For those who have been disappointed at the fact there are no plans to allow Pierce Brosnan to play an “old man Bond” anytime soon, Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani have just unveiled the next best thing in their Fantastic Fest premiere of Reflection in a Dead Diamond. With Amazon in the middle of rebooting the James Bond franchise, with an unknown actor set to be taking on one of the most coveted action roles in cinema, the new movie starring Italian icon Fabio Testi has been hailed by many as the Bond alternative many fans have been asking for.
The synopsis for the film reads, “John D, a septuagenarian living in a luxury hotel on Côte d’Azur, is intrigued by his next-door neighbor who reminds him of the wildest hours on the Riviera during the 1960s. At that time, he was a spy in a rapidly developing world full of promise. One day, this neighbor mysteriously disappears… bringing John face to face with his demons: are his former adversaries back to wreak havoc in his idyllic world?”
On its Fantastic Fest debut, the movie has pulled together a decent 75% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes, with many of the reviews finding something intriguing in what has been called “the best movie of the year.” Andrew Reichel of In Review Online tapped into the James Bond-esque story, saying, “[Cattet and Forzani’s] finest film to date, and something like the ultimate postscript to James Bond and the spy movie as a whole… a playful reconfiguration of the so-called magic of the movies.” David Cuevas of Next Best Picture added, “Reflection in a Dead Diamond” is a breath of fresh air, a pulpy spy movie, unlike any other film from its tiresome genre.” There are obviously some who are not quite as enthralled with the device of an aged spy, with some calling the story “exhaustingly absurd.”
Could We See an “Old Man Bond” in the Future?
A still of Pierce Brosnan from his time in the gritty western show The SonAMC
The James Bond franchise has been very focused on delivering a linear set of movies based on the super spy created by Ian Fleming. However, that could be about to change thanks to the takeover of the franchise by Amazon MGM Studios, who have reportedly already begun developing ideas for potential spinoffs, prequels and more.
While all focus is currently on the arrival of a new James Bond, who will reportedly be a relatively unknown British actor as opposed to the many big-name stars that have been doing the rounds on social media for the last few years on a continuous cycle. The next James Bond movie will be directed by Denis Villeneuve, and will kickstart a new era of the franchise.
However, it seems unlikely that anyone will be looking at adding an aged Bond project to the list, despite many fans wanting to see Pierce Brosnan get the chance to take on his iconic role once again as a retired version of the character given one last adventure. Recently, action movies featuring older men as the leads have been incredibly popular, so, who knows, there could be something in it after all.
The “aging legend looks back” angle may seem like a bit of a gimmick, but until someone hands Brosnan a tux for a final Bond adventure, Reflection in a Dead Diamond is as close as we are likely to get to seeing what an aged Bond outing would look like. In the main, it seems like this is a mission worth accepting when the movie finally receives a wider release.