“SKYFALL” ( 2012 ) - SAM MENDES
SPOILERS AHEAD - - -
James Bond relevant in the 21st century. Is the idea of James Bond an anachronism.
I enjoy Daniel
Cragg CRAIG as James Bond. He’s older, beat up, worse for the wear, pouches under his eyes, skin creased with welts and bruises; craggy. Being a spy is not antiseptic. It is brutal. Mmmm...I love him this way.
“Skyfall” is not as energetic and dynamic a film as previous Bond films. Sam Mendes is not an action director; he's a peoples' director. There were many parts that were slow and quiet. And thoughtfull. And that’s okay. Mendes' helms thought-provoking, character-driven films: (
“American Beauty” “Road to Perdition” “Revolutionary Road.” ) There's a fantasy element here, but moreso it is rooted in reality. And serious themes. “Skyfall” is about people and their place in a changing world. This tells a story of man vs. this digital age; this age of youth and shadows. Are
M and
Bond dinosaurs? I think they prove that they are not..that MI-6 is not. Villains
might have to step up their game. But revenge is still a good motive. It’s a bit of an origin story. They both prove we need more than just a finger to “occasionally pull the trigger.”
Daniel Craig was born to play James Bond
Wow! I know. What a declaration. I am convinced of it. Now, I loved Dalton and Brosnan. And Sean Connery is in a class by himself. But I am totally sold on Daniel Craig as James Bond. He’s commited. When he’s shot and plummets down to the river...and over a waterfall
Bond uses it as an opportunity to get away from it all. The last thing he hears in his earpiece while fighting a bad guy is
“take the bloody shot!”
Bond's body is a nice tight hard little package. But his skills have lost a step. This is illustrated nicely. I was in shock when M lies to Bond and knowingly sends him on a mission when he’s not up to par. ( We know something he doesn't know. ) He's vulnerable. He tires easily. He can’t hit his target. But I realize, it is M's faith in Bond. He’s caring. He tried to care for a downed fellow agent ( who later dies. ) He cares for M. He cares for Severine...and Eve. But he can’t save everyone. “Skyfall” gives Daniel Craig the chance to act opposite three powerhouse actors: Ralph Fiennes, Judi Dench and Albert Finney:
THE CAST:
[u][color=#FF0000]MOVIEMAN1957[/color][/u] wrote:'M' is the Bond girl.
Brilliant! MovieMan. Brilliant...and true! Your review was spot on in capsulizing the movie. Nice!
RALPH FIENNES plays
Gareth Mallory. He’s a suit. A bean counter. A desk jockey. He’s moved with the times and questions M’s capability to run MI-6.
BERENICE LIM MARLOHE is
Severine. She is a black widow and looks the part - - owned by the bad guy. Her manicure is like claws. Her lipstick practically black. And she winds up a notch on Bond’s well-worn belt. ( Looks similar to another old nemesis of Bond’s, doesn't she? ) She was bought and sold as a young girl. British actress
NAOMIE HARRIS is
Eve. She’s a poor shot, but very efficient and can kibbitz with Bond. She’s a gorgeous girl, with a smashing wardrobe. I believe her out in the field and I want her out there with Bond. But boy does she know how to...shave. The great
ALBERT FINNEY is gamekeeper,
Kincaid. He's no "mystic sage" like Hoagy Carmichael or Juano Hernandez. He knew Bond when. Maybe like Batman's Alfred. Kincaid's loyalty is unquestionable. It was great seeing Finney out there. Gravitas. You believe him!
JAVIER BARDEM is madman and ex-agent
Silva and I must say Javier is not afraid to play mad. His sadistic William Tell game is one example. He goes for it, but not in an over-the-top way. He even makes a 'move' on Bond. He is one of the actors lucky enough to play opposite
JUDI DENCH as
M. She's commanding. She makes hard choices. She makes mistakes and must live with sending men to live or die. I love her - - hands stuffed in her pocket, drinking her booze, straight-up. I love her look, older - weathered...beautiful. Love when she chastises Bond (
“Where the hell have you bean?” ) or counsels him. She'll do things on her terms. She's a tough ol' bird. And she breaks your heart.
Quibbles...squibbles
* I
still want Maurice Binder back. Though the title sequence does tell the tale of Bond's memories and “near death” experience, I confess I
do like the sexism of showing the girls weaving in and out of the sequence in interesting ways.
* I love REVENGE as a motive but I wished we saw some of what Silva previously went through as an agent, to
warrant his hateful Oedipal feelings towards M.
* I don’t like the gimmick of Bardem wearing a blonde wig.
Girls, I’ve seen Bardem in person. Trust me...he’s got it! Puhleeze, there’s enough to differentiate him from Bond, he didn’t have to go all wiggy. When he shows the effects of having taken a cyanide pill...I freaked! Brava!
* I want my gun barrel at the beginning of the movie to announce Bond and start things off, not at the end as an afterthought - ( Love how he swivels around and fires ) - I think there are certain 'Skeins of Bond' mythology that should be maintained.
MY FAVORITE MOMENTS:
Train travel...the only way to fly! - The fight was exciting. The crane crawling and crushing those veddy expensive cars!
A clash of old and new ways.
Eve gives Bond a close shave. Yep, that scene was a pulse racer. A twist on a love scene.
OH MAN!!! She's back!
I liked Eve and Bond going from radio frequency to live voices as they case the Macau casino.
Another notch, perhaps...but Bond basically wants to protect.
The boogey man. Insanity encased. This reminds me of Hannibal Lechter.
Us against the world. Humans in a digital age.
* * * * * * * *
MY FAVORITE LINES:
M: "Take the bloody shot!
Bond: “I know when a woman’s afraid and pretending not to be.”
Severine: “What do you know about fear?”
Bond: “All there is.”
Severine: “Not like this. Not like him.”
SILVA: "She sent you after me, knowing you're not ready, knowing you would likely die. Mommy was very bad"
Silva caresses Bond slightly..traces his Adam's apple; none of that male panic. Just:
BOND: "What makes you think this is my first time?"
* * * * * * * *
M and Bond stand before Scotland.
The last stand. You can’t go home again...
Bond goes back to ancestral estate ( ha ! ) Back to his beginning and does things the basic, old-fashioned way - like Ewoks against Imperial fighters. Machines don't have hearts. Machines can't think, feel...perceive. Adele’s voice understands. She sings the theme to “SKYFALL.” Bassey's voice soared. Adele reaches down...descends...deep into the beautiful melancholia of memory. ( I can almost picture the haunting voice of Amy Winehouse going to those depths. ) You can listen to the theme by clicking the picture above. Despite my quibble, the visuals of the title sequence
were impressive. It IS Bond's story. Fifty years from now, when Bond's story goes on...I can only hope one of my descendants remembers me, and whispers to me about the movie. I'm sure I'll hear them, where ever I am.