James Bond is number three on the American Film Institute’s list of the greatest movie heroes of all time. For many filmgoers he is the epitome of sleek, badass, male, danger on a path to destroy evil and willing to take out time to bed the ladies. After Sean Connery’s iconic portrayal as author Ian Flemming’s fictional MI-6 spy character, audience enthusiasm dropped. Bond became campy, weak, relying on increasingly cornier gadgets and catchphrases to get the bad guys. All hope was lost. I remember my father sadly shaking his head at the Roger Moore films. That is, until Daniel Craig came along.
When the actor was first cast as Bond the media was so angry that a blonde had been chosen that he was immediately cast aside and doomed for failure. I had loved Craig’s acting in various films (Layer Cake, Road to Perdition, Munich) and hoped he would be able to expand on the Bond tradition. Then came Casino Royale, surpassing everyone’s expectations as Craig not only breathed life into the dying character but revitalized its legacy. His acting was reminiscent of Connery’s with more action for twenty-first century audiences and visible internal flaws that made James Bond human.
Quantum of Solace follows right where Casino left off, focusing on James’ angry betrayal from his lost love Vesper Lynd and his mission to infiltrate QUANTUM, the secret organization that blackmailed her. Early on it is known that there is a mole within MI6 and that the new villain, Greene (Mathieu Amalric, of 2007’s stunning The Diving Bell and the Butterfly,) who aims to seize power by controlling natural resources. Bond still broods over his lost Lynd, to the point where M (Judi Dench) must step in and reevaluate his mental health.
All the performances were excellent in Quantum but I felt the villain came across as too meek. On first view Craig plays Bond with pure unbridled anger but in doing so he is attempting to reveal more about the multi-layered, flawed character that is James Bond. It is a delight to see Craig give the secret agent an elegant perspective of a downward spiral while we view his physical strength in the numerous action sequences.
The Dame has always been M to me; her brutal sarcasm and want of order seemingly come natural to the immaculate actress. In this movie and Casino her roles are becoming larger to the franchise, which is essential to the storytelling as well as the overall success of the films. Bond’s women in this film, Strawberry Fields (Gemma Arterton) and Camille Montes (Olga Kurylenko) are forgettable, but this is done purposely as to allow Bond and the audience some space to grieve for Lynd.
Quantum of Solace is more action packed than any other Bond film in the past, showcasing his cold vengeance more than the plotline or his romps in the bedroom. Some will be disappointed with this, especially after viewing the short, but adrenaline infused opening sequence. The movie is about building on Bond’s character as a whole and we finally get to see the dark side of our favorite spy. Quantum of Solace gives the audience an in-depth portrayal of the new Bond’s emotions, which is becoming increasingly popular and innovative in the current series.
The movie is well-done, and since Craig is contracted to star in at least two more Bond expeditions filmgoers have something powerful to look forward to in the future. Reinventing Bond was something most thought was impossible, but it is evident here that the series will finally get better with age.