I liked Lea Seydoux as Madeline in this film. She is beautiful and determined, and sort of reminiscent of Natalya (Izabella Scorupco) in Goldeneye. And like Natalya, she even saves Bond's ass once.
She actually LOOKS more like Tatiana Romanova (Daniella Bianchi) from From Russia With Love, especially in the train scenes which themselves are quite reminiscent of the Orient Express scenes from that great film.
Check out an actress called Jemima West, she really does look similar.
shareI like Lea, but did not feel any chemistry between the two.. seemed forced to me.
shareMe too, I thought Seydoux was excellent and the best love interest for Craig in his entire run so far.
What I like about her performance is that she's confident without being one of those tiresome ball-breakers. She's vulnerable without coming across as a wimp and there's a playful, teasing quality to the way she delivers her lines that I found attractive.
It's tough to get that combination right in films like this but here it really works and performance aside the writing is really strong in all the scenes between Madeline and Bond. That line of hers about how her Dad kept a 9mm Beretta under the sink to deal with unwanted visitors instantly lets you know what kind of woman you're dealing with.
There's a grounded, convincing chemistry between them that I didn't feel between, say, Eva Green and Craig in CR. So much so that when Madeline tells Bond she can't go with him any more one completely understands where she's coming from. It's not just a plot device so the baddie can kidnap her, it's because this life is what she's been running away from and that plays into the film's key theme which is whether Bond is just a killer or a person capable of having an actual life and relationship.
In order to win Madeline, Bond has to prove to her, to us, that he isn't just The Terminator in a tuxedo. That's the significance of Bond's refusal to shoot Blofeld even though some dummies on this board wouldn't understand that, much less empathise, even if it was tattooed on their stupid foreheads.
So, yeah, I thought she was terrific and the final scene between her and Bond in the Aston Martin felt like coming home. You've got a confident Bond, in his favourite car with his new favourite lady. Perfect.
Mai Yamane! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-sYFirfywY&feature=related
Verily I say unto thee...to me she came across as just another disposable Bond girl who will quickly be replaced in Bond's affections by whichever flavour of the month hottie who is cast in the next movie. I didn't pick up on this falling in love thing at all, they went off together in a car..so what?
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