Becoming Bond (2017)

★★½
I'm all for trying new ways to tell stories via the documentary format. Documentaries often work just fine with interview subjects and supporting footage, but a little innovation can go a long way in giving us a fresh look. Errol Morris masterfully introduced his Interrotron in Fast, Cheap & Out of Control, while Jonathan Caouette spent just over $200 to edit home movies together into Tarnation, a story about his mother's mental illness. Innovation can't happen without risk. That brings us to Josh Greenbaum's Becoming Bond, an informative (most of the time) and whimsical account of George Lazenby's brush with fame as the iconic British spy James Bond. Many fans and Bond historians revere Lazenby's On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) as one of the best. Count me among them. It is also his only time starring as the character. He left for reasons made unclear when you consider the multiple sources of information already out there. That aside, the documentary is a little flimsy, trying to balance comedy and drama and sometimes succeeding, sometimes failing.

George Lazenby narrates his life story, starting in Australia where he worked as a mechanic and car salesman, which led to him rubbing elbows with high-level officials at formal government functions. At one such event he met and aggressively pursued Belinda, the daughter of a wealthy Australian official who disapproves of the man from a low-income background. Lazenby's story is told through re-enactments, with the adult George played by Josh Lawson. It was through Belinda (Kassandra Clementi) that George began a series of decisions and travels that would eventually land him in London and on the radar of Harry Saltzman (Jeff Garlin), co-producer of the James Bond series along with Albert Broccoli (who has no onscreen counterpart). Lazenby recounts his trip to London to pursue Belinda, whose father sent her off to be away from George. He eventually gets a job selling cars, which led to modeling and commercials. Through a chance meeting with agent Maggie Abbott (Bond alum Jane Seymour), Lazenby gets the opportunity of a lifetime. Sean Connery vowed that he was done with James Bond. The producers hold auditions for a new 007, and Lazenby shows up ready to impress.

Lazenby the narrator gives us many details of his life. His modeling job was demanding, and he cheated on Belinda during a lapse in judgement, breaking her heart in the process. Following that, he went back to work and didn't mind the perks—the women—that came with it. The interviewer asks Lazenby if everything he has told him is true. The actor says yes. I don't doubt that he took advantage of every hedonistic opportunity that presented itself. I do doubt Greenbaum's ability to sync up the different sources of information in circulation. The biggest red flag is how the actor left the role and turned down a multipicture deal in the process. He says he wanted to be his own man and reject the studio-imposed image of Bond. He grew a beard and attended the premiere looking like a hippie. The producers were displeased. He paid for his own publicity tour in the U.S. and appeared on Johnny Carson's show, where he broke the news that he was finished. Lazenby wanted to march to the beat of his own drum and not be an instrument of the studio. This revelation stands in contrast to other interviews he has given through various media outlets.

I've read articles (not Wikipedia) in which he stated that his agent (not Maggie Abbott) urged him to leave the role because James Bond would be a relic of the '60s. Now he reports that his own sense of self motivated him to step down. Both could be true, but then, even more perplexing, the special edition D.V.D. (2000) featurette revealed that a Lazenby advisor started the rumor of his departure without his knowledge, which then led to the decision by the producers to release him. Which is it? I don't point this out to disparage George Lazenby. He was remarkable in his debut film. With zero acting experience, Lazenby took over the role with confidence. He was physically adept, convincing in fight scenes and had amazing chemistry with co-star Diana Rigg. In the years since leaving the part, Lazenby settled into his place in movie history, and now he enjoys the recognition that he so richly deserves. I don't doubt there is truth in his reasoning as revealed in Becoming Bond. My issue with his story is that director Greenbaum didn't harmonize Lazenby's remarks with past statements that he made that are on record. Lazenby previously pointed to his agent's advice for leaving the role, and now he gives a different reason. It's the elephant in the room, and Greenbaum should have addressed it.

One place where the movie is consistent is the nudity, which is unexpectedly plentiful. The younger Lazenby, as played by Josh Lawson, sleeps with a number of women, including one allegedly sent by the producers to make sure he wasn't a homosexual. Much of this is played to comedic effect, though it doesn't always work. For example, did Lazenby and a model buddy really talk shop during a threesome with a woman? Documentaries can certainly work with humor (Winnebago Man, Plagues and Pleasures of the Salton Sea), but the subject itself should be funny, peculiar or otherworldly. George Lazenby is interesting and has lots of stories, but he isn't colorful enough as a person to showcase in a comedic documentary. Overall, I enjoyed this, but it has a frustrating side. Harry Saltzman is treated too harshly. Maybe he was unbearable from Lazenby's perspective, but Greenbaum took his subject's words and directed Jeff Garlin's mannerisms to give us a caricature. Saltzman is so bad-tempered throughout Greenbaum's retelling that he looks like he's about to keel over from alarmingly high blood pressure inflicted on him by the former model.

The feud, if there ever truly was one, between George Lazenby and Diana Rigg should have been settled here. Why? This may have been the last opportunity to do so. Rigg has taken plenty of shots at Lazenby over the years regarding his behavior on the set. Lazenby, on the other hand, has been very complimentary towards his co-star. O.H.M.S.S. director Peter Hunt said (on the D.V.D.) that they were "buddies." Lazenby wrote her a touching eulogy after her death in 2020. Did they ever reconnect and bury the hatchet? I hope so, but we don't find out here, and I want to know. Rigg was one of the best and strongest Bond girls. She and Lazenby worked well together. You could see the chemistry growing between James and Tracy, suggesting something deeper than a fling with the Honey Ryders and Pussy Galores of the world. There's a lovely scene, after Bond escapes from Blofeld's hideout, in which Tracy skates into view while a vulnerable James hides in the crowd. "Do You Know How Christmas Trees Are Grown?" is playing on the soundtrack. Her arrival coincides with the chorus, and the camera pans up to reveal her face at the right moment. Her expression is easy to read: "I have arrived, my love." This is why I hope there was reconciliation between the two actors. They were a wonderful pair.

Becoming Bond is packed with information, and George Lazenby comes across as a likable guy. Director Greenbaum certainly can't help it if Lazenby tells stories that contradict statements made elsewhere, but if that's the case, then he should be knowledgeable enough about his subject to challenge him if something is amiss. Of course, there is also the stuff we don't see. Greenbaum may have pressed his subject for clarification and didn't get much, and that footage was left on the cutting room floor. Ultimately, the movie is a positive take on an actor who achieved his career peak with his first movie, and it was for the most visible part in the world. Decades after its release, O.H.M.S.S. represents Bond at his best. Lazenby is satisfied with his life and his achievements. If that's the case, then it's perfectly fine if he did only one Bond movie. I don't see him as a good fit in either Live and Let Die or The Man with the Golden Gun anyway, though he would have been at home in Diamonds are Forever. He didn't do those movies, but his life story up to and after O.H.M.S.S. was an adventure all its own.

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