DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER (1971) // James Bond Review and Whisky Pairing
"Diamonds Are Forever" Plot
A diamond smuggling operation run by Blofeld (Charles Gray) is subterfuge for taking over a satellite program run by casino magnate Willard Whyte (Jimmy Dean).
Whiskey Lore Review
Bond goes to Vegas and rolls those bones. "Hey you've played this game before." Like the Rat Pack's "Oceans 11" this film is fun in that it gives us a glimpse into Las Vegas during the mafia years. As for Sean Connery as James Bond, this is definitely a weak point in his EON years and it is the last time they use the Blofeld character officially until Christoph Waltz in SPECTRE.
Best of the movie: The car chase through Downtown Vegas in the red 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1 is definitely a highlight. They messed up though when filming. The car tilts up on two wheels, but comes out of the alley on the other two wheels - so they added in a scene where you see their faces tilting from one side to the other. I also love the scene where Bond leaps on top of the elevator and rides up on the outside of the building, then hangs off the side, swings out, and then climbs to the roof. It is about the only time my adrenilne runs in this movie.
Memorable: The fight with Thumper and Bambi. Bond takes quite a pounding but ends up winning in the end. The fight in the elevator is also aggressive and worthy of mention. And style returns to Bond in the final scene when he comments on the wine and then makes the crack "I've smelled that aftershave before and both times I've smelled a rat."
Where it goes wrong: The opening scene is a trainwreck. The jump cuts to try to get you into the action as incredibly bad and it ends with him strangling the girl with her bikini top. It almost redeems itself when Bond kills Blofeld's double. Connery's style flashes for a moment, but not long enough. It also has a pretty lame supporting cast, with Plenty O'Toole, Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd, and Jimmy Dean as a casino magnate.
Paired Whisky: Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Tennessee Sour Mash Whiskey
I paired this with Jack Daniel's Single Barrel simply for the fact, you need a really good whiskey to get you through this film and since it mostly takes place in Las Vegas, there may have been a moment when the director or actors went for breakfast at the Peppermill and might have been in the same joint as Frank Sinatra, who loved his Jack Daniel's!
Whiskey Lore Rank: #23 (Score 4.82) > Next Movie
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- MUSIC (8): Thank you John Barry for giving us another lush and enjoyable score. And Shirley Bassey brings it again on the title theme. It doesn't always get listed as a top quality theme, but it really fit the era and has a great melody.