Sam Mendes's Skyfall is the latest iteration of the now, 50
year old James Bond Saga. And if I may say so, it’s one of the finest James
Bond movies in recent years.
For me, there was a huge difference in the audience from the
time they entered and the time they left the hall. Before we entered, they were
excited, the thrill of a Bond movie having got them eager for the latest installment.
After however, they were largely uninterested if not disappointed, with some
people saying it was a waste of time. I thought it was brilliant!
What do we expect from an action movie? Fights, explosions,
women, more explosions and a contrived plot.
Thankfully, those people who liked Skyfall will realize that
Bond isn't an action movie, it's a Spy movie. Spy movies are nitty, gritty
movies where there are intense action sequences followed by character and plot
development, they rely on a story being told rather than just having a unexplained
loose-end blow up (Yeah, I'm pointing at you Transformers 3 and Avengers)
That is what Bond is all about, fighting a personal battle,
it's not about the fighting an omnipresent organization, leave that for Jason
Borne. Skyfall finally brings us to where 007 should be, England's Greatest
Secret Agent.
If I may say so, Daniel Craig has had a relatively poor term
as Bond so far, he started off as a brilliantly in Casino Royale (which again,
relied on building the plot rather than action sequence after action sequence)
but he was turned into a British action hero and made a fool of with Quantum of
Solace.
Personally, I feel that it's nicer to look at QoS as the
ugly stepchild of the franchise and simply ignore it. Because when you do,
there is a beautiful connection between the two films. (I think Sam Mendes and
I think alike!)
At the end of Casino Royale, Bond has seen the love of his
life die. He is a broken package, this is echoed in Skyfall he seems to have grown weary of
his job as a government hitman and has begun drowning his sorrows in guilt and
booze. He longs for something more meaningful, perhaps something less
cloak-and-dagger, and something that has some truth to it.
As we've all seen from the trailers, Bond is presumed dead
after a failed mission in Turkey, but we all know that a good agent can't be
stopped, and after 3 months, Bond comes back. "Why?" he's asked,
repeatedly (as if to drive home the point) why would he return when he was out
clean?
It's because he's a spy, and (as lame as it may sound) a Son
of England; he is loyal to M, so when a crisis looms, with her as the target,
Bond is quick to return, essentially resurrecting himself to protect her (that's loyalty!)
Craig's Bond as mentioned is not a perfect Bond that we've
all grown used to seeing, he is a man who does what he does, but it doesn't
mean that it doesn't mean that his choices don't affect him.
Javier Bardem's portrayal of the villain is superb; the
character, Raoul Silva, is so effortlessly intimidating that it's easy to be
caught off guard. He doesn't bleed blood, he doesn't have weird scars or
fetish's, he is a man who has been betrayed, and he's been planning his revenge
for a long time. Bardem's character, might have possibly not been that
interesting had it been portrayed by a traditional Hollywood actor, with a
clear British, or American accent, Bardem brings the exotic touch of a Spanish
accent to the character, that with the blond hair sets him apart from the other
Bond villains. Another lovely thing to see with this character is that he
doesn't tell Bond his entire plan. He keeps the game going by having a plan and
having Bond chase after him, this makes for some interesting twists and turns
in the plot. (and please note, that his character is not gay)
Something that this film has been pointed out for lacking is
a good Bond Girl. Every 007 movie has certain female characters, you have
Moneypenny (last seen back when Pierce Brosnan was wearing the Tux), there is
the woman that Bond sleeps with which the villain promptly kills to antagonize
Bond (cause even though he's a player, he's human) and then
there is the strong 'Bond Girl' who helps James foil the dastardly plot
before succumbing to his charms. Skyfall breaks this trend, as they have the
woman that Bond sleeps with, that's clear, but the character that we all believe
is the 'Bond Girl' - Eve, lacks the chemistry and strength necessary for a Bond Girl. Sure
there is a huge amount of innuendo and she accidentally almost kills him, but that's about it. She’s doesn't click with him.
Judy Dench on the other hand, is M, the entire story
revolves around her, she is possibly the only important woman included in this
movie, which is why I believe that while Mendes doesn't say it, he has very
clearly made Dench his 'Bond Girl' in spirit.
The movie is a bit long, clocking in at nearly 2 1/2 hours;
however, it is filled with enough content to keep you content for the entire
movie. There might be a point where the average viewer will get bored and want
a fight sequence, my advice is to have patience and listen to the dialogue.
Some of it can be very important in developing characters with tiny little
aspects that you might miss, had you been texting in the movie hall.
As mentioned, the plot has thankfully moved from the
horrendous one of Quantum of Solace, where Bond fought a faceless organization,
and has replaced it with a single foe. Again, as I've mentioned, this is where
the Bond films excel, they create a connection between the protagonist and the
antagonist that makes their cold wars and hot battles all the more epic.
My advice, watch the movie! Don't expect a Michael Bay film,
expect a film that requires some time for you to listen and realise what the
characters are going through, because that is what completes a successful film.
Not crazy effects, but characters that are memorable and identifiable.
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