Taking on right from where "Casino Royale" left off, "Quantum of Solace" brings more of the same to the Bond franchise, an original story with a new and interesting director which manages to entertain and remain as such throughout.
James Bond (Craig) has captured Mr. White, who he feels can lead him to the organisation behind the conspiracy encountered in “Casino Royale”, and the people who manipulated Vesper. With M (Dench) after him, Bond teams with Camille (Kurylenko) to take down the mysterious Dominic Greene (Amalric) who appears to be a front for the organisation.
Daniel Craig is now my second favourite Bond, just behind Connery. And on this performance, I can't wait to see another Craig as Bond movie. Craig's Bond, so acclaimed after "Royale", goes another step in his quest for retribution and answers, and Craig portrays the famous spy as Fleming intended; closer than any other actor but Connery, Craig presents a mix of cold, ruthless and witty that only the Scot had attained before, and being as this is a reboot, not only is Craig harsher, colder and more bad-ass than previous Bonds Dalton and Brosnan, but more physical and brutal. Amalric presents his shady entrepeneur Dominic Greene as a shark-like character, as the man is clearly angling for something when we first meet him, and his callous regard for others doesn't bode well for the presentation of more members of his organisation in later films. There is no bleeding eye, nor third nipple, but Greene is all menace and hidden evil; a real-world villain for Bond to tackle for once.
Judi Dench gives Craig's Bond a mix of motherly retribution and stern rebukes throughout, but the famous actress, in her sixth performance as M, features far more this time, and as such the character's coldness and empathy for her agent are embellished. Olga Kurylenko is Bond's ally Camille; damaged goods like Bond, and in the process of gaining revenge on someone who killed those she loved, like Bond. As an equal and someone the spy can bond with over their shared pain, Camille is a character unlike many Bond girls before, and as such, Kurylenko has to try harder to present herself seriously. The actress succeeds though, and her battered but strong performance is a welcome entrance to a franchise that all too often paints women as spoilt, easily seduced and weak-willed. Gemma Arterton brings some of the old Bond spirit to the new films with her Agent Fields, an MI6 agent tasked with sending Bond home, and as with many women before her (in literary and film terms), she submits to 007's charms. However, Arterton plays her as more than equal to Craig's Bond.
Giancarlo Gianni, as the traitorous Rene Mathis, brings an interesting performance to the film. The Italian actor presents his spy character as seeking retribution from Bond, and as such feels he must help the British spy in his quest. Jeffrey Wright's Felix Leiter is a laconic and stern man who sees many problems with what he's being asked to do, and is a perfect ally to the blunt and angry Bond. Hopefully Leiter should be back in the third movie, as Jeffrey Wright's performances present a cool character who could be interesting in alliance with Bond. General Medrano, the film's other villain, is an archetypal military antagonist, who sees his chance to better his standing and take over Bolivia, with Greene's slippery self supporting his coup. Joaquin Cosio plays the menacing Medrano with great gusto; here's a man who you would not cross, and his actions in the film make him particularly unsympathetic.
Marc Forster, previously known for "The Kite Runner" and "Finding Neverland" was not many people's ideal Bond film director, but the Swiss shows here that not only can he move between genres, but that his handle of dramatic scenes is as good as before. The film never seems to let up with its action, and yet somehow Forster manages to balance it out with character encounters that are more than equal, or even in conjunction (Bond and Leiter's meeting is one such example). Hopefully Forster can take the success here and get more projects, with more of a mixture now he can be seen to be adept at action.
The dialogue is, like much of the film, not the same as the old Bond. And in this modern world, it shouldn't be. There are however many comedic aspects, and some great one-liners. Paul Haggis (writer and director of "Crash") brings a touch of characterisation to the proceedings with his non-comedic writing; all too often does the pain of what Bond has gone through get brought back to his mind and others, and Haggis' introspective focus on Bond gives him a more human side for once.
Jack White and Alicia Keys should never, ever sing together again. That's my general consensus on the theme song. However, David Arnold repairs the damage caused by "Another Way To Die" with his score, which combines action and dramatic elements with a diversity of instruments (for each new locale, the music reflects the culture), as well as a mixture of electronic and orchestral elements.
The film is best visually, like so many films from 2008 (and dare I say it, but could next year be even better?). From the opening scene, we are treated to almost non-stop action, and it's amazingly good without many semblances of CGI thankfully. More than that, it's bruising, and the knowledge that accidents happened and Craig suffered many injuries suggest that they went far enough to present realistic action. The cityscapes throughout are really the cities mentioned too, giving each locale an authentic feel when Bond legs it round them.
It’s interesting to think that it’s mere years ago we were treated to the farce that was “Die Another Day”, and thank god for Daniel Craig, because with “Quantum of Solace”, he has another film that shows a better, more ruthless Bond, as the character should be.
9/10
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