Diamonds Are Forever in Review

groucho070 wrote:

:twisted:

I am actually colour blind...

I am too, but even so, that is pretty damned pink in any light.

AMC Hornet wrote:

DAF was my first exposure to 007, and I've never lost affection for it.

Those who say that Connery was bored, uunengaged and just shuffling through the motions need to watch YOLT again. Perhaps it was just that $1m+ paycheck that put the sparkle back in his eye, but so what? Motivation is motivation.

As an entry-level Bond film, DAF still ticks all the boxes, and it truly was the right vehicle for the seventies. If you wanted gritty, angst-laden action films there was always Serpico and the French Connection. If you wanted a distraction from Vietnam and gas shortages there was DAF and the Moore films to come...

Here's a quote from the Guardian review: "And yet Connery clearly does not want to be there. He shuffles through the motions like some ageing heavyweight showboater, flirting with disaster, his toupee slipping."

The review is well thought out and well written, but I totally disagree with its assessment of Seanery's performance. I got the sense he actually enjoyed acting in DAF. The above quote applies more accurately to Seanery's performance in YOLT.

Perilagu Khan wrote:

The review is well thought out and well written, but I totally disagree with its assessment of Seanery's performance. I got the sense he actually enjoyed acting in DAF. The above quote applies more accurately to Seanery's performance in YOLT.

Agreed. It's clear as day that Connery is having a ball in the flick and whenever someone comes up and claims that he looked bored I'm always there to call bullshit. Connery may have gained several pounds but he still has that twinkle in his eye you won't find in YOLT and NSNA (the former for being too gimmicky and the latter for being "a piece of shit"). I don't think it's the best possible swan song for his 007 tenure and the climax is certainly compromised, but overall it makes a more enjoyable final entry than YOLT or NSNA.

I can live with that review, but I don't attach any importance to his criticisms. He does like the film though, in fact he calls it his favourite, but he seems to feel a need to justify his like. But that's to be expected. Critics aren't supposed to be cheerleaders. They have a job to do.

IMO what makes DAF so enjoyable is the campy but still, dark vibe which permeates the film, which the writer does allude to. The film manages to fuse escapist elements with very palpable danger. It's a fun but dangerous romp. Sean's natural menace as Bond also helps to ground the film, tempering the more outrageous elements and suspending disbelief. When done well, this really is the magic Bond formula. Uncle borrowed this formula from Bond and had it nailed down in the early years, before going off the rails in the 3rd season, only to recover in Season 4.