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Last Updated: Nov 19, 2008 - 9:59:10 AM |
*** and a half out of five
The name’s Bourne – oops, I mean Bond. James Bond.
Ian Fleming’s British spy is back onscreen in his 22nd outing, Quantum of Solace, two years after the franchise rebooted with Casino Royale and showed us the birth of 007. And, in fact, if you haven’t seen Casino Royale, or it’s been a while since your last viewing, it’s probably a good idea to brush up on your knowledge. Quantum of Solace picks up almost immediately where its predecessor left off, and leaves the audience hardly a moment to breathe before they get bombarded with non-stop action.
At the end of Casino Royale, Bond witnessed the betrayal and death of Vesper Lynd, the woman he loved; as Quantum of Solace opens, we see him in hot pursuit of the organization behind Vesper’s death. As he digs through deeper and deeper layers, Bond finds himself face-to-face with Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), a fake environmentalist who’s teaming up with an exiled Bolivian general so he can make an important natural resource grab.
At Greene’s side is Camille (Olga Kurylenko), an ex-lover as equally motivated by revenge as Bond is. After a slight misunderstanding of identity – read: failed assassination attempt – Camille and Bond find themselves as unlikely partners.
I admit that Casino Royale was the first and only Bond film I’d seen up until now, and so Craig is “my” Bond, so to speak. I can’t compare him against Connery, or Moore, or Brosnan, and so I have no reason to miss the suave stylings of the wisecracking, gadget-wielding Bond so prevalent in other films. The Bond here is almost an automaton: cold, ruthless, and rarely cracking his super-serious exterior to show any warmth or humor. (It is only fair to note, however, that Quantum is not an entirely serious movie, as some have suggested. The humor is sparse, but crackles when necessary and breaks up the tension.) He’s nearly an impenetrable figure, as is Kurylenko’s Camille, and it’s not until late in the film that we find enough about these two characters to really connect with them, rather than observe them from the outside. And frankly, it’s quite refreshing; it seems to be much closer to Ian Fleming’s original vision to see Bond as a ruthless assassin and spy above all else, and Camille is a much stronger character than the “useless sex kitten” role that the term “Bond girl” suggests.
Director Mark Forster is at his best when exploring the psychology of these two characters, which is unsurprising, as he’s the man behind pictures like The Kite Runner and Finding Neverland. Unfortunately, this also means he’s particularly unsuited for many of the big action sequences in Quantum. These scenes are staged as though they’ve been lifted off the cutting room floor of the Bourne films, cut so quickly and hyperactively that at times, it’s impossible to tell what’s going on. Worse still is the abuse – though only occasionally – of the dreaded shaky cam, which still continues to be a terrible idea in any and all films.
The comparisons between the Bourne films and the rebooted Bond aren’t unwarranted; the new Bond is so gritty and ultra-real that it’s easy to have more than a few moments of déjà vu while watching Quantum. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, of course; both franchises are examples of well-done thrillers. But let’s hope that the next Bond film continues to develop its own separate identity. After all, this is James Bond – we shouldn’t have to settle for good when we know we can achieve great.
Quantum of Solace runs 106 minutes and is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and some sexual content. Viewed at Southpark 16.
ereel@villagepublishing.com | 751-0421
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