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Anatole Taubman is '22' Villain
Posted on December 12, 2007 8:26 AM
UPDATE: According to fellow James Bond fansite (and BM friend) CommanderBond.net, Swiss actor Anatole Taubman has confirmed his role in Bond 22 as a second villain alongside French actor Mathieu Amalric. He has been sworn to secrecy not to reveal too much about his role, but has hired a personal trainer to keep up with the physical regimen that the role demands.
UPDATE: Taubman confirms role as second villain in Bond 22:
Taubman also spoke out on director Marc Forster and their Swiss connection (interestingly enough, Marc Forster doesn't even have a Swiss passport - actually, he's a German who grew up in Switzerland, but he is always refered to as a "Swiss"). "I don't think that I got the role because I'm Swiss. The only difference to other auditions was that the director welcomed me in Swiss German language." Taubman thinks highly of Forster: "The job is quite a challenge for Marc, but otherwise he wouldn't have accepted the offer at all. Because of Daniel Craig, the James Bond character has been re-invented in the last film. So this makes a further development of the character possible. And because of Marc Forster, the 22nd Bond film will become a great one! His films are coined by sensibility and character depth."
Therfore, we hopefully will see Anatole in some sort of chase sequence with Bond or an intense cat-and-mouse fight similar to Craig's unforgettable sparring with Sebastien Foucan's character Mollaka in the beginning of Casino Royale. Or, perhaps, Mr. Taubman is looking to shed a few pounds and gain some muscle. Who knows.
Positive Casting
Regardless, I view his casting as a positive occurrence. No, I have never seen Anatole act (I'll trust that those responsible for Bond 22 casting know a good actor when they see one) or have ever heard of him. However, his casting (and Mathieu Amalric's as the main Bond 22 villain)will undoubtedly positively contribute to the believability and organic scope of the next James Bond film - even before it hits the screen. How?
Casting relatively unknown actors is a win-win situation for both parties involved. As Anatole stated when he heard he had the role on the Swiss TV show glanz and gloria on SF1:
From his standpoint, Bond 22 is an excellent platform to showcase his true acting skills and be recognized in the industry for future roles. For Bond filmmakers, casting him will merit a better audience reception of a believable character - as (most) audience members will not have seen him act in any other blockbuster movie and will not judge his character before he appears on screen.
In other words, imagine if Tom Cruise was cast as the villain or henchman for Bond 22. One might initially compare his character to another Cruise role from a previous movie. This, unfortunately, unwittingly and ever so slightly tarnishes the movie experience as received by the casual viewer. Starting with a clean slate, and conjuring the movie's flavor from the inside, organically, is the optimal way to create the best movie experience. In film, the unexpected aspects of a movie are sometimes the most memorable.
Although there are a thousand steps left for the filmmakers to create a James Bond film on par with Casino Royale, their casting at least starts them off on the right foot.
