Quantum Of Solace
Director: Marc Forster
Stars: Daniel Graig, Judi Dench, Olga Kurylenko, Gemma Arterton
Not every Bond book contained high speed chases & thrilling action scenes, you know. Some were glimpses into the psyche of a complex & unique character extremely well written by his creator, the late Ian Fleming. One such title, The Spy Who Loved Me, has already been turned into a film. Here, another short story gets the film treatment & to thrilling effect.
If you do not remember the events of Casino Royal, I would suggest you go back & revisit them, because this is not so much a sequel, as a conclusion. Think of this as the Act II to Casino's Act I.
From the first scene, there are car chases, incredible fight sequences, plot twists & snappy dialogue. Graig is clearly at home in the role of Bond & much like the film itself, he lends a modern twist to the character, whilst paying homage to those who've paved the way. Rather than full blown double entrendes (à la Roger Moore), he delivers the puns in a throwaway style like Sean Connery. His dark elements bring to mind the Timothy Dalton films which, like this, were closer to the books. Make no mistake though, Daniel Craig is his own Bond & he makes the role seem like it was made for him.
This isn't a film concerned with keeping it's audience up to speed. At times, it seems like it's not even a film concerned with entertaining it's audience. It's dark, violent & relentlessly fast paced. But therein lies it's appeal. It doesn't insult the modern day cinema goer. It doesn't assume you need a wafer thin plot to understand or an over blown, cartoonish bad guy.
The villains are real, the plot is clever, but easy to understand. The characters are believable & although we all know Bond will survive, for once, you're not quite certain how.
It's important to note that not only does this film contain two of the most beautiful Bond girls ever, but also two of the most intelligent. They are humourous & both have back stories & aren't just conquests for Bond. They both play a vital role in this film (& in the evolution of Bond's character).
The Bond we all know & love is a character that grows from the foundations Craig is currently building & the makers are aware of that. Careful to stay true to the traditions we all know & love ,whilst adding something new to the series, the producers should be proud of themselves for what is surely the best film in this franchise since the 80s. Goldeneye? Pssh. Brosnan wouldn't last one round with this MI6 badass.
One thing though: This film looses half a star for what is truly a terrible, terrible theme tune. Shame on you, Jack White.
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