The Casting Director: Vesper Lynd

Last night I saw Casino Royale, which I thought was pretty darn good. No need for an extended rhapsody on Daniel Craig, we all knew he would be perfect, and he was. When my 77 year old grandmother says, "That fella reminds me of Steve McQueen!" you know the mission is accomplished. This post will inagurate a new feature here at the blog wherein I critique the casting choices in a film, and proffer a few of my own. So let's get down to brass tacks: who in the hell greenlighted Eva Green for the role of Vesper Lynd?

Here are a few actresses in no particular order that would have galvanized the film with their presence.

1. Caterina Murino To begin with, the producers had to look no further than someone already in their film. So you've never heard of her, so what. In the role of Solange, she was a knockout in the red gown she wore when she first met Bond, and the chemistry between her and Craig was superior to the non-existent sizzle with Green. And she had a sweetness and a vulnerability that even the shower scene couldn't pump out of Green's performance.

2. Connie Nielsen The producers probably saw Green in the awful Kingdom of Heaven and picked her anyway. So why not go with the heroine of Ridley Scott's best film, rather than his worst? In Gladiator Nielsen looked ravishing but transmitted strength. The role of Vesper calls for those same qualities, and she would have delivered them with less insecurity than Green.

3. Zoe Lucker Well I would have paid beaucoup bucks to see that! Killing two husbands and switching your own baby with your lover's wife's while taking controling interest in the biggest football club in England just doesn't happen by chance. Watch her build a relationship of trust with Bond, and watch her blow up his heart. If you're looking for someone to enact THE BETRAYAL that is responsible for forming a huge part of the Bond identity, who better than Tanya Turner herself to do the job. And do it up she would, luv.

4. Claire Forlani. See how good I am at this?

5. Rachel Weisz I don't know if she'd agree to do it, and I don't know if people would think to ask her, but I think she would have been perfect for the role. She's a spitfire.