Safin’s above taunt to Bond in No Time To Die is nothin short of cruel, given the circumstances. Using Mathilde as leverage, he tosses a pillow into the air to demonstrate his goons’ marksmanship to compel Bond to disarm, but the moment feels a bit contrived. Mainly because the inclusion of a child in any scene in a Bond movie amplifies the awkwardness, reinforcing the long held view that children and Bond movies don’t mix well.

Safin’s subsequent escape with Mathilde, dropping through the floor just out of Bond’s reach, seems a bit too convenient and even forced. In hindsight, the sequence feels even more hollow given the heavy handed tragedy of Bond’s death that follows. Oh well!