007 minus the Tom Ford look.

Filming has started for the latest James Bond film in London and there has been several photos taken of Daniel Craig in and about the city streets.  As recently as the beginning of this month it was reported Tom Ford would once again be dressing the fashionable Mr. Bond.  Yet this latest iteration of 007 looks decidedly unfashionable.  I'm being a little glib here, Mr. Bond always looks good in a sartorial way as pictured below in photos provided by the premier James Bond site MI6.

However, despite the Savile Row topcoat our James looks like a little worse for the wear. Normally Daniel Craig's looks can be best described as a rugged or rough hewn but surely handsome none the less.

But now there is something decidedly different in the way James Bond is being visually portrayed.

Craig looks older, greyer, unshaven and frankly a little battle worn.  So what is behind this new look for 007?  In the brief synopsis of Skyfall as provided by it's publicists we learn that Bond learns some dark truth about "M" from her past.  It shakes the very foundation of MI6 and 007 must go to any extreme to save the office and M.  Does this explain Bonds beleaguered look?  Has his efforts so taxed him that he looks as though he's been awake for a fortnight?

One clever possibility could be that this Bond flick takes place several years in the future.  Bond is actually older and the grey and gaunt look is explained by the passage of time.  This may be the 23rd Bond movie but chronologically it may be more like Bond 26 and the next two movies (24 and 25) may encompass the events that lead up to this titular "Bond 26".  I wonder if the producers have the testicular fortitude to pull this off?  It would certainly be a radical approach and good reason for not doing it would be audience confusion.  Yet this would cover completely new ground in the James Bond series and would provide a refreshing angle. 

The easy explanation for the "new look" is that Bond has fallen on hard times, the truth behind the revelations of M's past has shaken his confidence, led to a downfall of sorts wherein he has taken up the bottle and forsaken his gambling and womanizing ways.  (The horror.)

We could also speculate that the producers have decided that since much time has passed in the real world from the last movie that they are reflecting how Bond has legitimately aged.  I hope not.  If anything James Bond represents an ideal.  He always looks good no matter what!

Whatever the reason is for Bond's haggard look let's hope it is only a temporary set back for our James.  There are a lot of ladies in our world and on the silver screen that would prefer Mr. Bond to look like he's gotten a little sleep to say the least.  And if I'm going to go shopping for own personal Savile Row attire and Tom Ford look I'd rather look my normal resplendent self instead of ashen, careworn and exhausted.

Rally James!