Pierce Brosnan: From Denmark with love

Pierce Brosnan and Danish actress Trine Dyrholm play future in-laws who fall in love. Photo / Supplied

Pierce Brosnan, now happily starring in a romantic comedy, tells Michele Manelis being Bond was a lasting honour

At age 59, Pierce Brosnan still cuts a dashing figure as a charismatic leading man in the romantic comedy, Love is All You Need. This latest offering from Danish director Susanne Bier is a love story for grownups about an unexpected romance between future in-laws who become acquainted while their respective children make arrangements for their upcoming nuptials.

The former James Bond (1995-2004) is in a reflective mood as he considers the ups and downs of his impressive career which includes roles in Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, The Ghost Writer, and Mamma Mia.

"Old habits die hard when you're an actor," he says. "You're always questioning, 'Am I still relevant? Do I still have what it takes?' But what happens when you get older is that when you have quiet periods, you can sit still and be confident that something will show up."

When Bier showed up with the script she co-wrote with Anders Thomas Jensen (with whom she has collaborated several times), Brosnan jumped at the chance. Bier is known for such edgy fare as A Better World, which won the Oscar in 2011 for Best Foreign Language film, and she also directed the Oscar-nominated After the Wedding, in 2007. This commercial - and hopeful - movie is a big departure for her.

Says Bier:, "It's controversial in that the film is overly romantic, unashamedly so. I didn't want any cynicism in it and that makes it daring these days."

Brosnan agrees. "I think in our society and the times we live in, there's so much confusion and agitation that the love of life seems to have gone by.

"Every day the media shows a new catastrophe in our lives and we're constantly being told that the sky is falling. And in many respects, it is.

"This is a movie that wears its heart on its sleeve about a middle-aged man who's mangled by his own misfortunes and when he least expects it, he meets this wonderful woman," he says.

The woman who captures his heart is Danish actress Trine Dyrholm. The movie is set in Copenhagen as well as on Italy's scenic Sorrento coastline, featuring a beautiful crumbling villa. The lush scenery and pristine waters are a little reminiscent of Mamma Mia, and although all signs imply Brosnan might burst into song at any moment, rest assured he doesn't. He does, however, speak a little Danish, which might prove equally unsettling.

He laughs. "I tried to speak the language. I was a bit concerned about how I was going to figure it out; I was a bit nervous about upsetting the apple cart, so to speak."

He's best known as Bond, and now Skyfall has hit the cinemas celebrating 50 years of the franchise, Brosnan says of the role that made him an international star: "It was a gift and a joy to do. It's a gift that keeps on giving. Once you're Bond, you're a Bond. It's a small group of men who've played the role and it's an honour to still carry the mantle."

He's gracious about his successor. "As for now, there is only one Bond and that's Daniel Craig. He's standing there front and centre."

Who: Pierce Brosnan
What: Love Is All You Need
When: Opens at cinemas Thursday

- TimeOut