The following is a list of James Bond allies in the 1953 novel and 2006 film Casino Royale:
Contents |
| René Mathis | |
|---|---|
| Character from the James Bond franchise | |
| Affiliation | Deuxième Bureau (novels) MI6 (film) |
| Portrayed by | Giancarlo Giannini |
René Mathis is a fictional character from the James Bond film Casino Royale. He is portrayed by veteran Academy Award-nominee Giancarlo Giannini, who reprised the role in Quantum of Solace. The character appears in the original novel by Ian Fleming and, a trusted ally of Bond attached to the French Deuxième Bureau, he reappears in From Russia with Love; in the subsequent book Doctor No the readers learn that he has saved Bond's life. The film character is markedly different in certain respects.
Mathis is first introduced in the novel Casino Royale. It is revealed that he is an agent of the Deuxième Bureau and that he has worked with Bond once on an assignment in Jamaica. He provides Bond with assistance while he is in France. Mathis' second (and final appearance) in the Ian Fleming novels is in From Russia with Love where it has been revealed that he has been promoted to the head of the Deuxième Bureau. Dr. No reveals that he saved Bond's life in between the two novels.
Mathis also makes an appearance in the Sebastian Faulks novel Devil May Care. He assists Bond while he is in France and is revealed to be engaging in adultery.
He is later blinded by Le Gerant in the Raymond Benson novel Never Dream of Dying.
In the film, Mathis — who introduces himself using the famous mannerism as "My name is Mathis. René Mathis." — is portrayed as a charming and supremely competent lone-wolf MI6 agent stationed in Montenegro. During the entire Montenegro sequence, it is evident that Mathis is continually working behind the scenes to counter Le Chiffre's plans and protect Bond and Vesper Lynd. Because an ally of Le Chiffre is the local chief of police (played in a cameo role by Michael G. Wilson), Mathis frames him for corruption by forging documents -"Its wonderful what you can do with Photoshop these days." Mathis also helps Bond by disposing of the bodies of two LRA assassins — that Bond has killed — by placing them and their cell phone in the boot of Le Chiffre's henchman Leo's car and then ringing that phone while Leo and the police stand by. "Being dead," he says as they watch Leo's arrest, "doesn't mean one can't still be helpful."
Before parting company for a break in the poker tournament, Bond carelessly divulges to Mathis and Vesper the tell-tale mannerism he'd spotted when Le Chiffre had been bluffing. When the game resumes, Le Chiffre affects the telling mannerism to tempt Bond to go "all in" on a crucial hand: Le Chiffre isn't bluffing, and Bond loses all of his starting stake at a stroke. "You must have thought I was bluffing, Mr. Bond." When Le Chiffre captures Bond after the tournament is over, he leads Bond to believe that Mathis had betrayed Bond when he says, "I'm afraid your friend Mathis is really... my friend Mathis."
As Mathis approaches Bond recuperating from his capture, MI6 tasers Mathis and takes him into custody. M later reveals that Lynd had been an unwilling accomplice of Bond's enemies, and says that Mathis is therefore cleared. Bond disagrees and says that while Lynd has been proven guilty, Mathis has not been proven innocent, and still can't be trusted, advising that MI6 continue to interrogate him. M then compliments Bond for learning a valuable lesson: no one can be trusted. Mathis's true affiliation is therefore not resolved until the next film.
Quantum of Solace reveals that Mathis was either set up by Le Chiffre or was a triple agent, and therefore innocent. MI6 has apologized for arresting and detaining him and as compensation has given him a villa in Talamone, a small coastal town in Tuscany, Italy. Bond approaches Mathis for help in order to infiltrate Bolivia using fake passports and forged papers, and Mathis accompanies him. Mathis gets Bond into a party to confront Dominic Greene, and uses his contacts in the police force to give Bond protection.
However, Mathis is betrayed by the police, who are already allied to Greene. Fleeing from the party, Bond is stopped and made to open the trunk of his car. He finds Mathis inside, barely alive. The police order Bond to remove Mathis from the trunk. As he does, they notice that Mathis is still alive and shoot him in the back. After dispatching the police, Bond goes over to Mathis' side. Mathis, dying, asks Bond to stay with him till the end. He tells him that they forgive each other and Bond should forgive Vesper, who gave everything for him. He should forgive himself. With that, he dies in Bond's arms. Bond, attempting not to show emotion, dumps Mathis' body in a dumpster and takes the money from his wallet, saying Mathis wouldn't care ("being dead doesn't mean one can't still be helpful"). Nonetheless, during the final attack on the hotel where Greene is staying, Bond executes the Chief of Police, telling him that "You and I had a mutual friend," avenging Mathis.
| Carter | |
|---|---|
| Character from the James Bond franchise | |
| Affiliation | MI6 |
| Portrayed by | Joseph Millson |
Carter is an inexperienced MI6 agent who tries to help Bond capture the bombmaker Mollaka in Madagascar. In spite of Bond's coaching, he keeps his hand to his earpiece to talk to Bond on the radio (showing Mollaka that he has a radio in his ear) and makes eye contact with Mollaka as well. Mollaka flees; Carter draws his gun and gives chase despite Bond telling him to stay put and holster the weapon. Mollaka runs through a pit where a snake and mongoose are fighting, but Carter trips, falls in and accidentally fires his gun into the air, sending people screaming.
In the videogame, Quantum of Solace, Carter survives falling into the pit and assists Bond in tracking down Mollaka but is rarely seen.
| Mendel | |
|---|---|
| Character from the James Bond franchise | |
| Affiliation | Basel Bank |
| Portrayed by | Ludger Pistor |
Mendel is a Swiss banker who facilitates the transfer of James Bond's poker winnings. Armed with a high-tech briefcase, Mendel assures all of the player's money is safely transferred.
Mendel is first seen at the Casino Royale in Montenegro, in which he tells the 10 poker players that their 10 million dollars have been deposited and that the winnings will go to their respective bank accounts with a password.
Mendel is next seen when he interrupts James Bond and Vesper Lynd. Mendel needs their password and account number to deposit the 120 million dollars they've won (115 million from the game plus the 5 million Vesper refused to give Bond to rebuy). Vesper enters the account number and password before Mendel leaves.
Mendel is last seen on the phone with Bond after Bond wants to find out which account the money was transferred to. Mendel confirms that the money has been transferred to the specified account and is able to tell that it is being withdrawn at that moment, which leads Bond to Vesper.
| Villiers | |
|---|---|
| Character from the James Bond franchise | |
| Affiliation | MI6 M |
| Portrayed by | Tobias Menzies |
Villiers is an aide to M in the James Bond film Casino Royale. The name could be a reference to the actor James Villiers, who played Bill Tanner in For Your Eyes Only, or more likely to Amherst Villiers, who developed the supercharged Bentley 4½ Litre driven by Bond in the original novel.
Villiers is first seen with M when she is leaving a Parliament hearing, criticising the media and James Bond. He is next seen when he looks up what is going on at Miami International Airport. He finds that a new plane is going to be unveiled which allows M to tell Bond what the bomber is after. He is seen a third time telling M: "Bond's been poisoned, he's gone into Cardiac arrest". It was announced on Dec. 20 that Villiers would appear only in Casino Royale, as his role would not be reprised in Quantum of Solace.
The character could be seen as a successor/reimagining of previous aides to Judi Dench's M such as Bill Tanner (played by Michael Kitchen) and Charles Robinson.
Some fans have given Menzies' character the nicknames "Mister Moneypenny" and "Mannypenny" after M's secretary from the previous Bond films due to her role being approximately filled by Villiers.