But, like so many of the Bond tropes being up-ended in No Time to Die, this briefing scene is something we've never seen.
Oh, we've seen Bond deferential to "M," and disagreeing with him/her, lightly chiding him/her, even quitting in disgust or "going rogue". But, except for a slight snarkiness in the previous outing, SPECTRE, we've never seen Bond all-out antagonistic and insubordinate towards his boss.
Well, that the thing. In No Time to Die, Bond is no longer working on Her Majesty's Secret Service, he's retired—one of the few who's survived long enough to do so—and his "00" status reassigned to another agent. "M" (now played by Ralph Fiennes), is no longer the boss of Bond, and the two are no longer bound by the proprieties of rank. And Bond, five years out of armor, is a different man—even less "by the book" as he was in service, and certainly less stoic with his bosses. As they say in diplomatic circles, the discussion is "frank and emphatic." Voices are raised, emotions are not muffled, and they get mutually personal with the intention to wound. My God, the screenwriters even put M's final rant in ALL CAPS! This is not the "cold and objective" meetings of the past. This is conduct unbecoming on both parts.
One of the early drafts of the script for SPECTRE had the crux being that Fiennes' newly installed "M"—Mallory—betray the Secret Service. But, coming on the heels of the previous film, Skyfall, which had Judi Dench's "M" making mistakes and paying for them, it was thought that having another less-than-above-board head of MI6 would be repeating themselves too quickly. They use a kernel of that idea in No Time to Die.
The Set-Up: In retirement for five years, James Bond (Daniel Craig) has been recruited by his CIA counterpart, Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) to "save the world" one more time. A Russian scientist in chemical warfare, Obruchev (David Dencik), has been abducted from British custody by parties unknown, but it is presumed to be the criminal organization, SPECTRE, whose leader, Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Christoph Waltz) is held in a high security prison. An "extraction mission" in Cuba at a SPECTRE gathering has resulted in the entire organization being wiped out by a chemical weapon but leaving Bond—seemingly its target—alive, making the two agents wonder what they're dealing with and who. A subsequent interrogation leads to betrayal with the scientist on the run and Felix Leiter dead. With no other resources, Bond returns to old haunts with revenge on his mind. Old haunts. Old office. Same desk.
Action.
M pours himself a drink. Bond registers this. Unusual.
M looks at him sharply.
Beat.
M is steely.
M frowns.
BOND
Yes,
BOND No.
M How?
Pause.
M (CONT'D)
No-one has access. No-one.
M
I answer to the interests of my
country. Not you.
M
(regretfully)
I’m sorry. I had a lot of respect
for Leiter.
BOND
Oh but...
M pours another drink
M I had him (down)...
No Time to Die is available on DVD and Blu-Ray from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
* Okay, purists. 'M' doesn't appear in For Your Eyes Only (Bernard Lee succumbed to cancer before his scenes could be shot) . But, there is a briefing with Chief of Staff Bill Tanner (James Villiers) and the return of Geoffrey Keen's Minister of Defence.
** Officially, Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig.
*** Officially, Bernard Lee, Robert Brown, Dame Judi Dench, and Ralph Fiennes.
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