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Casino Royale
DIR: Martin Campbell • WRI: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Paul
Haggis • PROD: Barbara Broccoli, Michael G. Wilson •
DOP: Phil Meheux • ED: Stuart Baird • DES: Peter Lamont
• CAST: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Judi Dench,
Jeffrey Wright, Giancarlo Giannini, Caterina Murino
For almost fifty years, Bond movies have
marked the passing of decades with their old-fashioned formula,
despite global warfare becoming much more complicated. Bond
revelled in his Q and M, his gadgets and cars, his comedic shtick
one-line zingers, and times were good. But just lately the movies
have become stale and repetitive – Bond had descended into
a world of Jason Bourne and Ethan Hunt, and had not come out
the better. The search for a new Bond began in earnest when
Brosnan decided that the world actually was enough, leaving
the franchise for good. Bond's family of producers, the Broccolis,
had a different plan. Much as her father, Cubby Broccoli, had
done for Sean Connery, Barbara Broccoli eschewed the 200-odd
choices of replacement actor, and battled for Daniel Craig.
Rubbished by fans for being too old, not pretty enough, too
bland and, most of all, too blond, Craig has had a world of
criticism to overcome. The director, Martin Campbell, has faced
this before, introducing Brosnan as the new Bond in 1995's GoldenEye,
and knows only too well that hell hath no fury like a fanboy
scorned.
Daniel Craig, not pretty, not young, and certainly
not brunette, is a Liverpudlian graduate from London Guildhall
School of Music & Drama. Critics have had their doubts,
but he has slipped into this 00 origin story with quiet assurance.
Comparisons with Batman Begins are inevitable, as franchisers
realise that to regain the strength of a series, it is necessary
to show the creation of a legend. We are given a raw Bond,
newly promoted on the basis of the required two kills. He
is unpolished, but gets the job done. He is crude, but effective.
Most importantly, he is real –
a spy for the post-9/11 generation.
And by God, is this a new Bond! The jaw-dropping
opening action sequence is packed with adrenaline-pumping
chases and explosions. The distinct lack of CGI is unbelievably
refreshing, and makes the amazing stunts all the more mind-blowing.
The much anticipated French free-runner, Sebastien Foucon,
leads the way in a chase over buildings, cranes, trucks and
roofs. The pace does not slacken for almost an hour, and feels
like the best Bond movie of all time. Craig gets punched,
beaten, shot at, chased, and is even severely tortured in
a leg-crossing scene that will have gentlemen gasping in sympathetic
agony. He quips, he drives, he spies, he drinks, he gambles,
he fights, he beds women, and he wins. In short, he is Bond.
Sadly, perfection is bought at a cost, which
the editing room did not seem willing to pay. Towards the
end, the pace does begin to slacken quite severely. After
numerous attempts, the movie finally finishes, but not before
undoing a lot of its good work by drawing out an over-emotional
ending, extending the film by thirty needless minutes. Fans
of the genre will surely balk at the lack of Q and his many
gadgets, but it makes Bond that bit more adult, to remove
the exploding pens and camcorder glasses and replace them
with ingenuity and spirit. The fabulous Judi Dench returns
as M, but is given more expansion as a character, and thus
more room to flex those magnificent thespian muscles.
A most important ingredient, the Bond girl,
is undertaken by French actress Eva Green, playing Vesper
Lynd – the woman who almost
destroys Bond with desire. Despite giving a very realistic
English accent, Green failed to impress, mainly due to the
exaggerated sense of importance the actress gave to her character.
Faults aside, however, she manages to show Bond's vulnerable
side, and gives scope to his creation as a cold-hearted killer.
Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen creates a suitable adversary for
Bond in Le Chiffre, and chills onscreen. A joy to watch, he
matches Craig's chiselled stares to perfection, and is evil
personified in the torture scene.
Despite its flaws, this 21st Bond movie stands
high, and is a welcome addition to the franchise. The comedy
and action continues, and the main trademarks are retained
– those famous five words announcing
his name, and the Aston Martin (a DBS). Daniel Craig should
hopefully silence the detractors with this incarnation as
a more human, more fallible, and more likeable Bond. Casino
Royale, renowned for being the most shockingly violent
of Fleming's books, has been brought to screen with intensity
and vision, finally moving Bond from the realm of the fanboys
to the domain of moviegoers.
Sarah Griffin
Rated
TBC (see IFCO
website for details)
Casino Royale is released on 17th November 2006.
Casino
Royale – Official website
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