So, Sam Mendes is reportedly in talks to direct the new James Bond film. The man behind American Beauty, Road to Perdition and Revolutionary Road - all thoughtful, theatrical and Oscar-winning movies. Does this mean we can look forward to a deadness in Daniel Craig's piercing blue eyes as Bond descends into a crushing suburban midlife crisis? Will 007 find beauty in a plastic bag rather than a Beretta? Could Mendes's wife, Kate Winslet, be the next Bond Girl?
So many questions. And the answers, one suspects, are all in the negative. Bond will still sport a tuxedo, ever his ruthless, remorseless self. His favourite drink won't change from vodka martini (shaken, not stirred), to a nice glass of cranberry juice. And that's because, uniquely, directors are not hired by the famous Broccoli film producing family to put their own stamp on the Bond series. They're asked - and not many turn it down - because they are seen as a safe pair of hands, who will follow the Bond blueprint to the letter.
Yes, with Craig, Bond did become a harder and tougher, less of a gadget-toting, figure of fun. But that was all at the design of the producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson. They were the people who decided in 2006 - in the wake of Paul Greengrass's tremendous Bourne Supremacy - that Bond should be "rebooted", and picked Craig for the job. The aesthetic of Casino Royale had little to do with the director Martin Campbell. The man who helmed the Zorro films was probably chosen because he had been in charge the last time Bond had successfully changed direction with GoldenEye in 1995 and told not to have any thoughts of a British spy hamming it up in swashbuckling style.
All of which means it's not hugely surprising that Mendes is in the frame - after the success of Casino Royale, the producers clearly want accomplished filmmakers rather than action directors. This is why the director of the last Bond outing, Quantum of Solace, wasn't somebody with much of a reputation for car chases and action sequences. Marc Forster was the man who brought us Halle Berry's Oscar-winning turn as the wife of a man on death row in Monster's Ball. Forster's JM Barrie biopic Finding Neverland had a lead character about as far away from a tough-guy spy as it was possible to get. When asked to direct Quantum of Solace, he even said: "You've got the wrong director." In the end, such doubts did reflect on the film: there was almost too much emphasis on breakneck action at the expense of a satisfying story.
The reason Forster did it, despite his initial reservations, is that you can't apply to be a Bond director. You have to be asked. Steven Spielberg made no secret of his desire to take on the most famous spy in history before For Your Eyes Only was filmed. His cachet was suitably high after the success of Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. But Bond isn't a character to be messed with on a whim. Instead, John Glen - a hitherto unknown director who had worked as a second director and film editor on other Bond films - got the nod. It was like a football club promoting the assistant manager to keep continuity, and the Broccolis were so happy with the relationship that Glen ended up directing more Bond movies than anyone else. Still, Spielberg got over the rejection: what is Indiana Jones if not James Bond with an interest in archaeology?
And if Inglourious Basterds played fast and loose with the Second World War, can you imagine how Quentin Tarantino would have approached James Bond? Neither could the producers, which is why Tarantino was none too pleased after publicly suggesting a remake of Casino Royale back in 2004, only to be ignored when it was decided to do just that. A wise move, although the dialogue would have been superb.
Perhaps there is another reason why the producers don't always do the obvious, which, right now, would be to bite the bullet and ask Greengrass whether he fancies a crack at Bond. Perhaps it is vanity that has led them to Forster and, possibly, Mendes: Bond films have won just two Oscars, for special effects, awarded back in the 1960s. There is definitely a sense that their current predilection for hiring directors known for stylish films rather than action thrillers points towards a gap in the trophy cabinet, a desire for recognition beyond mere stunts and commercial success.
With Mendes, the Bond franchise would have that director. And by hiring Peter Morgan (of The Queen and Frost/Nixon fame) it now has the scriptwriter. It already has the most actorly - if not the best ever - Bond in Daniel Craig. It all makes perfect sense. All that remains now is for it to make sense for Mendes, too.
* Ben East
Super Saturday results
4pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 | US$350,000 | (Dirt) | 1,200m
Winner: Drafted, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer).
4.35pm: Al Bastakiya Listed | $300,000 | (D) | 1,900m
Winner: Divine Image, Brett Doyle, Charlie Appleby.
5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 | $350,000 | (Turf) | 1,200m
Winner: Blue Point, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 | $350,000 | (D) | 1,600m
Winner: Muntazah, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson.
6.20pm: Dubai City of Gold Group 2 | $300,000 | (T) | 2,410m
Winner: Old Persian, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 Group 1 | $600,000 | (D) | 2,000m
Winner: Capezzano, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.
7.30pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 | $400,000 | (T) | 1,800m
Winner: Dream Castle, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tottenham 0-1 Ajax, Tuesday
Second leg
Ajax v Tottenham, Wednesday, May 8, 11pm
Game is on BeIN Sports
Aggro%20Dr1ft
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Company%20profile
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The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 420 bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: from Dh293,200
On sale: now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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ALL THE RESULTS
Bantamweight
Siyovush Gulmomdov (TJK) bt Rey Nacionales (PHI) by decision.
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (ROU) bt Hussein Fakhir Abed (SYR) by submission.
Catch 74kg
Omar Hussein (JOR) bt Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) by decision.
Strawweight (Female)
Seo Ye-dam (KOR) bt Weronika Zygmunt (POL) by decision.
Featherweight
Kaan Ofli (TUR) bt Walid Laidi (ALG) by TKO.
Lightweight
Abdulla Al Bousheiri (KUW) bt Leandro Martins (BRA) by TKO.
Welterweight
Ahmad Labban (LEB) bt Sofiane Benchohra (ALG) by TKO.
Bantamweight
Jaures Dea (CAM) v Nawras Abzakh (JOR) no contest.
Lightweight
Mohammed Yahya (UAE) bt Glen Ranillo (PHI) by TKO round 1.
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) bt Aidan Aguilera (AUS) by TKO round 1.
Welterweight
Mounir Lazzez (TUN) bt Sasha Palatkinov (HKG) by TKO round 1.
Featherweight title bout
Romando Dy (PHI) v Lee Do-gyeom (KOR) by KO round 1.
Company profile
Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space
Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)
Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)
Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution)
Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space
Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019
The biog:
Languages: Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, basic Russian
Favourite food: Pizza
Best food on the road: rice
Favourite colour: silver
Favourite bike: Gold Wing, Honda
Favourite biking destination: Canada
Left Bank: Art, Passion and Rebirth of Paris 1940-1950
Agnes Poirer, Bloomsbury
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Fly Etihad or Emirates from the UAE to Moscow from 2,763 return per person return including taxes.
Where to stay
Trips on the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian cost from US$16,995 (Dh62,414) per person, based on two sharing.
Company%20Profile
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Scores
Oman 109-3 in 18.4 overs (Aqib Ilyas 45 not out, Aamir Kaleem 27) beat UAE 108-9 in 20 overs (Usman 27, Mustafa 24, Fayyaz 3-16, Bilal 3-23)
The past Palme d'Or winners
2018 Shoplifters, Hirokazu Kore-eda
2017 The Square, Ruben Ostlund
2016 I, Daniel Blake, Ken Loach
2015 Dheepan, Jacques Audiard
2014 Winter Sleep (Kış Uykusu), Nuri Bilge Ceylan
2013 Blue is the Warmest Colour (La Vie d'Adèle: Chapitres 1 et 2), Abdellatif Kechiche, Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux
2012 Amour, Michael Haneke
2011 The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick
2010 Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Lung Bunmi Raluek Chat), Apichatpong Weerasethakul
2009 The White Ribbon (Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte), Michael Haneke
2008 The Class (Entre les murs), Laurent Cantet
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
RESULT
Manchester United 1 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Man United: Dunk (66' og)
Man of the Match: Shane Duffy (Brighton)
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday (All UAE kick-off times)
Lecce v SPAL (6pm)
Bologna v Genoa (9pm)
Atlanta v Roma (11.45pm)
Sunday
Udinese v Hellas Verona (3.30pm)
Juventus v Brescia (6pm)
Sampdoria v Fiorentina (6pm)
Sassuolo v Parma (6pm)
Cagliari v Napoli (9pm)
Lazio v Inter Milan (11.45pm)
Monday
AC Milan v Torino (11.45pm)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Secret Pigeon Service: Operation Colomba, Resistance and the Struggle to Liberate Europe
Gordon Corera, Harper Collins
Profile of RentSher
Started: October 2015 in India, November 2016 in UAE
Founders: Harsh Dhand; Vaibhav and Purvashi Doshi
Based: Bangalore, India and Dubai, UAE
Sector: Online rental marketplace
Size: 40 employees
Investment: $2 million
MATCH INFO
Liverpool v Manchester City, Sunday, 8.30pm UAE
Frida%20
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