Lea Seydoux joins Bond 24

So we're getting Ethan Hunt's sloppy seconds?

She's attractive, but not what I'd consider a knock-out. Needs a lot of make-up to get close to Bond Girl material. At times she looks like a young Bridget Fonda (a good thing) or a young Renee Zellwegger (not a good thing).

Not sure what to think of this casting choice. Based upon her scissoring sizzling scenes in 'Blue' she's been hired? Just remember: Tanya Roberts was cast based off the strength of her performance in Beastmaster, and we all know how well that went.

Prisoner Monkeys wrote:

My point is that she's not a very convincing actor.

Lea's won a Palme d'Or for her acting. It's probably the most coveted film honour after an Oscar.

The Cannes jury was headed by Steven Spielberg, who said "...We were absolutely spellbound by the amazing performances of the two actresses."

And Halle Berry won an Oscar. Then she appeared in CATWOMAN.

Prisoner Monkeys wrote:

she's not a very convincing actor.

Steven Spielberg wrote:

[I was] absolutely spellbound ... amazing performance.

Better to admit you've seen nothing of Lea's work outside MI:4 and stop embarrassing yourself.

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

So we're getting Ethan Hunt's sloppy seconds?

We got Hitman's sloppy seconds in Quantum of Solace...and I think Lea looks better as a Bond girl than Olga.

bitchcraft wrote:

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

So we're getting Ethan Hunt's sloppy seconds?

We got Hitman's sloppy seconds in Quantum of Solace...

And we got John Steed's sloppy seconds in OHMSS.

And we got Mae West's sloppy seconds in TLD and LTK.

More Lea

You'd have to be an aspergic monkey to think she's not gonna be great be in Bond 24. Though we're all going to look pretty stupid if she isn't confirmed soon...

Anyone got that pic of her in the white Prada dress? She looks lovely.

Here she is out of the prada dress...

Excuse me for five minutes.

It's nice to get a blonde again. Haven't had one in the series since Rosamund Pike.

Makeshift Python wrote:

It's nice to get a blonde again.

And being French, probably with collars and cuffs to match.

Good to see some discussion of Lea's stunning looks rather than her ability to handle a sniper's rifle.

Erica Ambler wrote:

Good to see some discussion of Lea's stunning looks rather than her ability to handle a sniper's rifle.

She can take the recoil like a champ - no gag reflex.

Talking points you're likely to hear from Lea (provided to her by the marketing department of SONY):

"This is the next step in the evolution of the Bond Girl".

"She's strong and independent."

"She's feisty. She's Bond's equal."

"She's not your typical Bond Girl".

"She has her own agenda; she was written as a stand-alone action hero who just happened to be in a Bond movie."

Have I missed any?

Talking points I wish they'd instead use at these press junkets:

"She's arm candy."

"She adds nothing to the plot."

"I'm just here as set decoration."

"She's a whore."

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

"...She's Bond's equal."

Yeah, someone's bound to say that. They've kept that one going for quite some time. I think it started with Christmas Jones or Jinx.

Probably started more with Wai Lin, but had the angle going back to Holly Goodhead or Anya. I actually think Wai Lin and Camille are more of Bond's equal than any other Bond girl who is supposed to be Bond's equal. Holly Goodhead, Jinx and Pam come close, but they border on obnoxious and are poorly acted/written more than anything else.

I hope Lea's character isn't intended to be a Bond equal… Though I think she will be, given that Mendes will need to do something different from SF and, well Eve Moneypenny, for fear he'd come across as sexist.

This topic is worth it just for having seen Ambler use a Spielberg quote to make his argument.

Salomé wrote:

This topic is worth it just for having seen Ambler use a Spielberg quote to make his argument.

Yeah, I'm shameless. Good job only you noticed.

Would I be correct in saying that the only Bond Girl in the last quarter-century who hasn't been called "Bond's Equal" is Denise Richards?

I just don't see how they'd be able to spin that.

I think the Bond girls during the Craig era have been a vast improvement over the Brosnan era (perhaps not counting Goldeneye). Even Olga. It's probably not a coincidence that this coincidences with a return to the old tradition of casting European actresses.

If you mean Craig vs Brosnan, it's much of a muchness, I'd say.

Brosnan's big miss was Monica Bellucci, but Lea Seydoux is the first woman of the Craig era to interest me above the waist.

Salomé wrote:

I think the Bond girls during the Craig era have been a vast improvement over the Brosnan era (perhaps not counting Goldeneye). Even Olga. It's probably not a coincidence that this coincidences with a return to the old tradition of casting European actresses.

Agreed. I wasn't a fan of the Brosnan era putting a lot of emphasis on getting then popular American actresses.

Lea's attractive. I won't really know what I think until the movie comes out obviously.

Mendes seems to have a good grasp on Bond girls. Severine's screen time was cut painfully short but she made an impact. Hell she's one of my favorite Bond girls period. Time will tell.

In the mean time...