Audience Member
This is how you do a documentary based on the James Bond franchise. Everything or Nothing digs deeper and tells about the things that happen behind the scenes that made these movies what they have become. Instead of just stepping from one film to the next and talking about what went in to the production of each one, this takes a broader view. It starts out with a brief look at the life of Ian Fleming and how he came up with the ideas for James Bond, but after that it is almost completely concerned with the work of EON Productions (hence the title.) It is loaded with interviews of people who have intimate knowledge of what went on behind the scenes of the franchise, and shares some of the details that even avid fans might not know. They don’t shy away from some of the more difficult times that EON has faced throughout the years, and talk about why some movies didn’t resonate with fans as much as others. It’s a great look at a franchise that I adore, and it makes me want to go on a binge watching as many Bond films as I can. Of course for non-fans of James Bond, I can’t imagine that Everything or Nothing will be the most interesting thing to watch. It is informative, but the subject matter is intended for a specific audience. I am that audience, so I’ll watch it any time. Ranking on my Flickchart Wins against Mad Max: Fury Road Wins against The Lady Eve Loses to Little Miss Sunshine Wins against Children of Heaven Wins against Star Trek Into Darkness Wins against Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Loses to Network Loses to Soapdish Loses to Total Recall Wins against Innerspace Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007 ranked 217 out of 1565
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
06/08/18
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Audience Member
A well-made and honest documentary about everyone's favorite action hero.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/14/23
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Audience Member
Little more than a DVD extra if you're honest as all the usual talking heads get together to tell the progressive tale of James Bond from page to screen. A lot of the producer wranglings become a little dull after a while and really there aren't any great reveals to be made but as a fan of the franchise it's worth a watch.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
02/04/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Bond Behind the Scenes
For the dedicated 007 fan, I recommend adding this movie to your Bond collection. I always enjoy a good behind the scenes documentary, especially all the human drama and minutia involved in making Hollywood magic. I have to say as far as movie making documentaries, this one's the best so far. This is a brilliant and methodical collection of interviews and news clips covering the Bond saga from 1962 to 2012's Skyfall. Going far beyond the special features that accompany the DVD/Blu-Ray collections, there are many fresh revelations of the decisions, relationships, litigations, collaborations, betrayals, controversies, successes, and failures that went into the creative processes of Fleming, Broccoli, Saltzman, and many other talents who framed the Bond mythology. The movie begins with an intro from our newest Bond Commander, Daniel Craig. It seems a fitting choice to begin the 50-year anniversary tell all as he grew up with Bond. The interviews include super villains as well. Beginning with Christopher Lee, The Man with the Golden Gun 1973, it's revealed (to me at least) that he's a "distant cousin" of the late Ian Fleming. I'm glad he's still with us to share his knowledge of Ian's real-life WWII Naval Intelligence experiences which was the impetus for the Bond character development. Interviews are not just for the Hollywood elite either. The film makers include the surviving siblings, children, associates, and friends who, in my mind, contribute greatly to the Bond perspective. As the film progresses to interviews with the actors who played Bond, many new facts are revealed in a "he said, she said" style and old facts re-confirmed as well. For example, the reasoning behind choosing Welsh actor, Timothy Dalton, before Pierce Brosnan, is well known by many of us older fans, but maybe not by the newer generation of fans. However, most glaringly absent from the main characters' participation, is the first Bond, Sean Connery. In spite of this, Mr. Connery's pro/con experiences are told in absentia and in a seemingly fair manner carefully avoiding any pre-judgments leaving that privilege to the audience. Harry Saltzman and Albert R. (Cubby) Broccoli were the original Bond producers but died in 1994 and 96. Although not available, many home movies and other footage were carefully edited in to give us a fairly complete perspective of the working and personal relationship between these two men. This part of the story is greatly enhanced by the daughters. Barbara Broccoli and Hillary Saltzman. I'm captivated as they recall loving memories of their fathers, and can't help wondering why they were never "Bond girls." These two women are as beautiful as any of the ladies who've filled the ranks. Then, the story is the "passing of the baton" to the surviving Barbara Broccoli and her step brother Michael. They continue the Bond saga with a set of new challenges, such as, choosing the first "Blond Bond," Daniel Craig, which was very controversial at the time (another new fact to me). Sharing what 007 means to them, the last few minutes are a montage of closing comments and analogies from many of the feature's participants including former Pres. Bill Clinton.
For me, I'm always slow in warming up to a change with my favorite characters and Bond is no exception. However, the actors who have holstered the Walther PPK, have done an excellent job in my estimation. I'm not one of those "so and so was the real Bond" type of fans . . . So far.
As a companion movie, I recommend "Bond Girls Are Forever." It's a 2002 documentary, ten years before this one. It's done in a different style as Maryam d'Abo, herself a Bond girl, solely does the interviews in "Globe trotter" fashion.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/24/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Très intà (C)ressant! Parle de tous les films, même des flops et des moins connus. On comprend l'histoire derrière les rà (C)alisations de ces films. à voir pour les fanatiques de Bond!
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
02/26/23
Full Review
Audience Member
When watching a 'behind-the-scenes' documentary you become used to nostalgic fluffy DVD extras that handle the subject with kid gloves. So when I first began watching this movie my initial question was is this just fanboy bullshit or an objective view of Her Majesty's superspy. I was happily surprised to find a movie that covers all the bases. It never ignores that Bond is popular, and the viewer is fan. What it does do is give an in-depth look at the series from it's creation to now.
Ian Fleming's WWII work and post-war depression that led to his writing give a brief glipse at the parallels in Bond's world. From their we learn how two flamboyant showman producers risked everything to bring Bond to life, from thereon everything is pushed and pulled by the choices these moneymen make. Many docs would avoid the discussion of greed and ego in the franchise world, but here the Thunderball lawsuit that stretched all the way to Casino Royale is discussed openly.
Of course, you can't discuss Bond without discussing misogyny, a topic that has become prominent the past few years and deserves attention. One gets the impression that Fleming had a dislike for homosexuality and sassy women, but that's never truly discussed. In the old days Connery treated women like garbage and the recent Bond films have done a great job of making Bond more palatable for modern women, but that topic is never really explored here.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
02/14/23
Full Review
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