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[john.steed]

A Modicum of Charm Needed- A Review

As with all Bond fans, I have my favorite films and those that I those that I do not like as much. However, even with those films at the bottom of my list, I still like the film. The track record of always liking a Bond film has been sorely tested by the latest Bond film and it will tack another viewing of two for me to decide whether give it a thumbs up.

For me, the principle problem with Quantum of Solace was with Bond himself. The previous film, Casino Royal, was an origin film, and hence Daniel Craig’s Bond was not quite the finished product that we had seen in earlier films. While I was not overwhelmed with this, I understood it and was happy with the way the film ended with Craig saying the famous line hoping that in the future we would see Craig’s version of the professional Bond. Instead, as this was a direct sequel, we have a grim reaper of a Bond, morosely dealing with the events of the previous film. Rarely does this Bond change from this: essentially, Bond as a monotone. My favorite scenes of the film the came in the middle when Bond meets with Giancarlo Giannini’s Mathis. Those scenes reminded me earlier scenes of the old pro Kerim Bey, meeting a young Bond in FRWL. My feelings of warm to QoS were then ruined when, at the death of Mathis, Bond simply dumps Mathis’s body in the trash. That is simply my least favorite scene in any Bond film and for the first time in all the Bonds films, I started to dislike Bond.

While the Mathis scene is my least favor single moment in a Bond film, the first 20/30 minutes of the film are least favorite extended stretch in a Bond film. I found the very quick cuts used in the opening car chase scene and the subsequent roof top chase to be distracting and they lessened the impact of these scenes for me. Disappointing as, while the car chase was rather generic, the scene on the ropes, if better done, could have been quite memorable. Sandwiched between the two chase scenes was a very weak opening credits and a really, really bad opening song. Not a good start.

And now for some random thoughts and criticisms.

First, if I was to describe the opera scene in one word it would be pretentious.

Second, there was alot talk about the long time staples that were missing, such as The Line, Moneypenny, and Q. Having seen the film, I can see why they did not belong as this grim Bond was incapable of the style and grace that was needed to make these scenes memorable. That said, this film did have some of the long time staples, i.e. the deaths of a partner and a lover and Bond’s end of the film attack on an enemy strong hold (more on that in the next paragraph). The film also had the famous gun barrel sequence but for no good reason moved it was moved to the end. Baa!

Third, early in the film, we can see the power of Quantum getting so close as to having one its own be M’s body guard. We are also told that it has the power to bring down governments. So, if that is the case, why can it not hire a few good security guards? Specifically, at the dock in Haiti, after already showing interest in Camilla, Bond is allowed to just stand and watch as Greene and the general have an important meeting to discuss the take over of a country. Then again, when Bond and Camilla stage their raid in the building, they are easily able to approach the building despite its being in a desert and Bond has virtually no trouble blowing it up. Are good mercenaries so hard to find?

My fourth point is just a comment, while the ode to Goldfinger was obvious, I wonder if the importance of water to the plot is an ode to Chinatown?

To close, a week or to ago, CommanderBond.net had a article in which Michael Wilson noted that in the past, when a Bond film has gone too far in a particular direction, the producers felt the need to make a change in the direction of the series The classic example was the change in the series after Moonraker, even though Moonraker had been one of the great money makers in the history of the series. I feel that we have reached that point with Quantum of Solace. The film may make a ton of money, but it has not been well receive,: it has a mediocre 35 percent approval rating by the top critics at rottentomato.com. The change does not have to be total change in direct to a SciFi Bond, but it would nice to have Bond display a modicum of charm.

[Paul Scrabo]

Well put, John.Steed.
It was the first Bond film in which you didn't really want to be Bond, and at times, didn't like Bond at all.
Funny - the film opened up a bit for me when Mathis was back - then it was over for me when they killed him off. Purvis and Wade do have this habit don't they? Bring someone you like back for a second film and BLAM (ala Robbie Coltrane) I don't get it.
The opera scene was on it's way to being the great Bondian scene in the film....but the director does not trust us. He doesn't get it. He has to make it "better", so he does a phony Coppola/DePalma. Takes us right out of the moment.
The filmmakers seem to feel crippled becasue they fear a "Bond Film" is "explainable" or "cliched". I don't agree.
There is/was nothng wrong with the Bond Formula - as both good and bad Bonds have it. It's the WAY the formula is presented- that's the problem with parts of TWINE and DAD.
Quick example (let's discuss this- I'm not right. It's just my opinion)
Becoming "lopsided". Imagine the PTS of TWINE ending with the neat office escape. That's all. Get out of the trap of having to have a BIG BIG PTS, just have an interesting one. Then at the end of the film, have a boat chase. The old 'you think it's over, but it's not' days. (It's cigar girl! She's back!) How much better TWINE would have been remembered. (Does anyone remember the last 20 minutes of that film?!)
Paul

Edited by Paul Scrabo, 20 November 2008 - 11:05 PM.