Paul Haggis for Bond 22

This is liable to anger a few select folks on here, but I think that Haggis would be a terrific choice to direct the next movie. He displayed a very good conception for who and what Bond is in both a literary and cinematic sense in his polish of the CR script, and this is very important for a director of a Bond flick to have which the best directors (Young, Hamilton, Hunt, Glen, Campbell) have had. He's been a very good contemporary filmmaker, and the contemporary style in which CR was filmed was, IMO, instrumental to its success as a quality picture. It will be important for Bond to continue to be presented with some subversiveness characteristic of cotemporary film to be consistent with the early flicks.

With this said, Paul Haggis is my choice to direct Bond 22. I'm sure a lot of you disagree with me, and that's fine.

Comments

  • Jimmy BondJimmy Bond Posts: 324MI6 Agent
    I agree. But before that.... Why didn't they hire Campbell again? I mean, he did CR and was pretty much enjoyed by the experience. Why wouldn't he return for the sequel right away?

    I don't that, really...
  • positivelyshockingpositivelyshocking Posts: 53MI6 Agent
    It's an interesting idea Klaus but does Haggis have the directing chops to hold a multi unit, action heavy feature together? I am not sure that Traffic would necessarily give him the kind of preparation needed for a Bond, even though he does have great screenwriting credentials.

    When you look at the energy that Campbell put into CR and GE both physically and mentally, I believe that you can see a major contribution to those films success. I would put my hat in the ring for Campbells return with perhaps another script polish by Haggis. Also Haggis as an American is less likely to be given the job of directing a Bond given the track record of previous directors.
  • highhopeshighhopes Posts: 1,358MI6 Agent
    I think Haggis would be fine -- if he has the technical expertise to do the job. I don't know if he does or not, but I've got a feeling it takes more than just a good understanding of the material to make a movie.
  • Klaus HergescheimerKlaus Hergescheimer Posts: 332MI6 Agent
    I am not sure that Traffic would necessarily give him the kind of preparation needed for a Bond, even though he does have great screenwriting credentials.

    Haggis didn't direct Traffic; that was Steven Soderbergh.

    Haggis did, however, direct Crash. "Crashes" do occur in "Traffic," so it's a forgivable gaffe. ;)
  • Dan SameDan Same Victoria, AustraliaPosts: 6,054MI6 Agent
    edited December 2006
    What? :o After Crash, I would have hoped that Haggis would be banned from ever directing again. :# I also don't know whom to blame for some of the (IMO) dreadful dialogue in CR; him or P+W.

    Why can't the producers bring back someone like Michael Apted or have someone new like John Woo? I know that this thread is specifically about Haggis, but what I'm saying is that I am definitely in the 'no' camp.
    "He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
  • PredatorPredator Posts: 790Chief of Staff
    Dan Same wrote:
    Why can't the producers bring back someone like Michael Apted or have someone new like John Woo?

    Good God man! John Woo, I don't think so ... DAD MkII :shudder:

    As for Apted, TWINE is a reasonable entry into the series IMO and while the face-to-face acting was good, I think he falls down when it comes to action. However, looking at his currently filming projects, he could do with a high profile film.
  • Dan SameDan Same Victoria, AustraliaPosts: 6,054MI6 Agent
    Predator wrote:
    Good God man! John Woo, I don't think so ... DAD MkII :shudder:
    I think Woo is a vastly superior director to Lee Tamahori. ;)
    "He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
  • John DrakeJohn Drake On assignmentPosts: 2,564MI6 Agent
    Dan Same wrote:
    What? :o After Crash, I would have hoped that Haggis would be banned from ever directing again. :quote]

    I second that. WORST film to win an Oscar ever. If you gave Haggis total control over a Bond film, he'd have 007 hugging his enemies and wondering why we can't just all get along.
  • Jimmy BondJimmy Bond Posts: 324MI6 Agent
    I am actually pro-Apted myself. I believe TWINE the best modern Bond. That and LTK, of course.

    And Dan Same, I understand the film displeased you, but can you delve in more on the reasons of not liking it? I would be most interested.
  • highhopeshighhopes Posts: 1,358MI6 Agent
    John Drake wrote:
    Dan Same wrote:
    What? :o After Crash, I would have hoped that Haggis would be banned from ever directing again. :quote]

    I second that. WORST film to win an Oscar ever. If you gave Haggis total control over a Bond film, he'd have 007 hugging his enemies and wondering why we can't just all get along.

    I third that. I think Haggis did a great job on the CR script, but I hated "Crash." The most contrived, cliche-ridden piece of crap I've ever seen.
  • positivelyshockingpositivelyshocking Posts: 53MI6 Agent
    Klaus I stand corrected about the Traffic/Crash mistake.....I must have had vehicles on my mind or something!
  • Dan SameDan Same Victoria, AustraliaPosts: 6,054MI6 Agent
    edited December 2006
    highhopes wrote:
    I third that. I think Haggis did a great job on the CR script, but I hated "Crash." The most contrived, cliche-ridden piece of crap I've ever seen.
    Finally, we agree with each other. :D {[] (Just kidding, however it seems that on CR, we don't agree with each other all that much. ;))
    "He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
  • highhopeshighhopes Posts: 1,358MI6 Agent
    Dan Same wrote:
    highhopes wrote:
    I third that. I think Haggis did a great job on the CR script, but I hated "Crash." The most contrived, cliche-ridden piece of crap I've ever seen.
    Finally, we agree with each other. :D {[] (Just kidding, however it seems that on CR, we don't agree with each other all that much. ;))

    There are some movies for me that simply do not ring true, however well-meaning they may be. "The Contender" was one of them, and "Crash" is another. I didn't believe a single scene -- and not because I don't believe racism exists: on the contrary, it does. It's just a lot more subtle and therefore insidious than any of the situations portrayed in that film.
    But then again, Haggis probably figured, "I'd better really spell this out or people will be asking 'was the cop a racist?' You know, like 'did Vesper really love Bond?' ..."
    Just teasing, Dan. :D ;) I'm sure we agree on many, many things besides "Crash." But mutual back-slapping isn't half as much fun as arguing. :))
  • taitytaity Posts: 702MI6 Agent
    Campell explained his return to Bond a couple of times. After GoldenEye, he felt that there was nothing to do with Bond that hadnt already been done. However, if you watch Casino Royale its doing something drastically different to what he'd already done - hence his return.

    As for Apted, he should stick to simplier movies without all the big bangs of a Bond flick. He did a great job with Enigma in 2001 - a movie which worked well without alot of action.

    As for Tamahori, Ill defend his directing style. I think many parts of Die another day were very well done, and just because it had its stupid moments doesnt mean that he didnt direct other scenes well. All of Cuba was well filmed, as was the sword fight and all of the London sequences.
  • Willie GarvinWillie Garvin Posts: 1,412MI6 Agent
    Haggis would be an interesting choice and it's possible,especially given the success of Casino Royale.Haggis has lived in the USA for many years but he's a Canadian, so he falls under Eon's unwritten rule of only hiring directors from British Commonwealth countries.

    While Haggis is now famous for movies like Crash,but he also has a background in suspense/action stuff,too.He's the man who developed and worked on the "Walker,Texas Ranger" TV series throughout most of its run.This kind of experience could prove helpful in helming a Bond movie(and no--I'm not suggesting Haggis would suddenly ask Craig to kick people around like Chuck Norris did).He's also been involved in comedies as well.

    Haggis seems to be the kind of director who can readily adjust to a variety of stories without also attempting to impose his own style on them--unlike Woo,for instance, who tends to build everything in his films around his little "touches".
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