The latest (and, some say, greatest) James Bond, Daniel Craig, is now 46. In decades past, that would have meant his leading ladies would range in age from 25 to 35. But not so with Spectre, the new Bond film in production, directed by Sam Mendes. The “Bond Girl” who captures the hero’s eye this time is Italian actress Monica Bellucci—who is 50, and readily admits to her age. (American viewers may best remember her role in Bram Stoker’s Dracula.) She told a talk show in Rome, Che Tempo Che Fa, “A Bond girl who is 50 is interesting,” she said. “It communicates a different and more respectful way of looking at women.”
She says she’s not a Bond girl, but a mature woman, a Bond woman. The gorgeous brunette has been spotted in many places in Rome recently as she and Craig film scenes at the Corso Vittorio Emmanuele II and on a bike path along the Tiber. (The Daily Mail has some excellent photos of the shoot here.)
The picture’s progress was almost derailed when EON Productions revealed in December that an early version of the script had been stolen in the Sony Pictures cyber attack. Fortunately for fans of the franchise, things are back on course, although the Italian media has been poking fun at Craig’s “aBONDant” waistline, after he was seen exiting the tony restaurant Dal Bolognese with his buttoned suit jacket straining over his stomach.
A more serious problem involved James Bond’s Aston Martin. Scenes shot while the sleek vehicle sped down Roman streets have to be redubbed post production because the producers did not factor in how noisy sportscar tires are on cobblestones. Romans are being patient about the whole thing, probably because an estimated $1.1 million will wind up in the city’s coffers from permit fees, not to mention the boost to urban tourism overall from the needs of the crew, extras and contractors.
Not all Romans are thrilled about the ruckus, however. Resident Emanuele Costrini told The Daily Beast, “The film should be called ‘disagio,’” referring to a favorite Italian word for discomfort or inconvenience. “You can create all these scenes in a studio. Why do you need to cripple a city like Rome for a film in this day and age?” His remarks reflected the dissatisfaction of many people who were unhappy with certain sites requested for filming, as well as anger over reports that some crew members had criticized the city’s cleanliness and upkeep.
With the movie’s release scheduled for December, one can only hope that the good press will encourage more tourists to visit Rome—and that any boost in tourism will boost municipal upkeep, too. But the biggest boost may be for women of a certain age. Monica Bellucci, in the tradition of older Italian actresses like Sophia Loren and Gina Lollobrigida, seems to age as well as Italian wines.
By Kathy McCabe
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