What is it
about the Bond film? It’s like the
comfort blanket of films. Most of us
have grown up watching them and there’s always a particular actor in that role that’s
somewhat synonymous with our youth. I
always remember watching the Roger Moore films as a kid, even though I’m
technically of the Dalton/Brosnan era. Maybe
it’s the knowing what you’re going to get? There’ll be exotic locales, amazing stunts and action, beautiful people,
a sense of adventure and true escapism. It’s that comfort blanket of escapism and it makes going in to watch a
new Bond film quite exciting.
Skyfall very
successfully follows in this tradition. Daniel Craig successfully proved himself as the character in his previous two turns
in the role, being the best element in both films. Casino Royale very successfully washed away
the bad memories of those last couple of Brosnan films, up until the unnecessary
final third which should’ve been excised. Quantum of Solace was enjoyable but had numerous issues. And so these last few weeks I’ve been quietly
looking forward to slipping back into this world.
I think it’s
fair to say that Skyfall’s ace in the hole is Sam Mendes. A slightly leftfield but always curious
choice as a Bond director, he’s not exactly an action director but is certainly
known for dramatic gravitas. Well, he
delivers on the action stakes that’s for sure. All of the action set pieces are thrillingly enjoyable and they are certainly
far better shot and edited than Quantum of Solace’s unsuccessful attempts at
aping Bourne. But there’s more here than
just action, as there is more drama
and interesting things going on beneath the surface. The Bond we see here is not just the perfect
international superspy that we’re used to seeing - there are flaws and a bit more
depth. We also get tantalising snippets
about his distant past which other directors might’ve laboured with to reveal
all but no, it’s kept tantalisingly brief and doesn’t hinder or slow the film.
The other
excellent decision the viewer gets to reap the rewards of is the casting of
Javier Bardem as Silva, the villain. In
a sense I think all involved have learnt a lesson from The Dark Knight and
Heath Ledger’s superlative portrayal of The Joker. There are shades of that character here in
both the writing and acting. Although
Silva’s goal is based more around personal retribution than the fantastical
megalomania we’re used to with Bond villains, there’s something unhinged and menacingly devious about him. He’s makes for a far
more interesting villain and Bardem excels in this role.
Visually
this has to be one of the best looking Bond films yet, if not one of the best
looking films I’ve seen this year. Roger
Deakins has done a fantastic job with the cinematography. He makes the most of the environments he’s working
in and compositionally everything looks stunning. Most notable is the use of
shadows, reflective perhaps of Bond’s state of mind or just how he
operates. There’s a scene in a tower
block in Shanghai where the contrast of light and darkness, as well as the
framing, is impressive. Whilst the climatic
scenes toward the end make use of these tools again to quite frankly stunning
effect.
Not everything is perfect with the film though. The story is interesting and drives the film forward
well, but post viewing I can’t stop noticing some irritatingly major flaws with
it. The characterisation of the leads
might be strong, which includes a bigger than usual role for Judi Dench’s M and
Ralph Fiennes’ Mallory who are both at their usual standard, but we’re introduced
to a handful of other potentially interesting characters who we don’t actually get
much from. This is particularly
frustrating with the primary “Bond girl” Sévérine (Bérénice
Marlohe), who when introduced seems to have some potential depth, but alas that’s
ignored and she’s completely underused. There were also a handful of annoying musical cues in the film and the
theme song, despite being something of a throw back to the olden days, is
thoroughly bland.
Skyfall delivers, quite impressively so. Craig continues to prove why he’s one of the
best actors to play 007 yet, whilst the extra layers added to the character go
a long way. It’s a testament to Bardem
to say that without him the film would be lacking something. Considering it’s a pretty long two and a
quarter hours, the film never drags and moves along at the right pace, whilst Mendes does a great job keeping
the reins on and making it all so thrilling. Ultimately Skyfall has enough to it to make it seem more than just a standard Bond film, as it is a damn good thriller in its own right. It’s definitely the best Daniel Craig Bond film and the best since the
mid nineties at the least. I just hope we don't have to wait another four years to get wrapped up in this world again.
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