Skyfall (2012) is the 23rd film in the James Bond series, and one of the best. I caught up to it last night courtesy of Netflix. I love Daniel Craig’s cold-blooded no-nonsense approach to the iconic role. 45, his face is beginning to show signs of age, and his age is addressed in the film, refreshingly, although his body is that of a man in his 20’s. The plot is solid and simple, a tale of revenge, not world domination, which is also refreshing. Of course there are the requisite beauties, breakneck action, exotic locales lushly shot, and thrilling stunt work, but the gadgetry is minimal, which is also refreshing. The climactic shootout is low tech but exciting. And more is revealed about the hero’s origins than in any other of the films in the series, also refreshing. There is a new, young, hipster Q. And there is also a bit of nostalgia dating back to the Sean Connery era. If I’m not mistaken, one of the sets from
Goldfinger (1964) was re-created, a brief shot of a long alley or street. My favorite line from the film is: “Welcome to Scotland,” uttered by an almost unrecognizable Albert Finney, playing the grizzled keeper of a manor. The dialogue is first rate. I especially enjoyed Javier Bardem’s rats metaphor. He is an excellent villain, as he was in his Oscar winning role in
No Country for Old Men (2007). The narrative also touches on a frequent theme of the great Brit series
MI5 - the burning of good people for the greater cause. The title track is sung by Adele. On first listen, it did not captivate me as Shirley Bassey did with her rendition of
Goldfinger, which remains my favorite Bond theme by far, with Tom Jones‘
Thunderball (1965) a distant second. Kudos to the filmmakers for making the old seem new: screenwriters Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan; cinematographer Roger Deakins; and director Sam Mendes, who helmed
American Beauty (Oscar as Best Director, 1999),
Road to Perdition (2002), and
Revolutionary Road (2008), among others, quite a track record.
Skyfall is rated 7.8 of ten at IMDb. On a scale of five, I rate it 4.25. Craig is signed for the next chapter, scheduled for 2016. Will it be as good as this entry and
Casino Royale (2006), or will it fall back to the mediocrity of
Quantum of Solace (2008)?
My thanks to whomever purchased
All Hallows on Kindle, and to the kind folks who bought stuff today on Bay Parkway.
Vic's 4th Novel:
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