I have finally joined the human race and watched Skyfall.
And I loved it.
I should point at this stage that I am not a fan of Roger
Moore’s Bond or the invisible car era buffoonery of Die Another Day, I like my
Bond films to not just be Bond films, but good films.
Let’s be honest, Bond films have never been the most serious of
films, always self aware and tongue in cheek. For me, Bond films have all too often stepped well over that line and into parody and farce.
Skyfall does not do this.
The opening scene has to be one of the best I have ever
seen, not just the obligatory pre-credits action sequence (which is breathtaking,
thrilling and well, Bond) but the opening twenty seconds or so.
I won’t spoil it for those who haven’t seen it but let’s
just say Sam Mendes’s perfectly pitched opening shot lets us know exactly what
kind of a Bond film this is; seriously good and very cool.
Much has been made in the press of how good Dame Judi Dench
is in this, I can’t add much more other than to say she carries the film as
much as Daniel Craig does. It’s fantastic to see a Bond film with such
incredible acting in it.
Speaking of which, Ralph Fiennes also crops up in the cast
list as an ambiguous government minister. For a man with so few scenes and not
all that much dialogue, Ralph manages to achieve an extraordinary amount.
Creepy, mysterious and yet assertive, it really is exemplary stuff.
Now, for Daniel Craig. He is by far and away the best Bond
on a technical level. He is the best actor, best in the role and acts Bond not
as a gimmick but as a real character. The only thing holding me back from
declaring him the best Bond is a nostalgic love of Sean Connery. But honestly
after seeing Craig in Skyfall, I’m struggling to think what it was about
Connery that I loved so much.
Craig’s performance portrays all the humanity of Bond, both
the physical and mental capacity for searing damage and all the flaws that come
with it. I recently read a few of Ian Flemings short stories and it seems to
me, from this minimal exposure, that Craig has a great understanding of the
character.
Craig’s Bond is a tumultuous complex and frankly lonely human
weapon, all muscle; both brawn and brain. In a script that sees Bond more
reliant on himself for his survival and not happy accidents or ludicrous
gadgetry, Craig really shows the superhuman effort that is needed for (an
ageing) Bond to triumph over adversity. You can feel every punch, every fall and
see Bond’s mind calculating whilst he poses moodily in a tux.
He is also funny. Very funny. Somehow the whole film manages
to walk the line between humour, tension and thrills, managing to come out with
something that is what Bond is all about; full on entertainment.
The rest of the cast is outstanding. Ben Whishaw was born to be Q, Albert Finney has a great bit part, almost credible female characters are played exceptionally well by Naomie Harris and Bérénice Marlohe and then we have the hair-style based menace of Javier Bardem.
I have read a lot of criticism about Bardem’s camped-up
performance. I personally didn’t take offense because I didn’t think there was
any intrinsic link established between homosexuality and having a deranged plan
with lots of guns. As far as I was concerned, it was a classic Bond villain with
ambiguous sexuality.
Javier Bardem is incredible in this film, his performance perfectly
captures what a Bond villain must be, genuinely threatening, deranged,
instantly memorable and yet in someway hilarious. I can’t think of a better
villain.
The action scenes of Bond are integral, part of the history
and in this film delivers in spades. It keeps the visceral nature of Casino
Royale’s action scenes and pulls in some more intimate action, like the train
sequence in From Russia With Love. This combination makes the film a more
complete one.
The quasi Bourne nature of Casino Royale (by the by, I’m
ignoring Quantum of Solace for a reason, it’s just not very good) purged the franchise
of its farcical leanings. With that out of the way Skyfall has managed to
become much more of a Bond film than previous Craig outings without losing edge.
If you’ve watched the trailers you’ll have noticed a scene
involving the tube. I’d just like to say, aside from that sequence being
awesome, as a recent and reluctant convert to rush hour tube traffic; it was
very satisfying to see that even James Bond can only do so much about it.
Obviously something needs to be said about Roger Deakins.
What he has achieved with this film is downright genius, every frame is a work
of art (and for those who don’t really care, it makes the fight scenes all the
better). For example, there is a scene (featured under the trailer) under a sheet
of ice which looks stunning.
Finally, product placement. Honestly, the only reason I
noticed the drinking of Heineken in the film was because of all the press about
its use in the film; the product placement in Skyfall is as naturalistic as it
gets and let’s be honest probably paid for some of the more outlandish set
pieces in the film.
Bond films are never the place for a serious musing on
foreign policy or the loneliness of having a licence to kill. This is not,
despite many shouts of it, a Bourne or a (Nolan-era) Batman film. It is Bond
and this is Bond at its very best.
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