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Edinburgh International Film Festival · 2025

Edinburgh International Film Festival 2025

Sacred Bonds

Sean Connery bond retrospective

Programme

6 films · 6 reviews

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Diamonds Are Forever (James Bond 7)

Review preview for Diamonds Are Forever

Flawed and tired without being completely unwatchable.

Stephen Carty · 2 out of 5
The super-spy is assigned to a smuggling op.

(Country: UK; Year: 1971; Director: Guy Hamilton; Writer: Ian Fleming, Richard Maibaum, Tom Mankiewicz; Stars: Sean Connery, Jill St John, Charles Gray, Lana Wood, Jimmy Dean, Bruce Cabot, Putter Smith, Bruce Glover, Norman Burton, Joseph Fürst, Bernard Lee, Desmond Llewelyn, Leonard Barr, Lois Maxwell, Margaret Lacey)

Full review

Dr No (James Bond)

Review preview for Dr No

Sir Sean's blend of masculine charm and cold professionalism make him the perfect 007.

Stephen Carty · 3.5 out of 5
When a fellow agent is killed in Jamaica, the super-spy finds himself pitting wits against a mysterious new adversary.

(Country: UK; Year: 1962; Director: Terence Young; Writer: Ian Fleming, Johanna Harwood, Richard Maibaum, Berkely Mather, Terence Young; Stars: Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Joseph Wiseman, Jack Lord, Bernard Lee, Anthony Dawson, Zena Marshall, John Kitzmiller, Eunice Gayson, Lois Maxwell)

Full review

From Russia With Love (James Bond 2)

Review preview for From Russia With Love

In only his sophomore effort as James Bond, Sean Connery shows he has already mastered the role.

Stephen Carty · 4 out of 5
James Bond tries to foil a plot involving a stolen espionage machine, and faces off against a deadly assassin. Enjoying a reissue.

(Country: UK; Year: 1963; Director: Terence Young; Writer: Johanna Harwood, based on the book by Ian Fleming.; Stars: Sean Connery, Robert Shaw, Daniela Bianchi, Pedro Armendáriz, Lotte Lenya, Vladek Sheybal, Robert Shaw, Bernard Lee, Eunice Gayson, Walter Gotell, Lois Maxwell, Desmond Llewellyn, Anthony Dawson) , Official site , Trailer

Full review

Goldfinger (James Bond 3)

Review preview for Goldfinger

Superior slap-bang entertainment, joyously performed and directed with aplomb, with equal measures of silliness, joy and suspense.

Scott Macdonald · 5 out of 5
Big screen reissue offers another chance to see James Bond take on the man with the Midas touch.

(Country: UK; Year: 1964; Director: Guy Hamilton; Writer: Richard Maibaum, based on the novel by Ian Fleming.; Stars: Sean Connery, Honor Blackman, Gert Fröbe, Shirley Eaton, Harold Sakata, Tania Mallet, Bernard Lee)

Full review

Thunderball (James Bond 4)

Review preview for Thunderball

It's an undoubtedly stop-start affair, but there's enough to keep you going.

Stephen Carty · 3 out of 5
The super-spy hunts stolen nukes in the Bahamas.

(Country: UK; Year: 1965; Director: Terence Young; Writer: Richard Maibaum, John Hopkins, Jack Whittingham, Kevin McClory, Ian Fleming; Stars: Sean Connery, Claudine Auger, Adolfo Celi, Luciana Paluzzi, Rik Van Nutter, Guy Doleman, Molly Peters, Martine Beswick, Bernard Lee, Desmond Llewelyn, Lois Maxwell, Roland Culver, Earl Cameron, Paul Stassino, Rose Alba)

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You Only Live Twice (James Bond 5)

Review preview for You Only Live Twice

The film that saw the super-spy become larger-than-life.

Stephen Carty · 3 out of 5
James Bond heads off to Japan in Roald Dahl's wacky adaptation.

(Country: UK; Year: 1967; Director: Lewis Gilbert; Writer: Roald Dahl, Harold Jack Bloom, based on the book by Ian Fleming; Stars: Sean Connery, Akiko Wakabayashi, Mie Hama, Tetsuro Tamba, Teru Shimada, Karin Dor, Donald Pleasence, Bernard Lee, Lois Maxwell, Desmond Llewelyn, Charles Gray, Tsai Chin, Peter Fanene Maivia, Burt Kwouk, Michael Chow)

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