Just another Bond film, sadly enough
Image Courtesy of IMPAwards.com
Director: Marc Forster
Notable Cast: Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathiew Amalric, Jeffrey Wright, Gemma Arterton, Judi Dench
To compare what Ian Fleming had in mind when he created the character of James Bond to what the cinematic version of James Bond had been up until Casino Royale makes for a very marked comparison. Bond, as Fleming wrote him, was a hard nosed killer who did his job without mercy. Bond, as he’s been portrayed on film, has always been a debonair ladies’ man with a flair for the dramatic. Casino Royale changed all that, trying to mesh Bond’s novel origins with his famous film persona and eventually settling for a Bond who is one part assassin, one part detective. That makes Quantum of Solace all the more interesting, as the film is a direct sequel (a first) and the first Bond film under two hours.
One hour after Bond (Daniel Craig) followed the one lead given to him after the death of his beloved Vesper, he has Mr. White (Jesper Christensen) in the trunk of his car and is being pursued by unknown agents with bad intentions. Bond’s mission from there is one of equal parts espionage and vengeance: find the men behind the organization that killed Vesper and is threatening to back a coup de tat in Bolivia. It’s an interesting film that Marc Forster strips down to its basic elements, as it’s perhaps the least complex of any Bond flick ever.
The franchise has never been what one would call excessively intelligent, but Quantum has much more in common with Matt Damon’s Bourne franchise than it does with the prior 20 Bond films. Bond is much less sophisticated and much more of a brute than ever before; he is the broad sword, not the scalpel, but the way it’s used is fascinating. All of the comedic traits of Bond, including killing informants and such before getting any information, are presented as serious character flaws that are almost prohibitive to the success of his mission. It makes for an interesting take on the character, as this isn’t Bond the established agent. This is Bond the new agent, the one still wet behind the ears and still very much a ruthless killer, and it makes for a startling contrast with prior Bonds. He is inexperienced in being efficient and smooth, the type that walks into a room and knows every escape route in it within 20 minutes but feels that direct methods are more necessary in information gathering. He’s not a smooth operator, but is learning. Craig is comfortable in the role, and much more comfortable taking a beating as Bond as well. He’s beaten and bloodied, bruised and vulnerable; this James Bond isn’t the superhero that he was in the past and the film is better for it.
The film’s problem is that its much more of an action film than it is a spy thriller, which is where the Bond franchise has made its bones. Marc Forster, who has done a lot of films that are plot heavy, seems to be out of his range as he directs with a visual flair but doesn’t add much of a story to the proceedings. The film acts as a setup between action sequences as opposed to a film whose story demands them; it’s disappointing in that aspect because there is so much to be explored with Bond the character. It’s a generic story about a man saving the world, as opposed to James Bond saving the world. If it had been called Quantum of Solace but has Clive Owen as an MI6 agent saving the world, the film would be pretty much exactly the same. There’s nothing to distinguish it from the rest of the genre, which is what usually makes a Bond film out of the ordinary from the genre.
It may be a generic spy thriller for the most part but Quantum of Solace does contain some terrific action sequences and does try to be outside the norm for the franchise. It succeeds for the most part but never quite hits the magic that Casino Royale did.
