James Bond comes full circle in what is already being described as his best outing ever

Oct 27, 2012 14:31 GMT  ·  By
“Skyfall” is the 23rd James Bond film and Daniel Craig’s third take on the role
12 photos
   “Skyfall” is the 23rd James Bond film and Daniel Craig’s third take on the role

It has taken 50 years and 23 films for James Bond to finally reveal himself. “Skyfall,” the latest installment in the time-enduring and ever successful franchise, proposes a Bond like no other, taking the character one, natural step further, while also tipping the hat gracefully at the film heritage it’s using.

“Skyfall” is the first film in the franchise helmed by an Oscar-winning director, Sam Mendes (“American Beauty”), and presumably because of this, it manages to go one notch, if not actually two, above the rest.

Fans and critics are already in agreement that it’s perhaps the most solid, dense and beautifully accomplished installment in the half-a-decade-old series and, most importantly, that it’s so because it strives to introduce a Bond that has more to do with Chris Nolan’s fallen Batman than with the cartoonish character in earlier films.

Daniel Craig, who now owns the character he was once derided for agreeing to take on, is a hurt, damaged and unfit Bond that must rise again, conquer adversity and ultimately prove that, as much of a dinosaur as he is, he can still play the espionage game in a context in which terrorists would rather hide behind a computer screen than go guns a-blazing into battle, though they do that as well at some point.

After an insane, breakneck opening scene in Istanbul, which sees him add “tactical heavy machinery operation” to his already impressive resume, Bond is apparently downed by friendly fire (by fellow agent Eve, played by Naomie Harris) and left for dead.

That in itself would be something MI6, the British Secret Service, could very well move past, but the fact that a hard drive containing the identities of all agents embedded in terrorist organizations around the world has been lost, isn’t.

The list eventually lands in the hands of a certain Mr. Silva (Javier Bardem) who, in typical Bond fashion, doesn’t make his appearance until late in the movie and then too takes a very long time explaining everything for our captured hero, before having him killed.

Silva is constantly tiptoeing on the verge of insanity, but not once does he lose his sure-footing. Part sadist and part cartoonish villain, he is on a personal vendetta against MI6 and M (Judi Dench) in particular.

When the MI6 London quarters are blown to pieces after a major security breach, Bond is forced out of his early retirement on a private island, with Heineken and some mystery babe, mostly out of a sense of patriotism that’s hard to match in any other movie character.

He reports back to duty but, unlike in any other installment, he is now a broken, badly damaged man.

From London, he flies to Shanghai and then Macao to find the guy who stole the list, retrieve it and, if possible, get to his employer to bring him to justice.

Silva’s heartbroken but stunningly beautiful lover Severine (Bérénice Marlohe) leads 007 to him but, because this is no regular villain, simply capturing him and bringing him back to London won’t be the end of it.

All this time, Bond and M must prove to the government that their activity, even though it might seem old-fashioned, is still relevant. Fans will probably be shocked to learn that Bond isn’t the only one being treated as a dinosaur now: the loss of the list has also made M seem incompetent, and suit Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes) is sure wasting no time in having her booted.

Action packed almost to the extreme, “Skyfall” takes viewers on what can only be described as the most glorious, beautifully rendered journey in recent years, which starts with the sublime credits sequence (elevated to the state of art, of film within film in the Bond franchise), a kaleidoscope of tombstones, stag heads and feminine outlines coming to replace the nearly-naked women of earlier films.

Much like fine brandy, “Skyfall” may appear generic at first sight but, within minutes, it becomes clear that experiencing it unveils new savors, an unbelievable richness of texture, and a sense excellence with each scene.

Partly “responsible” for this is cinematographer Roger Deakins, whose setpieces (from a ride down the river in Macao, to a fight orchestrated against the backdrop of illuminated Shanghai skyscrapers, and the third act in the wildness of Scotland) are of such unspeakable beauty that one must wonder, at least once, whether they exist in real life.

They do – and you can see them in “Skyfall.”

To complete the experience, made possible thanks to series veteran writers Robert Wade and Neal Purvis and John Logan, is the score by Thomas Newman which, in more than one instance, makes room for Monty Norman’s all too familiar Bond theme to shine.

Critics and fans are already saying that “Skyfall” is the best James Bond in the entire franchise, because of this fine blend of mythology / tradition and innovation, seasoned with breathtaking cinematography and a sense of the dramatic never before experienced in a 007 film.

Clearly, James Bond is no longer a kiss-kiss-bang-bang type of action figure, but a fully-fledged character, a real man put in almost unreal situations of extreme danger, which he manages to survive. Barely so.

“Skyfall” runs for 143 minutes and is Rated PG-13 for intense violent sequences throughout, language and smoking. It opens in the UK and other European countries on October 26, will arrive in the US on November 9, and conclude its run in the Dominican Republic on December 6.


The Good

With “Skyfall,” gone is the possibility to anticipate every one of Bond’s moves, as was the case in the first 20 installments. Far from becoming a “Hollywood action movie,” understood in the most negative sense, it manages to introduce a real character (even if the situations he finds himself are completely out there), while also paying humble tribute to the mythology.

Superb cinematography, a solid score and stellar acting come to round up Sam Mendes’ efforts of showing that Bond, the film franchise, not just the hero, is still relevant after 50 years. Not only is it so, but it will remain relevant for at least 2 or 4 years more, when the next film with Daniel Craig will reportedly come out.

The Bad

Fans might say that “Skyfall” isn’t “Bond enough” for the franchise because of how seriously it takes itself, cutting down on the romantic conquests and the typical humor in the process. On the other hand, progress is never a bad thing – and this is precisely what the 23rd installment stands for, without once forgetting where it came from.

The Truth

“Skyfall” is near perfect in almost every sense. It’s a solid film even though the franchise isn’t exactly known for that, it’s humorous, it’s dark and it’s adrenaline-packed. At the same time, it’s beautiful and sad, patriotic and bold, dangerous and raw, witty but dead serious.

Moreover, “Skyfall” is open to both fans and non-fans of the franchise, which is really something not all film installments can boast of. A must-see by all means, and undoubtedly one of the most solid releases of 2012.

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