Lots of things on my mind these days. Plots, subplots(definitely the topic of an upcoming post) and structure. But as I watch Casino Royale, top most on my mind is how some men come across as innately sexy and others just don’t.
You know I’m talking about Daniel Craig. Who, in my opinion, is incredibly sexy in Casino Royale, in a way no other Bond man has ever been. Part of it is the wonderful interchange between him and Vesper Lynd. Sharp sexy dialogue and a woman who can match him.
But a larger part of it is that he’s a dangerous, dangerous man. Capable of almost anything. He has that buff body, and those incredible blue eyes, and let’s not forget how he looks in a tux, but we’re not talking about a traditionally good looking man here.
Same with many of the characters played by Clive Owen, and Gerard Butler, two more intensely sexy men.
The common denominator is they seem to give the impression of barely restrained control, a sense of wildness just below the surface and a strong confidence.
Would I want to marry a man like this? Hell, no.
But a one night stand. Absolutely.
So how do we take these men and make them romance heroes, but showing their metamorphosis from a dangerous man, to one controlled by the heroine, or his feelings for her.
Maybe it’s that sense of leashing a wild animal that creates the fantasy. I’m not sure, but personally, I like heroes with baggage, darkness and edge.
Nothing is more boring to me than a white bread, straight up hero. Always hated Superman. Found him boring. I like a hero with harsh edges, darkness, Batman, is more my comic book character. It also explains how Tony Soprano became a strange sort of sex symbol.
It’s the fantasy of danger.
Who are the best romance heroes? Laura Kinsale’s heroes come to mind. She creates these damaged, dark, sexy men. Who else?
4 comments:
Ooooo... Sex... We're going to get a lot of google search hits today.
Great post, Sinead. I'm not widely enough read in romance to have an opinion on your question... But love me some Daniel Craig and Clive Owen.
The thing I noticed upon viewing the DVD of Casino Royale is Daniel Craig's walk. It's some walk he's got, that guy. Part of the sexy package (although alas, he does have what my daughter refers to as "monkey lips). He also has a great voice. As does Clive Owen, whose voice I recognize *immediately*.
Just goes to prove that it's about way, way more than a pretty face, and I haven't even gotten to the hidden, but eventually revealed vulnerability...
Margaret, you're so right, he has a fantastic walk. Never realized it till you pointed it out.
And let's face it, those swim shorts were something really special..
They ARE monkey lips! It actually took me a while to sort of not laugh at him at the beginning of that movie -- he looked a little ridiculous running up that crane with pursed lips -- but then he got a little sweaty and I forgot about the lips.
Regarding heroes in books you've got to go a long way to beat the heroes in Nora Robert's Chesapeake Bay series -- those three boys with the tortured souls are pretty damn great - and Gaelan Foley's hero from The Princess - though he falls apart in the last act. Oh and of course -- Anne Stuart. HAve you read Blue Ice yet? oh - we got lots to talk about!
Sorry to be so out of the loop lately -- Maureen what an amazing article - I have believed in your ghettoiation theory for a long time and to blame the writers does seem unfair. Most of us are new - we get a little contract with a big house with a HUGE marketing machine behind it and we are told what works and who are we to doubt it? Putting your foot down about a cover is tough - and frankly pink for a while there got your book picked up.
hmmm - long message maybe I should have just emailed you guys....
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