Nov. 21, 2008

Reviewed by Richard Lee Zuras 

Released 11/14/08

1 hr. 46 min.

PG-13

Marc Foster/Columbia 

Daniel Craig

Olga Kurylenko

Mathieu Amalric

 James Bond is dead. In his place is a new man who looks HGH modified, doesn’t say much, and is extremely vengeful. Forget the fact that this film is simply picking up where Casino Royale left off. That argument does not hold water. The historical movie series chose not to go the gritty route and has offered up some twenty plus Bond pictures wherein a certain, particularly crafted character was formed. This new man is not he. That doesn’t mean this isn’t an entertaining movie or that it won’t make a kazillion dollars worldwide. Of course it will. Everyone in the world is pissed off, worried, and a little sad. So, if I can go to the theater and watch ME on screen finding catharsis–then of course I’m going to go see it. And so are you. We’ll all see it and the gate receipts will come in and at that point–for the Bond series–there’s no turning back. But let’s be clear: this, and likely in all subsequent films, is not Bond as we knew him.

Marc Forster (Monster’s Ball, Stranger Than Fiction, The Kite Runner) moves from Art to commerce in his newest film Quantum of Solace. It is replete with car chases, things blowing up, and villain. But Bond is now just short of a vengeful murderer, and the film recognizes this. And perhaps there is still a fleeting hope that this is simply a two film arc and soon Bond will return. But perhaps he truly can not. In the hands of Paul Haggis, simply one of the great screenwriters of our time, the traditional Bond motifs come off sexist at best. There is one particular and completely unnecessary paparazzi like crotch-shot, for instance, that should have alarmed anyone using the head on their shoulders. In addition, there is a nude scene with crude oil wherein the camera lingers not in horror, but in eroticism, over a carefully positioned, prone woman.

Many of the Bond motifs come off as uncomfortably forced. There is almost a ticking clock–tick tick tick–timing the inserts of the traditional Bond motifs. Cue the sexy line and the aftermath shot as Bond seduces a fellow agent. Tick tick tick. Cue the joke about his martini being shaken, not stirred. Fire up the Aston Martin. Tick tick tick. Watch as M finds Bond to be insubordinate like an eldest child.

Beyond this, Quantum is a collection of kudos and demerits. Kudos for filming all over the world to add beauty and verisimilitude. Demerits for pretending to be in Bolivia and Port-au-Prince when you are not. Kudos for Judi Dench’s increased role. Demerits for confusing solace with silence(Bond). Kudos for the throwback title sequence. Demerits for the lazy soundtrack. Kudos for casting Jeffrey Wright and Mathieu Amalric. Demerits for under-utilizing them.

Kudos for keeping the Bond series alive.

Demerits for killing James Bond.

Bottom Line: 3.0/5.0