Bloggers’ Blag: Will Idris Elba be a good James Bond?… Hell Yeah!

A few ill-advised comments from an ex- James Bond and we’re up in arms in a debate about ‘racism’ and whether the country is ready for a black 007.  Ridiculous!  It shames me to say that it wasn’t very long ago that we all celebrated the election of the first black president of the USA, when actually what we should have been asking is, 'Why has it taken so long?'

For me, 007 is up there with the likes of Dr Who and

Sherlock Holmes as one of our most beloved, British, fictional

characters.  What has kept James Bond popular over the

decades, is that he has evolved and developed as a

character,  just as British society (and dare I say it, The

Secret Service) has changed. 

The 007 films are a delight of sophisticated effects,

fantastical gadgetry.  They have been honoured with a

changing cast of brilliant, British actors.  Not

too long ago, we were debating the prudence of the

wonderful  Dame Judy Dench as M.  A move which, I

suggest, pushed the Bond films a bit further into embracing

our changing society and values.  

Traditionally Bond has been

misogynistic, but, I am

pleased to say that, in reflection
 
of society, this misogyny is

appearing less frequently, particularly in the Daniel Craig

films.  

In my mind the main considerations shouldn't be about Idris

Elba's blackness, but rather about whether he has the

necessary skills to be 007.  And, at the risk of

repeating myself, the answer has to be another resounding…

Hell Yeah!

We all know what we expect

from Bond.  We expect a gritty,

edgy, charming sociopath who,

despite these tendencies, has

the ability to appear vulnerable

at times.  We expect  007 to embrace danger and embark on

athletically demanding scenes that keep us on the edge of

our seats whilst remaining secure in the knowledge that Bond

will survive.

  
 
 
Idris Elba’s track record from

The Wire to Luther to

Mandela: Long Walk to

Freedom to Thor and

Prometheus, proves beyond a

doubt that he can portray the British icon that is James

Bond.  In my opinion,  he has definitely earned his Licence

To Kill (or at the very least to be James Bond).

So, that tricky matter settled, my next question has to be,

when will we see a US woman president?  For, I am

convinced that soon after that we’ll have a woman 007

(Jamie Bond) .

Just for fun here are a few of my suggestions for the role:

Kiera Knightley- again a proven track

record for versatility, action packed films,

getting into the character.  From Pirates

of The Caribbean

Emily Blunt – again versatile and well 

acclaimed in Looper and Edge of

Tomorrow
 

 

Eve Myles - definitely showed her

sociopathic acting skills in Broadchurch

series 2

Judith Shekani - You can't act in the twilight films without having an acting alter ego

Rosamund Pike - from

Bond Girl to Bond?  Another versatile

actress beyond doubt, after her rich

performance in Gone Girl.


…And who knows, maybe we’ll even be on track then, for our first gay 007.