36 replies to this topic

[Daddy Bond]

OK...Here are the rules for this thread

#1 - No QOS bashing. Take that to another thread.
#2 - No indirect QOS bashing. Take that to another thread.
#3 - No QOS bashing disguised in sarcasm.


Here's the goal of the thread...

To discuss the positive points and fascinating observations that are in QOS.

Why?

Because there are plenty of threads that talk about how much QOS is the BEST Bond film and plenty of threads that talk about QOS being the WORST Bond film and a few saying that it's middle of the road.

There are threads where people complain about the camera work, the editing, the plot, the lack of humor, the treatment of Mathis' body, not enough "Bond" moments, etc. There are plenty of threads about how QOS has plenty of Bond moments, how QOS is loaded with dry humor, how QOS is artistic, etc...

There are threads that discuss particular points...

BUT...not a geneal thread to discuss the film's many strong points and the little details we have observed. Oh, sure, some of these points may have been scattered across a number of other threads...BUT

There haven't been many threads where we can come and toss around our many positive observations about the movie - IN ONE PLACE.

If you don't have anything positive to say, then this is not the thread for you.

Some of these points may have been discussed elsewhere...but here is the thread to pool together the many thoughts and observations of what was GOOD about QOS.

Think about this thread as a place you could send someone to discover the many positive points about Quantum - if they had never seen the movie, or the place to convince the doubter about what a good movie Quantum is (even if you have only ONE point you liked - but don't let us know if it's the ONLY point you liked - remember, this is the positive place for all things Quantum)...

I'll start (and mind you, these may NOT be original thoughts), but...here goes...

1. The title song, AWTD, combined with the visuals in the title sequence work REALLY well together. Regardless of what one thinks about EITHER the visuals OR the title song - they really fit well together.

2. Here's another...in the title sequence, I like the shot that tracks and follows Bond's bullet as it cuts across the dark and sandy background. Very cool.

3. I like the silent shot during the PTS with the black background and the bullets running through the machine gun. Anyone know the shot I'm referring to?

4. And wow, in the PTS, where the villain's car hits the truck, I could almost feel the impact...

Oh, there are tons more where these came from...

Have something good to say about QOS, or comment on a positive observation...come on in.

[Zorin Industries]

I think it will grow on people and become quite a landmark for the evolution of the series - more so than CASINO ROYALE was, which was more of a familiar Bond film (and needed to be). But SOLACE is the real mould-breaker. And time will prove that.

I added my praise and support of the film here. I could go on but don't want to repeat what I say better here...

http://debrief.comma...showtopic=50535







The car chase is stunningly good. It is pure cinema. And Bond films had forgotten that for a while.

The relationship between BOND and CAMILLE is brilliantly simple, honest and they share their emotional journeys without ending up in bed on a slow boat to Pinewood.

And the song. I like it. It works. It is of the time (the best Bond songs always are) and it compliments the film very aptly.

[Zorin Industries]

Overall, it was the first Bond film to trust in itself and realise that less can sometimes mean more and not Moore.

[Darth Prefect]

I don't see the point of a one-sided "discussion", but I'll play along as best I can. Here are the positive things I thought about QoS. (Take some of them as sarcasm if you wish, but I'm being honest here.)

1. An improved title sequence. I was glad to see the return of the ladies after that eyesore that opened CR. (Still didn't care much for the song, but hey...)

2. Felix Leiter is still the coolest cat out there. They should have given him more to do, he is a highlight of the film.

3. It has a proper gunbarrel sequence, even if they did put it in the wrong place. But you've got to start somewhere.

4. It's shorter than CR.

5. I liked the low level plane/helicopter chase.

[Daddy Bond]

Darth, you wrote:

I don't see the point of a one-sided "discussion", but I'll play along as best I can.

Daddy Bond's response:

To respond to your statement. I explained the point in my first post. Simply put, there are many, many threads here with discussions on the pro's and con's of QOS. I wanted to have a thread with a particular focus, one that looked at the strengths of QOS only.

I thought I made that clear in the first post, but if not, I hope this helps.

[sthgilyadgnivileht]

This is actually my first post about QOS.
I really liked the whole thing, from start to finish, particularly:
1) The characters and the actors who played them
2) Craig is excellent
3) Like the fact its not CR version two
4) The look of the film is impressive - locations, photography and production design
5) I like the titles, remind me of FRWL

Edited by sthgilyadgnivileht, 28 February 2009 - 01:23 PM.

[Jim]

The carpeting was exquisite.

[Daddy Bond]

I liked how the old Walther PPK played a particularly prominent roll as Bond's gun of choice in QOS.

[MattofSteel]

For all that's been said about the titles being "rubbish," I saw them again recently and they're actually quite well designed and nostalgically executed, right down to the rather simplistic frame where a PPk is raised horizontally into frame and fired (rather a trademark of many, many classic Bond flicks). It's not that the titles are bad, they're just simplistic and far less 'baroque' than Bond title sequences tend to be.

The way in which classic, Connery, cinematic Bond is often evoked absolutely continues to amaze me (as it did with CR, although QoS succeeds in being more its own thing, another positive).

Despite obvious criticisms of the script, it's a remarkably tightly plotted thriller and an efficient job of construction.

There's a sense of class about the entire thing that's been missing for some time. Even from CR, in spots. I like it.

It's a wonderful blend of nostalgia and the contemporary on ALL fronts. To me, the ideal formula for a successful Bond adventure.

[Mr_Wint]

This will be the shortest thread in CBn's history.

[blueman]

I like the plot construction, how nothing is seen/revealed unless Bond sees it/gets there first, feels like a Fleming novel in that way.

Also like all the little bits from and nods to Fleming and previous Bond films, nice to way reference all that's come before in the reboot era without actually remaking anything.

Absolutely loved the ending, the wrap ups for the main characters - Bond, Camille, Greene - are some of the most satisfying in the series.

Bond and Mathis. Excellence all around.

Arnold's mostly awesome score, he really captures the little moments and transitions quite well.

Loved all the action. And the cinematography. And the editing.

And like Connery in FRWL, Moore in TMWTGG, Dalton in LTK, and Brosnan in TND, Craig completely nails his Bond in this sophomore outing.

[Loomis]

But SOLACE is the real mould-breaker.

And I still don't understand why you make this claim. Is it because of Camille's "journey" (which, honestly, ain't all that much of a hill of beans, really), because of the way the Palio sequence is edited (with its unusual noting of collateral damage), because of how we've never seen Bond unsentimentally chuck a good buddy into a dumpster before, or because of all those things and more, or because of some stroke of fiendish brilliance running through the film that I've somehow managed to miss despite having seen the thing four or five times?

Mind you, I guess this is supposed to be a thread of pure praise, so I'll bow out now, although I'll leave y'all with the assurance that I do like the flick very much, merely that I can't quite follow some people's praising of it to the heavens.

[Daddy Bond]

But SOLACE is the real mould-breaker.

And I still don't understand why you make this claim. Is it because of Camille's "journey" (which, honestly, ain't all that much of a hill of beans, really), because of the way the Palio sequence is edited (with its unusual noting of collateral damage), because of how we've never seen Bond unsentimentally chuck a good buddy into a dumpster before, or because of all those things and more, or because of some stroke of fiendish brilliance running through the film that I've somehow managed to miss despite having seen the thing four or five times?

Mind you, I guess this is supposed to be a thread of pure praise, so I'll bow out now, although I'll leave y'all with the assurance that I do like the flick very much, merely that I can't quite follow some people's praising of it to the heavens.

No movie's that good.

[baerrtt]

The sense that the producers have achieved (along with CR) what they've been trying to do since the Dalton and Brosnan eras.

Humanising Bond and yet not pussyfooting around the fact that he can be a complete son of a bitch who helps create his conflicts with the job. A Bond film where violence hurts, where the fictional, once mighty MI6 of the Bond universe is brought down with reality, a tragic end for a Bond girl (Camille) that doesn't involve her dying (a metaphoric death perhaps), a sad, rarely seen glimpse of the nameless strangers Bond saves (the village bereft of water), the beautifully subtle confrontation with Yusef (for me Craig's best acted scene as Bond) etc

Yes the film is flawed but those moments are full of drama and ideas that Bond (even with Fleming) never truly touched.

[danielcraigisjamesbond007]

While QoS isn't one of my favorites, there are certain aspects of the film that I really like.
1) The title sequence was okay to me.
2) I really like the Jack White/Alicia Keys theme song, AWTD. The song's really grown on me.
3) Speaking of music, I really like David Arnold's score for the film.
4) There are parts of the car chase at the beginning that I really like.
5) I LOVE the Tosca scene.
6) I liked the PDLD scene, towards the end.
7) Craig's brought in a lot more humor to the film (At the end, Bond gives Greene a can of oil and says "I bet you make it 20 miles before you consider drinking that.") Nice line.
8) The scene with Yusef is good, because we can close the "Vesper" arc, and we learn the truth about Vesper.
9) It was nice to see the gunbarrel at the end.

[MajorB]

Camille's end tragic? I didn't see it that way. Sad, yes--she lived for vengeance and, once that was achieved, was left with a vacuum in her life that she would have to find a way to fill. But Bond's suggestion that she help find Greene's other dams, and her tentative acknowledgment that this might be a good next step, offers a certain amount of hope for her. I definitely agree, though, that it's a much more shaded and sophisticated ending than either "Oh, James!" or, well, death.

[blueman]

The sense that the producers have achieved (along with CR) what they've been trying to do since the Dalton and Brosnan eras.

Humanising Bond and yet not pussyfooting around the fact that he can be a complete son of a bitch who helps create his conflicts with the job. A Bond film where violence hurts, where the fictional, once mighty MI6 of the Bond universe is brought down with reality, a tragic end for a Bond girl (Camille) that doesn't involve her dying (a metaphoric death perhaps), a sad, rarely seen glimpse of the nameless strangers Bond saves (the village bereft of water), the beautifully subtle confrontation with Yusef (for me Craig's best acted scene as Bond) etc

Yes the film is flawed but those moments are full of drama and ideas that Bond (even with Fleming) never truly touched.

Great post.

[Zorin Industries]

For all that's been said about the titles being "rubbish," I saw them again recently and they're actually quite well designed and nostalgically executed, right down to the rather simplistic frame where a PPk is raised horizontally into frame and fired (rather a trademark of many, many classic Bond flicks). It's not that the titles are bad, they're just simplistic and far less 'baroque' than Bond title sequences tend to be.

The way in which classic, Connery, cinematic Bond is often evoked absolutely continues to amaze me (as it did with CR, although QoS succeeds in being more its own thing, another positive).

Despite obvious criticisms of the script, it's a remarkably tightly plotted thriller and an efficient job of construction.

There's a sense of class about the entire thing that's been missing for some time. Even from CR, in spots. I like it.

It's a wonderful blend of nostalgia and the contemporary on ALL fronts. To me, the ideal formula for a successful Bond adventure.

Just as I seriously thought no-one on CBN had any clarity of cinematic perspective left for ANY film, someone speaks with sense, dignity and great bundles of reality. Thank you!

The sense that the producers have achieved (along with CR) what they've been trying to do since the Dalton and Brosnan eras.

Humanising Bond and yet not pussyfooting around the fact that he can be a complete son of a bitch who helps create his conflicts with the job. A Bond film where violence hurts, where the fictional, once mighty MI6 of the Bond universe is brought down with reality, a tragic end for a Bond girl (Camille) that doesn't involve her dying (a metaphoric death perhaps), a sad, rarely seen glimpse of the nameless strangers Bond saves (the village bereft of water), the beautifully subtle confrontation with Yusef (for me Craig's best acted scene as Bond) etc

Yes the film is flawed but those moments are full of drama and ideas that Bond (even with Fleming) never truly touched.

And another one!! Thank you. Some decent discussion about a Bond film at last... and I didn't have to moan and lambast for 92 posts to get us all there...

Seriously. Good points well made.

[Mr. Blofeld]

I really liked the music; in fact, I couldn't help but groove a little to Inside Man!

[Cilogy]

OK...Here are the rules for this thread

#1 - No QOS bashing. Take that to another thread.
#2 - No indirect QOS bashing. Take that to another thread.
#3 - No QOS bashing disguised in sarcasm.


Here's the goal of the thread...

To discuss the positive points and fascinating observations that are in QOS.

Why?

Because there are plenty of threads that talk about how much QOS is the BEST Bond film and plenty of threads that talk about QOS being the WORST Bond film and a few saying that it's middle of the road.

There are threads where people complain about the camera work, the editing, the plot, the lack of humor, the treatment of Mathis' body, not enough "Bond" moments, etc. There are plenty of threads about how QOS has plenty of Bond moments, how QOS is loaded with dry humor, how QOS is artistic, etc...

There are threads that discuss particular points...

BUT...not a geneal thread to discuss the film's many strong points and the little details we have observed. Oh, sure, some of these points may have been scattered across a number of other threads...BUT

There haven't been many threads where we can come and toss around our many positive observations about the movie - IN ONE PLACE.

If you don't have anything positive to say, then this is not the thread for you.

Some of these points may have been discussed elsewhere...but here is the thread to pool together the many thoughts and observations of what was GOOD about QOS.

Think about this thread as a place you could send someone to discover the many positive points about Quantum - if they had never seen the movie, or the place to convince the doubter about what a good movie Quantum is (even if you have only ONE point you liked - but don't let us know if it's the ONLY point you liked - remember, this is the positive place for all things Quantum)...

I'll start (and mind you, these may NOT be original thoughts), but...here goes...

1. The title song, AWTD, combined with the visuals in the title sequence work REALLY well together. Regardless of what one thinks about EITHER the visuals OR the title song - they really fit well together.

2. Here's another...in the title sequence, I like the shot that tracks and follows Bond's bullet as it cuts across the dark and sandy background. Very cool.

3. I like the silent shot during the PTS with the black background and the bullets running through the machine gun. Anyone know the shot I'm referring to?

4. And wow, in the PTS, where the villain's car hits the truck, I could almost feel the impact...

Oh, there are tons more where these came from...

Have something good to say about QOS, or comment on a positive observation...come on in.

Thank you for this.

1. I really liked that the main idea of this movie is that it provides closure to Casino Royale and it retains a coherent "story." In other words, it actually has a point.

2. I love that cardigan! I want to buy one!

3. Another Way to Die is one of the grooviest songs I've ever heard. I'm addicted to this song. I even made a remix of it.

[Santa]

Camille wore a nice dress.

[ACE]

I liked Quantum Of Solace.
I enjoyed the fact that it was not, stylistically, Casino Royale 2.
It dares to tread original ground and contains many memorable scenes.
I liked the visceral film-making, the political subtext and the rich, layered storytelling.
The sophomore Daniel Craig film will have to accept the judgment of posterity as right now it does seem to divide fans. It is a flawed film, unsatisfying for some, but ultimately a commercial and artistically successful addition to the filmic canon.

I go on more about it here.

[Blofeld's Cat]

I liked Quantum Of Solace.

Ditto!

I enjoyed the fact that it was not, stylistically, Casino Royale 2.

DITTO!

It dares to tread original ground and contains many memorable scenes.

DITTO!

I liked the visceral film-making, the political subtext and the rich, layered storytelling.

DITTO!

The sophomore Daniel Craig film will have to accept the judgment of posterity as right now it does seem to divide fans. It is a flawed film, unsatisfying for some, but ultimately a commercial and artistically successful addition to the filmic canon.

DITTO!

[Darth Prefect]

To respond to your statement. I explained the point in my first post. Simply put, there are many, many threads here with discussions on the pro's and con's of QOS. I wanted to have a thread with a particular focus, one that looked at the strengths of QOS only.

I thought I made that clear in the first post, but if not, I hope this helps.

I understood what you said. I simply don't grasp why you think it's necessary or valuable to create a place to simply heap praise.

But if that's the kind of thing people like, let's give them a choice...

[baerrtt]

To respond to your statement. I explained the point in my first post. Simply put, there are many, many threads here with discussions on the pro's and con's of QOS. I wanted to have a thread with a particular focus, one that looked at the strengths of QOS only.

I thought I made that clear in the first post, but if not, I hope this helps.

I understood what you said. I simply don't grasp why you think it's necessary or valuable to create a place to simply heap praise.

But if that's the kind of thing people like, let's give them a choice...

Is a thread created just to scorn the movie (which exists on this side of the forum) neccessary also?

[JimmyBond]

The carpeting was exquisite.

Matched the drapes then?

[Joe Bond]

1. The opening car chase mixed with the score of this scene is the most addictive and adrenaline rushed pre-title sequence of any Bond film.

2. The song because it tries to be original and I like it for this.

3. Showing all sides of Bond's world, the glamorous life he lives and the darker aspects of his world.

4. Witty humor.

5. The pace.

6. The cinematography.

7. Greg Beam is a pretty funny character ("Lighten up, your cramping my style").

8. The way action comes out of no where and the viewer feels as though they are in the action.

9. Finally, its got Stana Katic in it. (Can't wait for her new TV show).

[Turn]

-I like that Eon decided to hire a director with more than just a bunch of cheap action film credits and allow him to bring his style rather than totally stay under their influence.

-I like that they allowed an ending that wasn't a happy clinch with the leading lady or a total victory for Bond, which leaves a more lasting impression when the credits roll. At least for me.

-Someone else said they liked "Another Way to Die" and it's really grown on them. Me too. I've been playing the soundtrack a lot lately and the song just seems to get better and better, not the disaster many were claiming when it first hit.

-Although there's more action and some formulaic action, it doesn't fall back on the formula totally. One sort of nod that works is the Italian scenes at the beginning of the film proper, which harken back to when the films used local color to enhance it (think the junkanoo in TB or the jazz funeral in LALD).

-No need for a henchman with some distiguishing characteristic, Moneypenny or Q. Bond doesn't get the girl. No exotic gadgets or cheap one-liners. And I liked there were no cheesy secondary characters forced in such as a Jack Wade or Valentin Zukovsky. Felix was in there just enough to make another good impression and not just a Bond yes man.

-It presented another villain who wasn't bent on world domination or had some strange flaw. Like LeChiffre, I also even felt a bit of sympathy for him at times. I didn't have to hate him just because he was the villain.

-I like how the story teases us with a little more on Quantum, but not too much. Kind of like how SPECTRE was gradually built up in the first few movies.

-It felt like they actually were in real locations for once rather than on the Pinewood backlot.

-I like that it actually shows some of the reprecussions of Bond's actions, especially with his superiors, not just M. For once I found her to be a better rounded character rather than somebody who doesn't seem very grateful for the dedicated agent she's got.

This thread makes me want to watch the film again and hopeful they will continue in this direction.

[Flash1087]

The carpeting was exquisite.

On a similar note, I felt the extras were all well-dressed, and I heard good things about the on-set catering during filming.

[mario007]

- the tension building opening over the italian lake ... gives me goose bumps!

- the jump from the plane, absolutely brilliant gets the adrinalin pumping!

-Craigs performance, the way he kills slate etc.

QOS is without a doubt one of the best bond films ever!