Fun, lively, irreverent account of how George Lazenby came from nowhere to become James Bond. I'm a Lazenby fan so was always going to enjoy it - I was surprised how much I didn't know. I was very familiar with the Bond stuff but not so much his early life - growing up in Quenbeyan, being in trouble at school. I knew about him going to work as a mechanic and car salesman but not his big romance with a woman called Belinda which forms the emotional heart of the film.
Sometimes I felt they spent too much time on this - the one that got away etc etc - but it did add a bit of heart to the movie. He claims she was his great love and always wonders what would've happened if it had worked out. It's his own fault it didn't - Lazenby cheated on her, and didn't hook up with her again when he had the chance.
(I kind of feel the real love of Lazenby's life was Chrissy Townsend, who was in Universal Soldier and with whom he had two children and he sailed around the world... but the marriage ended badly... But then people always romanticise the love that was never realised.)
It's a mythic treatment of the Lazenby story - no mention of Universal Soldier or him going off on a boat for ages while he was still famous, or the death of his son, or the domestic violence allegations from both his ex wives, or the custody dispute with his second wife.
To be fair Lazenby doesn't paint himself as a saint - admits to cheating on Belinda, and getting a big head and even now he says he can't understand why he quit Bond. (My theory - he just went a bit silly and wouldn't listen to anyone). He's a very good raconteur, a charming old rogue.
Josh Lawson is pretty good as Lazenby - not quite the same type, he lacks the macho alphaness of Lazenbym but I honestly couldn't think of another actor who could do better. (Do they make 'em like Lazenby any more). He does the comic stuff well and has a decent build... his hair cut was distracting. He was noticeably older than the girl who plays Belinda (who was very likeable, by the way).
Top notch support cast - Jane Seymour as Maggie Abbott, Jeff Garlin as Harry Saltzman (made me want a Saltzman biopic), the two kids who play young George are outstanding. It's funny and lively and I enjoyed the re-enactments more than I thought I would.
I loved the interview clips of him before and after the Bond film, particularly after where everyone is going "you're sure you want to quit?"
A fun movie. I get the feelign Lazenby will be too unfocused to ever get around to writing his biography but this is a pretty good alternative.
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