The following article contains spoilers for No Time to Die.
No Time to Die was never going to be an ordinary James Bond movie, partly because the Daniel Craig era has been marked by a new type of 007 and an actual storyline from start to finish. As Bond grew in front of the world, so did his relationship with women and, most importantly, how Bond girls are ultimately portrayed in Craig’s final outing.
In the long, long lead-up to No Time to Die’s release, a lot of speculation and publicity was built around the fact that the movie would feature Lashana Lynch’s Nomi taking over the 007 tag. This led to accusations that James Bond was getting a “woke” facelift from Hollywood, however, not only is No Time to Die a fantastic movie that will please die-hard franchise fans, it also gives all of its Bond girls the type of roles that do away with the idea of the world needing a female 007.
Every woman in No Time to Die carries herself on her own terms and very much in their own world, one that doesn’t depend on Bond nor is led to the bedsheets by the spy’s seductive charm. If anything, both Ana de Armas and Lynch’s performances are proof that Amazon has plenty of spinoff material to work with without tarnishing Bond’s legacy, or maybe use these lessons to build a menacing female villain in the future.
Nomi: Just Like 007
Whereas Paloma nods to more traditionally feminine traits in Bond girls of old, Nomi is here to pick on James' nerves, and all with good reason since she’s taken over his old job. Lynch plays essentially the James Bond role, she’s a killer double-O agent with sharp tongue and skills to back it up, plus a more obedient soldier than Bond, meaning she's technically better than him at the whole 007 thing.
She gets the best of Bond when she takes him to his Jamaica home, she has him “riding bitch” on the way there, and until Bond’s family is in danger the two are pretty much on par in terms of execution. The best part about Nomi is probably the fact that she fires back at Bond just like one would expect Bond to talk back at a rival of his, she comes off as annoying because she's supposed to be so in the eyes of the viewer that's rooting for James but the character, even in this incomplete form, make a good part of the argument of how a female Jamie Bond would work.
When James and Nomi embark on the movie’s final mission, there is no reason to imagine that she couldn’t have completed each objective too, with Bond’s personal ties being why he’s the one to go up and confront Zafin. Nomi is not petty either as shown when she gives the 007 title back to Bond, though judging from her skills she probably honored that position outstandingly during her tenure
Paloma: And Then She Said “Vamos!”
The first shot featuring Paloma is classic Bond, meeting the CIA agent sent to assist James in his mission only to reveal a beautiful woman in an equally stunning dress, nevertheless, that’s where tradition ends. To Bond’s surprise, Paloma is quirky, naturally charming, inexperienced, guzzles down martinis like there's no tomorrow, and yet, like 007, is incredibly competent at her job; neither her personality nor the mission call for the two to flirt, and when they get too close it’s used in a humorous way.
All the takes featuring Craig and de Armas are perhaps the funniest moments No Time to Die has to offer, while also showcasing James Bond's perfectly executed brand of action with Paloma’s weapon handling and her brawling skills just being a joy to watch. Walking away from the theater, most fans will feel that they did not get enough of -possibly- one of the best supporting characters to appear in the Craig era or the James Bond franchise altogether, despite just getting a few precious minutes with her in Cuba.
Paloma manages to mix the good parts of the femme fatale, manic pixie dream girl, and Bond girl stereotypes without any of the negatives to craft a character that’s simply too good when she’s on-screen. All in all, the only flirting de Armas does is toy with the idea that this would be an incredibly cool solo protagonist, so Amazon, please take some notes.
Madeleine: Finally, All The Time In The World
No Time to Die’s opening sequence starts with Madeleine’s memories, an apt and scintillating beginning for this epic adventure since it’s her relationship with Bond that goes on to define the entire story arc of the movie. Even more so, Madeleine is the reason why Bond’s psyche has changed so much, with every scene between the two giving Craig and Léa Seydoux a lot to work with.
It was Vesper Lynd who first set the tone for this new Bond, a chapter closed with an explosive intro before eventually leading to a glimpse at James Bond the family man. Having Bond utter out a declaration of love for the mother of his child breaks a new drama barrier in 007 history, and it’s only possible not even due to the relationship’s setup in Spectre, but rather for the way it’s conceived in No Time to Die's lengthy but deserved runtime.
At its heart, it would appear that each woman in No Time to Die plays more strongly into a role that female characters -and Bond himself- had at some point during 007’s life. Nomi is all business and Paloma is pure fun and games, while Madeleine is the gateway to the life he always yearned for, the only one for whom he was willing to give up everything and whose eyes stun Bond like few bullets can.
The crucial part is that each of these characters could -and maybe should- exist on their own whenever Bond wasn’t in their lives, just like M before them, they’re not exactly empty vessels in to suit his needs or those of his adventure. It’s fitting then that James Bond’s ultimate sacrifice to save the world was also to save two women, the love of his life and his daughter, it’s the perfect way to finish Craig's journey and it makes for an amazing story to tell Mathilde, in fact, it's one of Bond's best movies ever.