"Skyfall"
I have to admit there was a part
of me that was quite excited, but also rather wary when Columbia Pictures
announced that Academy Award winning director Sam Mendes was to be at the helm
for the next installment in the 007 James Bond franchise; a franchise that
has been around now for fifty years. On the one hand, I have enjoyed all
of Mendes's films prior to his most undertaking. American Beauty, Road
to Perdition, Jarhead, and Revolutionary
Road all featured strong performances from a wide range of actors.
Mendes's films also have always featured gorgeous cinematography from legendary
director of photography Conrad L. Hall (R.I.P.) and now maestro Roger
Deakins. Highlights of above average performances and jaw dropping
photography was what I was expecting from the 23rd Bond film, curiously titled Skyfall.
I was concerned though to see how Mendes would handle the overall material and
understanding of such an iconic figure in cinema. I was also hoping that
he had hired a good second unit director to handle the bulk of the action
sequences. Much to my relief Mendes delivered on all my expectations.
Bond (Daniel Craig) is back from
the dead after a failed mission to recover data containing highly classified
information about the true identities and whereabouts of MI6 agents. The
blonde hair, blue eyed, martini drinking, class F operating license holding,
British secret service agent finds himself on the front page of the obituaries
after accidentally being be shot off a moving train while going over a bridge by his partner Eve (Naomie Harris) and plunging him in to the waters below.
Wow, what an opening. Well, we all know that our hero isn't really
dead. What brings him back to London from the rest, relaxation, and
retirement he was enjoying in Turkey is an attack on MI6 headquarters, killing
six agents. M (Judi Dench,) head of MI6, wasn't in the building at the
time of the explosion. Someone is playing games with M and wants her to
pay for her sins. That certain someone is former agent Raoul Silva
(Javier Bardem) who has long since been M.I.A. He is out for revenge
against M and anyone who stands by her side.
Skyfall is unlike any
Bond film I have ever seen before, and yes I have seen all twenty-two previous
installments. One characteristic that makes this one unique is the
characters themselves. The relationship that Bond and M have is explored
and expanded upon. M always knew that Bond was extremely good at his job
but at same time he remained like this sort of thorn in the side of MI6.
With this film we actually get to see M and her top agent conversing outside an
office setting. It's clear that their relationship goes beyond merely
employer and employee. They do care about what happens to one another and
Bond will remain forever loyal to her and the cause she is fighting for day
after day. Craig and Dench are good together and we get to see a side to
each of their characters that doesn't come off as being out of place or
disloyal to the fans.
If there's one thing we learned
from No Country for Old Men, it's that Bardem can play one hell of a
villain. Silva is quite different from Anton Chigurh, but Bardem plays him with such utter creepiness to the point where he comes off as a complete
psychopath. Silva's motivation is simple; revenge. That's a motive
I can buy. This Bond bad guy isn't about world domination/accumulating
gobs of money like we've seen from so many of the other cartoonish super
villains. No, Silva's character is grounded a little more in
reality. Everything that Bardem is bringing to the character including
his physicality, mannerisms, and vocal inflection is great and at the same
time altogether disturbing.
I have to briefly mention the
photography from Deakins. Skyfall truly is the best looking Bond
film ever made. Deakins’s work never ceases to amaze me. The ever
changing color palette Bond's world is immersed in is stunning. Deakins
wonderfully utilizes the full spectrum of color to not just represent mood but
more importantly to give this latest 007 entry some uncommon allure.
That's one of the nice things about having Mendes direct a Bond film; he brings
his crew of regulars which also includes production designer Dennis Gassner and
composer Thomas Newman along with him.
Heavily peppered with big, loud,
fun action sequences but also remaining faithful its characters and fan
base, Skyfall delivers what it promises. Mendes, his cast, and his
crew continue with a tradition that has been going on for decades now. Skyfall
is leaps and bounds better than Quauntum of Solace because the
screenwriters threw out everything that film was trying to go for which
resulted in a frustrating straight up sequel to Craig's first Bond venture, Casino
Royale. Even though this film is not a sequel, the ante certainly has
been upped. Sean Connery is still my favorite Bond and some of his films
will forever remain the best in the series. However, Skyfall certainly
has a place in 007 history and is undeniably more memorable than some of his
other outings. James Bond just turned fifty and he shows no signs of
slowing down. Bond had to suffer through the birthday party that Quantum
of Solace threw for him when he
turned forty-six, but for Skyfall he gets to have
his cake and eat it too.
No comments:
Post a Comment