Daniel Craig, Christoph
Waltz, Lea Seydoux, Ralph Fiennes, Andrew Scott, Jesper Christensen,
Monica Bellucci, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Dave Bautista, Rory
Kinnear, Stephanie Sigman. 148 minutes.
The previous James Bond film, 2012's SKYFALL, grossed over a billion dollars, and even adjusted for inflation, stands as the most commercially successful film of the series. It also won two Oscars (one of them for Adele's title song), and is the most critically acclaimed of all the films. The producers, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, waited for the film's director, Sam Mendes, to finish his theatre commitments so that he could return for the next film. The expectations are high for Bond 24 aka SPECTRE.
In the precredits sequence, which includes a masterful, thrilling tracking shot akin to TOUCH OF EVIL (1958), we see Bond tracking down and attempting to kill a man in Mexico City, during the Day of the Dead celebrations. Bond almost demolishes the city on his mission but comes into possession of a ring that will set him on a course to Rome, Austria and Morocco and bring him back to London. It will also complete the circle that started in CASINO ROYALE (2006) and force him to deal with his past and his future. At the same time, his superior M battles a merging of MI6 and MI5 and the creation of a global intelligence sharing network that will also see the end of the 00 section.
The film marks Daniel
Craig's first 'traditional' Bond film. After the traumatic events of
SKYFALL, Bond is now the 007 we previously knew and loved. He's at
ease with himself, and the clothes, the witty lines, the womanising, and
the gadgets are all present and correct. Those that complained the
Bond of the previous Craig films was no kind of hero at all will not
feel that way here. He's also noticeably more human after the events
of the previous films. The heroine even describes him as 'a good
man'. Craig gives one of the most iconic Bond performances of the
series, and dominates the part with a force not seen since Connery in
GOLDFINGER (1964) or THUNDERBALL (1965). One of the most pleasing
elements of the film are the little humorous character moments Craig affords us – the
smile he gives a bad guy before throwing him over a balcony to his
death, for example; his happiness at being behind the wheel of an
Aston Martin DB10, and his playful tone whilst being interviewed by
Lea Seydoux. The tone of the film recalls that controlled tone of the first four Bond films
and ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE (1969).
SPECTRE is still very
much a Sam Mendes Bond film, though, and very much the sequel to
SKYFALL. Mendes imbues the film with the eerie sense of dread from
the final act of that film, and the relationships between Bond and
his new team – Ralph Fiennes as M, Ben Whishaw as Q, and Naomie
Harris as Moneypenny, are pleasingly and entertainingly developed
from the last film. Mendes sets the end of the film once again in the
UK, the story once again involves Bond facing his past, and Bond is
once again having to fight his own obsolescence. Mendes continues to explore the need for the human touch (field
agents) in surveillance and intelligence gathering, and here he is also
interested in the repercussions of the government surveilling its own
public and the open sharing of intelligence between nations. CASINO
ROYALE was a post-911 thriller, SPECTRE is a post-Snowden thriller.
Mendes also brings a refreshing romantic feel to the film. SPECTRE sees a slowly burgeoning romance between Bond and the psychologist Dr. Madeleine Swann, played by Lea Seydoux. Their relationship has echoes of a previous one Bond has had. Seydoux is captivating in the film. She has a kind of beauty that never hits home and manages to never look the same in each scene. The actress manages to create a three dimensional character. Madeleine is a woman tough but vulnerable and scarred but not beaten by the past. She offers Bond another chance for redemption.
SKYFALL, following the
death of Judi Dench's M, saw the appointment of Ralph Fiennes as
her replacement. Fiennes has some great moments in the film, crossing
swords with C (Andrew Scott). His new dynamic with Bond
is compelling and fun. The relationship between Bond and Moneypenny,
played the fine actress Naomie Harris, is now more flirtatious but also deeper. Rory Kinnear as Bill Tanner
has unfortunately not yet been allowed to shine in the role. Andrew Scott as 'C', a
bureaucrat looking to end the days of the 00 section and merge MI6
with MI5, is very good at projecting the arrogant, unknowable nature
of his character.
Ben Whishaw as 'Q' is simply wonderful. He's as lovable as Desmond Llewelyn but in unique ways, and audiences will look forward to his future appearances as much as they did Llewelyn's. 'Q' actually has the funniest line in the movie – and at Bond's expense. Whishaw and Craig (in their fifth film together) have great chemistry together, and have a much closer 'bond' than they did in the previous film.
Stephanie Sigman and Monica Bellucci make an impression with their beauty and charisma, but unfortunately do not have much screen time. Bellucci, though, does appear in one of the most stunningly realised scenes of the picture. Jesper Christensen returns as Mr. White from CASINO ROYALE and QUANTUM OF SOLACE, and is important in moving the plot forward. His reunion with Bond is memorable, and contains some unexpected elements.
The previous James Bond film, 2012's SKYFALL, grossed over a billion dollars, and even adjusted for inflation, stands as the most commercially successful film of the series. It also won two Oscars (one of them for Adele's title song), and is the most critically acclaimed of all the films. The producers, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, waited for the film's director, Sam Mendes, to finish his theatre commitments so that he could return for the next film. The expectations are high for Bond 24 aka SPECTRE.
In the precredits sequence, which includes a masterful, thrilling tracking shot akin to TOUCH OF EVIL (1958), we see Bond tracking down and attempting to kill a man in Mexico City, during the Day of the Dead celebrations. Bond almost demolishes the city on his mission but comes into possession of a ring that will set him on a course to Rome, Austria and Morocco and bring him back to London. It will also complete the circle that started in CASINO ROYALE (2006) and force him to deal with his past and his future. At the same time, his superior M battles a merging of MI6 and MI5 and the creation of a global intelligence sharing network that will also see the end of the 00 section.
The film marks Daniel
Craig's first 'traditional' Bond film. After the traumatic events of
SKYFALL, Bond is now the 007 we previously knew and loved. He's at
ease with himself, and the clothes, the witty lines, the womanising, and
the gadgets are all present and correct. Those that complained the
Bond of the previous Craig films was no kind of hero at all will not
feel that way here. He's also noticeably more human after the events
of the previous films. The heroine even describes him as 'a good
man'. Craig gives one of the most iconic Bond performances of the
series, and dominates the part with a force not seen since Connery in
GOLDFINGER (1964) or THUNDERBALL (1965). One of the most pleasing
elements of the film are the little humorous character moments Craig affords us – the
smile he gives a bad guy before throwing him over a balcony to his
death, for example; his happiness at being behind the wheel of an
Aston Martin DB10, and his playful tone whilst being interviewed by
Lea Seydoux. The tone of the film recalls that controlled tone of the first four Bond films
and ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE (1969).
SPECTRE is still very
much a Sam Mendes Bond film, though, and very much the sequel to
SKYFALL. Mendes imbues the film with the eerie sense of dread from
the final act of that film, and the relationships between Bond and
his new team – Ralph Fiennes as M, Ben Whishaw as Q, and Naomie
Harris as Moneypenny, are pleasingly and entertainingly developed
from the last film. Mendes sets the end of the film once again in the
UK, the story once again involves Bond facing his past, and Bond is
once again having to fight his own obsolescence. Mendes continues to explore the need for the human touch (field
agents) in surveillance and intelligence gathering, and here he is also
interested in the repercussions of the government surveilling its own
public and the open sharing of intelligence between nations. CASINO
ROYALE was a post-911 thriller, SPECTRE is a post-Snowden thriller.Mendes also brings a refreshing romantic feel to the film. SPECTRE sees a slowly burgeoning romance between Bond and the psychologist Dr. Madeleine Swann, played by Lea Seydoux. Their relationship has echoes of a previous one Bond has had. Seydoux is captivating in the film. She has a kind of beauty that never hits home and manages to never look the same in each scene. The actress manages to create a three dimensional character. Madeleine is a woman tough but vulnerable and scarred but not beaten by the past. She offers Bond another chance for redemption.
SKYFALL, following the
death of Judi Dench's M, saw the appointment of Ralph Fiennes as
her replacement. Fiennes has some great moments in the film, crossing
swords with C (Andrew Scott). His new dynamic with Bond
is compelling and fun. The relationship between Bond and Moneypenny,
played the fine actress Naomie Harris, is now more flirtatious but also deeper. Rory Kinnear as Bill Tanner
has unfortunately not yet been allowed to shine in the role. Andrew Scott as 'C', a
bureaucrat looking to end the days of the 00 section and merge MI6
with MI5, is very good at projecting the arrogant, unknowable nature
of his character. Ben Whishaw as 'Q' is simply wonderful. He's as lovable as Desmond Llewelyn but in unique ways, and audiences will look forward to his future appearances as much as they did Llewelyn's. 'Q' actually has the funniest line in the movie – and at Bond's expense. Whishaw and Craig (in their fifth film together) have great chemistry together, and have a much closer 'bond' than they did in the previous film.
Stephanie Sigman and Monica Bellucci make an impression with their beauty and charisma, but unfortunately do not have much screen time. Bellucci, though, does appear in one of the most stunningly realised scenes of the picture. Jesper Christensen returns as Mr. White from CASINO ROYALE and QUANTUM OF SOLACE, and is important in moving the plot forward. His reunion with Bond is memorable, and contains some unexpected elements.
Christoph Waltz as the
villain, Oberhauser, is the most fascinating and effective of the
Craig era. Waltz is an actor who is always amazingly precise and he
curiously chooses to underplay the role. The result is disturbing
and scary, and all the more so because Oberhauser's psychosis could
go so easily unnoticed in plain sight. His method of torturing Bond
is the film is the first acknowledged use of material from a Bond continuation
novel, and is truly unsettling.The film, actually the longest of the series at 148 minutes, is pacier than SKYFALL. It is also more epic in its locations, and its travelogue quality is extremely aesthetically pleasing. Mendes and cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema capture the character and atmosphere of the locations in careful detail. Mexico is grandiose and alive. Morocco has a romantic, old world feel. One shot in the desert recalls Omar Sharif's entrance in LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962). A master shot of the train making its way through the desert is hugely memorable for its desolate, romantic beauty. Rome is appropriately stately and historical, and fits well with the ghostly connections of the story. It's a city of deadly secrets, and it's reflected in the architecture. When Bond first sees Oberhauser up close, there is a nod to Kubrick and EYES WIDE SHUT (1999). The scene itself is a modern updating of an iconic scene from THUNDERBALL (1965). Austria is beautifully white and mountainous, with Madeleine's clinic remote and open glass. But death and danger can easily find its way there. There are many reminders of previous Bond films, some intentional, some probably not, although LIVE AND LET DIE (1973) and FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (1963) have already been acknowledged as being homaged by Mendes and Craig. Certainly the echoes to previous Craig films are intentional and deepen the drive and emotional power of the story, and complete the arc in an emotionally satisfying fashion.
Mendes allows the film
to breathe, and actually, the most satisfying section of the movie is actually
set in a Tangier hotel room where Bond and Madeleine start to
understand each other and face their similar pasts before facing
Oberhauser. The sadness on Seydoux's face in one scene and Thomas
Newman's empathetic scoring are quite touching. It feels like an
interlude but it's actually the soul of the movie. The film takes the
time to allow Madeleine to go through a grieving process, rare in a
Bond film or an action film.The action scenes flow naturally out of the story, and involve Bond using resources at hand to outwit his enemies. As in FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, for example, Bond may have a gadget, but he has to outwit his enemy in order to use it. The action scenes are traditionally edited and easy to follow. The helicopter fight in the precredits sequence is thrillingly constructed and is exciting. A car chase in Rome (akin to an idea used in the script to the unmade third Dalton film) is a duel of speed between two high performance cars in which Bond cannot rely on the car's gadgets to work. A chase between Bond's snowplane and the enemies' cars is inventively put together and full of adrenaline. It's interesting to see Bond thinking his way through beating his enemies in the scene.
Dennis Gassner's third work for the series is once again excellent, typically echoing the psychology of his characters. Note Bond's sparsely furnished apartment. This is a man who exists to be moving forward and not staying still, and it's reflected in the production design. Jany Temime's costume work is elegantly and romantically old school at times, and super modern and classy at others. Lee Smith, Christopher Nolan's favoured editor, is adept at maintaining pace without sacrificing visual and narrative clarity. He's also talented at balancing concurrent action involving different characters. Thomas Newman's score emphasises the film's links to SKYFALL by reprising some of its cues, and his choices emphasise the mystery, dread and immediacy of the story, and the atmosphere, history and feel of the locations. The soundtrack lacks memorable melodies but is perfectly in sync with the film. Sam Smith's theme song Writing's on the Wall is a mid-tempo Basseyesque love song that improves with time after one becomes more attuned to its unconventional structure. It oddly fits Daniel Kleinman's surreal, nightmarish main titles very well.
The film is not perfect. As with SKYFALL, sometimes the logic is arguably lacking. The revelations in the film are hard to swallow upon reflection but they ring emotionally true. The film could perhaps have been tighter. A side effect of the film keeping a balanced tone throughout is that the action is never as propulsively exciting as CASINO ROYALE or QUANTUM OF SOLACE. The last act of the film is good, but does not live up to the rest of the film because it relies on familiar action tropes. That said, it's a satisfying ending emotionally, and Bond's final line is unexpectedly moving and upbeat, reminding one of the increased emotional connection the Craig era has brought to the series.
Subsequent viewings bring up niggling questions like 'Why do we never see people actually falling to their deaths? Where did the other passengers on the train suddenly disappear to in the Bond and Madeleine dinner scene? How exactly did the villain achieve his power base?' Bond never really seems to be in peril, and escapes very easily throughout the picture. A shootout at the villain's compound is a wasted opportunity to see a physically and mentally impaired Bond in danger of not achieving his escape. But such a critical eye could be applied to even the most classic of Bond movies. And this is one of the best.
Oh, and if the final scene doesn't leave you with a smile on your face? You're not a Bond fan!
Copyright © Paul Rowlands, 2015. All rights reserved.
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