Becoming Bond

A surprisingly fascinating and engrossing film. It's literally one interview with some lovely re-enactment footage intercut. So simple and yet so affecting. Very entertaining. Highly recommended for all Bond fans.

I did not know about Mr. Lazenby's background (as a model and non-actor), so I'm even more surprised at the great job he did performing as James Bond. He had a smooth delivery and looked right at ease in the role. I never understood why he didn't star in another James Bond movie until this film. It was great listening to his life story, and I'm glad he did well after the Bond role. It's too bad he was black-listed after the Bond movie 'cause he had a great screen presence. Wonderful person and full of life - thoroughly enjoyed "Becoming Bond."

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.

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.