Risico.

JAMIE JAMIESON

A hulking drunk of an ex-RSAS officer turned freelance pilot and mercenary, he knows the Java to New Guinea like the back of his hand. Bond and Brand hire him to assist them in their investigation in Jakarta.

SPECIAL AGENT LANCE PLEXICO

Bond's aging, nearing to retirement FBI contact in New York.

THE WITNESS
aka Abdul Isomuddin. A Western educated terrorist who wraps himself in radical Islam to meet his own anarchist ends.

ANDERS
Former US Special Forces, horribly scarred after several tours of duty in the Middle East. He worked for the private security firm contracted to protect von Hammerstein's mining interests in Indonesia. When that contract expired, he was hired to head von Hammerstein's private security staff in New York.

VIVIENNE MICHEL
The attractive French-African wunderkind executive in charge of von Hammerstein's business operations in the South Pacific.

KUMAR
The MI6 station chief in Jakarta.

RADOVAN POKRAJIC
Dangerous terrorist Bond is assigned to track down and capture.

TANNER
Chief of Staff of MI6.

MONEYPENNY
M's executive secretary.

M
She's burnt her degree from the Upstairs School of Hollywood Psychology.

Will post the old script excerpts shortly.

I swear I posted this but it must've crashed or something. Anyways, here's a rough synopsis of the first act.

We return from the titles to a scene where Struthers arrives home, only to be murdered and some of his files burnt. A sequence follows where the mysterious packages change hands numerous times before being dropped at the gate of the embassies. We find Bond on a golf course, playing against a t&a-riffic trophy wife. Sexually charged banter follows. Bond is interrupted by a phone call. It's Tanner, and he's wanted immediately.

Moneypenny and M scene follow as above. Bond arrives in Jakarta and meets Gala Brand. She takes him to his hotel and leaves him to settle in while she reports to her superiors. Bond's room overlooks the pool. He spots a dark skinned beauty by the pool. He goes to the pool, and starts chatting her up. Her name is Vivien Michelle and she's in Indonesia on business. They agree to have dinner that night. Bond and Gala search Struthers' home, and find a half burnt document from "The Bintan Mining Group". It's an employment contract. Kumar, head of Station I, informs them that the company sole assett a Bauxite mine. They all agree this is suspiscious (why would a bauxite mine need to employ a nuclear physicist?) and agree to check out the mine. Gala takes Bond to meet Jamie Jamieson, a pilot and mercenary she's hired, who agrees to fly them out there once he sobers up. Bond returns to the hotel late at night and runs into Vivienne in the hallway. She confronts him over standing up. They have sex.

Bond's woken the next morning when his phone rings. It's Gala, Jamieson is sober. He tells Vivienne his got to go on a sight seeing tour. She says she has work to do. She's the Vice President in charge of Operations at KVH - another mining company.

Bond, Jamieson and Gala scope out the mine. There's a full security regiment, but little sign of activity. Bond sneaks into the mine, and photographs some of the security personell who seem to be running things. Gala identifies one as Abdhul Isomuddin, better known as "The Witness" - an internationally known terrorist. As Bond escapes the mine, he is detected by a guard and an alarm is raised. Action sequence follows. The three escape in the plane just barely. As they fly away, Bond notices a KVH helicopter hurrying towards the mine.

Back at Station J, Kumar identifies a list of the terrorists and confirms that the mine is owned by KVH. Bond returns to his hotel and F***S Vivienne again, this time pulling his gun on her post-coital and violently questioning her about the mine, Struthers and terrorists. She insists it should be closed down, that she doesn't know why they were still there. Bond forces her to call her superior and inquire about it. She nervously claims that they're as clueless as she is. Bond reminds her that he's just down the hall.

The next day Bond meets Gala in the lobby, a body bag is being pulled out into an ambulence. The receptionist claims that some mining executive overdosed on sleeping pills last night in their room. Bond is unphased. He contacts M, who agrees that he should follow the KVH lead. Bond returns to a waiting Gala and asks if she's ever been to New York.

Just me or do I go from writing Bond as Roger Moore to Sean Connery to Brosnan in three lines here?

Quote :

She puts down her papers and leans over to extend a hand.

VIVIENNE
I don’t believe I caught your name?

BOND
St. John. St. John Smythe. But my friends call me James.
(beat; off Vivienne’s reaction)
Scottish naming quirk.

VIVIENNE
Your accent had me fooled. I would’ve sworn you were English.

BOND
English-raised, certainly.

VIVIENNE
I see. And what do you do Mister St. John Smythe? When you’re not loitering around Indonesian swimming pools.

BOND
I dabble in risk management.

VIVIENNE
(surprised; genuine)
An actuary? Color me impressed.

BOND
I'm sure someone in your position collects them.

VIVIENNE
Not as many as you'd think.

Fun read so far Vesper.

Quote :

Bond returns to a waiting Gala and asks if she's ever been to New York.

No. Valencia remember?

What software do you use for the screenplay formating Vesper?

Salomé wrote:

What software do you use for the screenplay formating Vesper?

Final Draft which I uh... obtained legally, of course. I draft in text edit though, don't ask me why.

Sharky wrote:

Valencia remember?

Piss off Babs. :)

Pre-titles. Maybe.

This is very much on the backburner while I work on other things/have a life, but I can't sleep, have writer's block and wrote this out instead. eta: more insomnia/writers block. Obviously a lot of stuff with the waiter is missing.

Quote :

[snip]


SARAH
My goodness. That’s quite the drink.

BOND
Are you feeling brave enough to try one?

SARAH
Not quite.
(to the waiter)
I’ll have a Perfect Manhattan. Ridgemont Reserve. With a twist instead of a cherry please.

WAITER
Very good madam.

BOND
(wry)
A Manhattan in Manhattan?

SARAH
(humourous; filling air; to Bond)
When in Rome do as the Romans do. When in New York...

BOND
And what do New Yorkers do?

SARAH
True New Yorkers? My gosh. They fundraise. They meet. They greet. They--

BOND
--blow up mines for the insurance money?

She laughs nervously.

SARAH
I’m afraid I don’t follow you.

BOND
Von Hammerstein. One of his mines in Jakarta blew up recently.

SARAH
Oh.
(beat)
Well, Karl’s not really a true New Yorker anyway. Not anymore. His family went bust during the Great Depression. Until he wormed his way into mining his family were just cockroaches in society’s attic.

Bond mentally notes this. Stores it for later.

BOND
And what about you?

Sarah lights up.

SARAH
My family settled in New York back when it was just New Amsterdam. They were merchants. Eventually we turned to steel and practically built everything south of 42nd street.

BOND
Is that what you do? Sell steel?

SARAH
(smiling)
I give it away for free to those who cross me. And no. There’s a fund. It pays my way.

BOND
So why are you with Von Hammerstein then?

A beat. She’s put back by this question. She stirs her drink, thinks.

SARAH
He... he’s conveniently absent. Eighty eight percent of the time I’m free to do as I please. As for the remaining twelve... he’s always going somewhere interesting or meeting someone fascinating.

She takes a drink.

SARAH (CONT’D)
I hardly think I’d marry him.

A beat. She looks at the menu.

SARAH (CONT'D)
I haven't got the slightest clue what to eat. I'd order oysters but I'm afraid the results would be quite unlady-like. And I'm so over caviar.

She trails off.

SARAH
(back to Karl; not taking her eyes of the menu)
What's your fascination with him anyway? It's positively homoerotic, anymore and I'll get jealous.

BOND
Is it too much for me to think he's interesting individual?

She bursts into laughter.

SARAH
Yes, yes it is.

BOND
I'm interested in him because my job requires it.
(A beat. He subtly looks her over)
If it reassures you at all my base interests lie elsewhere.

A lightbulb switches on in Sarah's head. The confirmation of his interest changes her body language. She's leans forward. More open. More intimate.

SARAH
(wisened up; amused by the whole thing)
You're not actually an actuary are you?

Yes, that last line is too cute.

Vesper wrote:

BOND
And what do New Yorkers do?

THEY FEAST.

I like your "I'll do my best" / "I need better" exchange.

Louis Armstrong wrote:

Vesper wrote:

BOND
And what do New Yorkers do?

THEY FEAST.

I like your "I'll do my best" / "I need better" exchange.

Ha. That's what happens when you use writing as an insomnia cure

I'm bored, so I decided to tinker with this a little bit to make the Sarah character a bit more of a vacuous society girl. I doubt that'd work in a film but as a pointless exercise I don't see the harm.

Quote :

SARAH
That’s quite the drink.

BOND
Are you brave enough to try one?

SARAH
Not quite.
(to the waiter)
I’ll have a Manhattan. Ridgemont Reserve. With a twist.

WAITER
Very good madam.

BOND
(wry)
A Manhattan in Manhattan?

SARAH
(humourous; filling air; to Bond)
When in Rome.

BOND
Have you ever been?

SARAH
(spacey)
Been where?

BOND
Rome?

SARAH
Oh. Once. Found it a collosal bore. I realise one is supposed to be fascinated by the history and the fashion but the whole place has such a grimy atmosphere. I certainly wasn't throwing coins in the fountain.
(beat)
Have you been?

BOND
A couple of times.

SARAH
What took you there?

BOND
Liquidation.

SARAH
Oh. Terrible thing this financial crisis, I swear my share portfolio has halved in value. Makes one feel wretchedly poor.

BOND
I imagine it's hit your boyfriend hard?

SARAH
(giddy. Laughing)
Karl? Oh, he's not my boyfriend. Gosh! And in any event he's always been hard up for money, I doubt the downturn made much of a difference. Lord knows what kind of venture he's into these days. Probably blowing up his mines for the insurance money.

A beat. She laughs nervously.

BOND
Do you think he actually would?

SARAH
I’m afraid I don’t follow you.

BOND
Karl. One of his mines in Jakarta blew up recently.

SARAH
Oh that dreadful business? Don't be silly. He's a desperate little cockroach but he's not that desperate.

Bond mentally notes this. Stores it for later.

BOND
So if he's so desperate why are you with him?

A beat. She’s put back by this question. Almost offended. She stirs her drink, thinks.

SARAH
It's an arrangement. Nothing else. He gets to be seen with an heiress on his arm and I get to go to interesting places and meet fascinating people without putting myself out a penny.

She takes a drink.

SARAH (CONT’D)
I do alright by it. I hardly think I’d marry him.

BOND
Has he asked?

SARAH
Twice. I turned him down. Easiest thing I've ever done...