What a communicator thinks about at a Bond movie: cell phones and tourism campaigns
I was one of the throng of people who took in Casino Royale, the latest James Bond flick, this weekend. I’m no film critic, so I won’t tell you about the stupendous chase scenes, the blunt torture, and the younger, fitter, more pensive blue-eyed Bond (OK, I just did). What really struck me during the film? The palpable beauty of Montenegro. At the end of the movie, my partner and I looked at each other and said, “We HAVE to visit there.” The mountains, the Adriatic coast, the quaint villages – all were just breathtaking. I wondered if the tourism bureau was taking advantage of the publicity generated by the film.
When I arrived home, I immediately Googled Montenegro. Well, kudos to the tourism folks there, because they have a link on their home page to the Bond movie and they generously list all the shooting locations, not just those in their own country. I would love to know, a year from now, if there is a huge jump in the number of tourists headed for the “jewel of the Adriatic.”
About the cell phones … Have you noticed that mobile phones are playing an increasing role in movies? Not as props; they are integral to the plot. In The Departed, which I saw last month, and now in Casino Royale, the story line could not advance without the little beeping device. I’m getting a little tired of the good guy dialing the bad guy’s number so he can find him in a crowded location. One more thing: these guys get reception everywhere, from dungeons to skyscrapers. Yet, if I venture south to Lake Ontario right here in Oakville, I’m in a dead zone. I guess I have the wrong kind of phone.
