Skyfall is a stunning accomplishment and a fitting tribute to the 50th Anniversary of the James Bond films. (See below to see where I place this on my lists of the Best of Bond).This is Bond as creator Ian Fleming envisioned: hard, cool, toughened by experience. No gentleman spy here. No eye-popping gadgets to be used in the "ta-dah" nick of time.
Start with Daniel Craig. If he did not already own the Bond role from his Casino Royale performance, he does now. He brings every aspect of Bond to life in a nuanced performance seldom seen in action movies. Its not that he supplants Sean Connery as the best bond ever. But now when you think of Bond, two images come to your mind.
The plot is well-crafted and believable as is Bond's (& M's) adversary. An operative sacrificed by M sets out on revenge against MI-6 and M personally.
The villain. Javier Bardon as Silva isn't a super-villain with dreams of world domination. Javier Bardon plays a former MI-6 operative who was sacrificed for the greater good. But he doesn't see it that way, and sets his sites on revenge - targeting M herself. He is brilliant, ruthless and formidable.
Judi Dench gives the best performance ever as M. No longer a character limited to sending Bond on his missions, M is an integral part of this movie. She makes hard decisions, comes under political pressure, and fights back. With this performance, she supplants Bernard Lee ("M") and even Desmond Llewelyn ("Q") as the most outstanding recurring character in the half century of Bond.
Surprise returning character. In a delightful homage to the earlier Bond movies, we see the reappearance of an old friend - the Astin Martin DB5, complete with ejector seat in place. It brings a smile and the comfort of seeing an old friend one more time. But the true genius is that it does so as an integral part of the story.
The supporting cast is impeccable and is now set to continue the series.
Moneypenny: Naomie Harris is a revelation, bringing an entire new aspect to the iconic Moneypenny character. We hear her first name - Eve - for the first time. But beyond that, she is a trained operative who comes in to a desk job after a misstep in the field. Harris is far more defined, more seductive, and more dangerous than any prior Moneypenny.
Q - The new quartermaster is a brilliant young computer genius played by Ben Whitshaw. He balances a nerdlike quality with an understanding that there is a certain "cool" and more below the surface. In his first meeting with Bond, Q hands Bond a personalized Walther PPK and a small radio transmitter. To Bond's quizzical look says "We don't do that other stuff anymore."
Gareth Mallory: Ralph Fiennes is introduced as the head of British Defense - M's boss. A seeming political bureaucrat, we find out that there is much more to Mallory than we first expect. We also find that his character will return and become a part of the continuing Bond saga.
Bill Tanner: Rory Kinnear. Fans of the Bond books will be delighted to see Bill Tanner as a part of this film. In the books, Tanner is M's Chief of Staff and a close friend of Bond. This is the first appearance of the character in any Bond film.
Kincaide: Albert Finney. A long way from his Oscar winning performance in Tom Jones, Finney is simply marvelous as the gamekeeper at the Bond traditional family home in Scotland - Skyfall. Through him we get a glimpse of Bond's background.
As for the rest: the music, the opening scene, the opening titles, the quips - its all there. With Skyfall, 007 reclaims its place as the best in movie thrillers.
So where does Skyfall rank among the Bond films? Which ranks higher - the original works that comes form nowhere to capture the imagination of the world or the work that reinvigorates what had become a dated formula?
Best to Worst movie ranking: For me, it is still the original. Goldfinger remains at the top of my list because without it, Skyfall would never have happened. But Skyfall moves to my number two spot - at least for today.
There is no question that there are now four iconic James Bond movies, no matter how you rank them: Goldfinger, Skyfall, Casino Royale and From Russia With Love.
Theme music: As for the theme, I already rated Skyfall as number three on my list, but after seeing the movie, I might consider moving it to number two, just behind Shirley Bassey's Goldfinger. The song, co-written by Adelle, powerfully fits the emotions of the storyline.
Villains: Javier Bardon doesnt' supplant the original Blofeld or Goldfinger, but he is clearly the most complex Bond villain, not motivated by gold or power, but by revenge. He moves to number 4 on my list, just behind LeChiffre from Casino Royale, but ahead of Thunderball's Largo.
Bond girls: Both Naomi Harris as Moneypenny and Berenice Marlohe as the tragic Saverine move on to my list of best Bond Girls. Harris moves to number 4 on my list, behind Honey Ryder, Vesper Lynd and Pussy Galore. But with future appearances likely, she may well move even higher. Saverine is a stunningly gorgeous but tragic figure, and like so many Bond women, condemned from the outset to fall victim to the story's villain. But Marlohe brings texture and depth to the role. She moves to number 6 on my list, ahead of Halle Barry as Jynx in Die Another Day.
Best Openings: The opening to Skyfall is sensational, not only for its action, but for its important integration into the entire plot of the story. It comes in at number 4, just behind the Union Jack parachute from The Spy Who Loved Me.
No comments:
Post a Comment