A Canadian Reviews Quantum of Solace...

Hello everyone!

Last night I saw Quantum of Solace (How many reviews have started with this statement?) and I have taken some time to gather my thoughts. For those of you who want to skip my reasoning and get to the chase, the film is a 9/10 for me, and ranks among DN, FRWL, OHMSS, TLD and CR in my books.

First let me say, there was no way QOS could have the same immediate impact CR had, simply because CR changed the formula, and this film is expanding on it. So I have to admit, my nostalgia for the magic of the Casino Royale premiere got the better of me at first, and quickly wore off as I got sucked into Bond's latest adventure.

To respond generally to many criticisms, of course this film has flaws. Can you name me a Bond film that is flawless? Honestly? FYEO (especially), OHMSS, even CR had its misteps, but they are still among the best bond films, and so is QOS, even though it is admittedly flawed.

The opening car chase, though taking so much flak on the boards, was wonderful. I find it interesting that those complaining about the Bourne similarities are also complaining about the length of the chase and feeling short changed. Have you ever seen Dr. No? How long but effective was the car chase in it? Shorter than the PTS of Quantum, easily. The film did not need a 15 minute Bourne-like drawn out car chase, it was efficient, deadly, and the audience in my theatre let out a collective gasp once the final Alfa flew off into oblivion. The titles that followed were very evocative of OHMSS I felt, (specifically the solid black silouhettes of the ladies), and while I love Kleinman's work minus DAD, I did not miss him. Though he's perfectly welcome to return in my books.

The first stretch of the film is quick and merciless, I absolutely loved the scene in Mitchell's apartment. M is spot on, and though I hope she returns to sitting behind a desk for the next adventure, she is one of the highlights of the story. The killing of Slate was intense and graphic, his demise a stroke of genius. For me, a lover of the film, the boat chase was useless plot-wise. They could have easily connected a to b in that part of the film in a more subtle or character driven way, as the chase lacks a sense of danger, and had me waiting for it to finish so I could unravel the next mystery. The score overtop this scene, while a fan favourite, will age terribly I fear (see: FYEO soundtrack). The films biggest misstep in my opinion, but it is quickly forgotten.

The Opera set piece was one of the best 'Bond' signature sequences since the spectre era. The strengths of this scene have been sung all over the boards, so I won't bore you, but this scene alone tops anything from the Brosnan era (Not hating on Brozzer, I have a special place in my heart for GE especially). The film from then on never lost me for a moment.

Mathis was fantastic, and while the filmakers could have easily used him as filler, he has a distinct and tragic purpose in the film. Camille is no Vesper, but she's not supposed to be. She has her own agenda, and in that way she feels distant throughout most of the film, especially since bond could care less about Medrano. But it was a nice departure none-the-less, and her moment with bond in the flaming hotel room puts her well ahead of the majority of past bond girls. Dominic Greene was a slimy bastard, and while he doesn't have the memorable impact Le chiffre, Goldfinger, or Blofeld had, he is the best of the series' low key villains like Kristatos, Sanchez, and Koskov. Leiter also deserves an honourable mention, though I hope he has more screen time in the next one.

I quickly have to mention the plane chase... I knew it was approaching, and I was dreading a DAD flashback that so many people cried about... and it never came. Instead I saw a hitchcock-style terrifying situation, that ended in a blink and you miss it free-fall that many people were still thrilled by after the film ended.

Finally, the end scene of the film was unbelievable, and the actor playing Yusef does a fantastic job of looking absolutely terrified. Even though I knew what was coming, some part of me expected Bond to pull the trigger. Also, being a Canadian, I loved the shout out to Canadian Intelligence, especially since I have a relative in CSIS. The commonwealth loves bond as well! The entire audience laughed when Corinne says "Thank you.." at the door, because of our reputation to be so damn polite. A lot of people mentioned that after, still smirking. The gunbarrel elicited a ton of applause in my theater, and the speed was on par with the early sean connery GB's and didn't bother me at all.

Anyways guys, its been a pleasure, feel free to ask me follow up questions. I didn't mention AWTD because its so polarizing that its pointless to argue, though I find it sufficient.

Canada out.

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