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  1. Bond Girls Are Forever, A Review

    By daniel on 2002-10-16

    ‘Donovan’ was lucky enough to attend the screening of Bond Girls Are Forever in Chicago yesterday, and was kind enough to send in this review;

    The documentary “Bond Girls Are Forever” was premiered at the Chicago Film Festival on October 15 at 7:00. Maryam d’Abo was the narrator and a co-producer of the film. In attendance for the premiere was Ms. d’Abo, who played Kara Milovy in “The Living Daylights”, Maud Adams, who portrayed Andrea Anders in “The Man With The Golden Gun” and the title role in “Octopussy”, and Lois Chiles, who played Dr. Holly Goodhead in “Moonraker”. The three actors were featured in the documentary, along with Ursula Andress, Honor Blackman, Luciana Paluzzi, Jill St. John, Jane Seymour, Carey Lowell, Samantha Bond, Michelle Yeoh, Halle Berry, Rosamund Pike, and Dame Judi Dench, who plays ‘M’ for the fourth time in “Die Another Day”.

    The documentary was very entertaining and is highly recommended.

    It touched on a wide range of subjects, including what it meant for the careers of the women who became “Bond girls”, and how the dialogue and characterizations of women in Bond films has evolved over the past 40 years.

    Timothy Dalton Bond fans will especially enjoy the conversation Maryam d’Abo and Carey Lowell have on working with Mr. Dalton.

    Also among the memorable moments was Judi Dench’s recollection of a little boy who was shocked at seeing her in person in a restaurant. New Bond girls Halle Berry and Rosamund Pike also give insightful interviews, and Ms. Pike demonstrates some of her newfound talent at fencing.

    The production values were very good, thanks in large part to the producer’s wise decision to use clips from the films and authentic Bond music. Another nice touch was all the outdoor footage where we see the various women enjoying life today. A lot of documentaries fall into a trap of using only claustrophobic interior head shots of people sitting in front of a backdrop, talking to the camera.

    Before the screening, a trivia question was asked and the prize was a signed poster of the film. The question was, “who is the only Bond girl to marry James Bond? Who played her, what was the name of the film, and who played Bond?” I know I don’t have to post the answer.

    After the screening, the ladies answered questions from the audience.

    This film is scheduled for broadcast on AMC on November 6 at 8:00 pm EST.

    Sounds promising! A big thank you is extended to Donovan for the review.