Becoming Bond

Rather charming, if unevenly paced, story of George Lazenby. Depicts him as an almost Forrest Gump character who just stumbles into meeting the Prime Minister of Australia, moving to London, becoming a top model, hanging out with the Beatles and Rolling Stones, then finally becoming Bond. George is obviously an unreliable narrator but so is the filmmaker. Who knows what was left on the cutting room floor, but George could have been asked more probing questions or other aspects of his life could have been added.

This bio does make it sound like George just totally retired from Hollywood after one movie, raised a family, and raced motorcycles. But we know that's not true. And we know there much be much more to the story of why he quit. Is George a dumb guy who just fell into fame due to good looks, confidence, and luck, or is he actually incredibly wise, zen, and uncomplicated? You're not sure after watching this. He definitely was a product of his time.

The first half is fun but slow. I don't blame George's story, just the way it's presented. Way too much time was spent on George's first love, who obviously still means a great deal to him but he treated her poorly. The guy who plays George is hilarious though he tends to disappear in the second half when we finally get to making Bond. Then many clips of the real young George are used instead of reenactments. Jane Seymour completely steals the show with just a few looks. The ending, post-Bond, is very abrupt and felt unfinished. Like the real Drunk History, this ends up being a fun, superficial story of a real event that perhaps makes you want to do more of your own research to get the true story.

George Lazenby has become a polished story teller about all his Bond experiences. They are very interesting and he has become, over the years, very good at telling these stories and presenting them in both a fascinating and very humorous manner.

We were in stitches.

The wonderful thing about seeing a film in a festival setting is that there is not an empty seat to be found, and that every chair has in it a responsive audience member that is hanging on every word and laughing out loud en mass.

George, who has retired to somewhere California told one of his stories to the right ear. Someone who knew a couple of young, up and coming, very talented film makers. Who after several 3 and a half hour lunches listening to George decided they wanted to make a movie with him.

This was a wonderful screening at this years Hot Docs film festival with a wonderful Q&A where I was able to both speak with the film makers themselves as well as George who picked up when the director called him from the stage. He shared some additional insights through the auditoriums sound system but we all would have loved to see him.

Very good show.

You know the story: Australian male model living in England is selected to play James Bond after Connery quits. After making one movie, Australian himself walks away from Bond, leaving the door open for Connery's return.

What you probably don't know is who this George Lazenby was (and is) and why he turned his back on what could have been a career of a lifetime. Watch this movie and George himself will tell you. Accompanying and illustrating his tale are mostly-comedic reenactments that all in all make the story work.

It's the next best thing to sitting down with the man himself.

I am 52 years old so I remember the old bond movies as a kid. I personally never liked Sean Connery's version and frankly my first clear memories is of Roger Moore as James Bond. George's version is one I barely remember but now after watching this hilarious documentary I want to watch Of Her Majesty's Secret Service with an open mind again.

Well worth a look, perhaps best described as a slapstick documentary of GL's life. I am around the same age as George and remember the Bond films and On Her Majesty's Secret Service was the only one I ever liked enough to watch again. I was always curious as to whether the stories of the making of that film were true as there was a lot of talk about it at the time. The "Australian" settings bear no resemblance at all to the Australia of the time, and it was a bit bizarre to see it dressed it as some sort of Antipodean California. I liked the intentionally corny acting as it fitted well with the overall tone of the film, and the cinematography was excellent. Jason Maybaum playing the young Lazenby was perfect.

Very enjoyable and a lot of fun to watch a charming man continuing the tradition of the Great Australian Yarn.