The Unofficial James Bond Audition
April 28, 2016
Bastille Day (2016).
D: James Watkins. DP: Tim Maurice-Jones. W: Andrew Baldwin. Starring: Idris Elba/Richard Madden/Kelly Reilly/Charlotte Le Bon/José Garcia/Anatol Yusef/Thierry Godard.
Last weekend the Paris set Bastille Day from the European house of Studio Canal hit theaters. An action film that could easily fit the likes of Liam Neeson, Bastille Day is a rapid fire adrenaline rush that is as compact and direct as the bullets from a gun.
Literally hitting close to home with the recent Paris attack, Bastille Day (which was shot long before the attack) plops us down in the middle of the city of light right before its holiday. American CIA agent Sean Briar (Idris Elba) arrives to be briefed for his new duties. Meanwhile expert pickpocket Michael Mason (Richard Madden) nicks the wrong bag inadvertently sending a terrorist attack into motion with a bombing. Agent Briar is sent to find and interrogate Michael before the French get to him, a little international agency chess if you will. Of course there is more at play as the conspiracy behind the lines reveals itself, not too many surprises there.
Elba brings his Luther strut to Agent Briar and believably pounds the pavement. A brilliantly crafted and executed chase sequence atop buildings in the first act will have you squirming in your seat. Madden, the former Rob Stark of Game of Thrones and boring Prince Charming of Cinderella, holds his own with charm and anxiety as Elba’s main screen partner. Both sport believable American accents, Madden’s sounds a lot like another actor whom I still am working to place. It might have been fun for a Brit and Scot to have led this charge, but then the film would have been too obviously Elba’s audition for the next James Bond. Just the way he nearly towers over everyone is gorgeous humor in itself.
The film is deftly paced and at only ninety-two minutes you get everything you need swiftly. The chase is afoot as one would say as the unlikely pair must work together to weasel out the corruption they find. Thankfully the cheese is layered on thinly and the reality of death, with point black agent shootings, gives the story the powerful edge it needs for squirmy realism. Alex Heffes music is a bit much, leaning on the volume button and queuing things so obviously. Bastille Day is clearly better than most, but mostly acts to remind us why Elba is destined for even greater stardom.
Over and Done With
November 16, 2015
Spectre (2015).
D: Sam Mendes. DP: Hoyte Van Hoytema. W: John Logan, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade & Jez Butterworth. Starring: Daniel Craig/Christoph Waltz/Léa Seydoux/Ralph Fiennes/Ben Wishaw/Naomie Harris/Andrew Scott/Monica Bellucci/Rory Kinnear/Jesper Christensen/Dave Bautista. (NOTE: Based on Ian Fleming’s characters from his James Bond series)
Oh how the mighty do fall. The newest entrance into the James Bond cannon, Spectre, is quite literally a mess. Its theme song, title sequence, premise, script, and execution are all vastly inferior to 2012’s Skyfall. If Daniel Craig felt done with his portion of this franchise you will feel done with it as well after two and a half hours of this film.
Let’s start with the opening. The first sequence is actually strong. Dropped into the middle of Mexican festivities for the Day of the Dead our Bond (Craig) is already hot on the pursuit, no introductions needed. Yet this opening gives way to a scatterbrained title sequence that lacks any coherent theme or look even. The best visuals are of women made out of wispy smoke, but this is reminiscent of the sand and smoke of the title sequence of Quantum of Solace so not entirely new. Sam Smith’s song ‘Writing on the Wall’ is sadly made worse by the visual confusion of the credit sequence. The octopus imagery, which anyone would already be aware of from the trailer, is just too simple and by the end of the film lacks any significance. For a franchise whose theme songs and title sequence are legendary this is a major misstep.
Next we are subjected to rogue Bond on the run who quickly and superfluously seduces Monica Bellucci to gain minimal intelligence. Bond quickly learns that there are bigger forces at work that perhaps have been puppeteering his life recently. This is the first of many times the writers blatantly remind you of Craig’s bond films as a set and the time line of his character. Christoph Waltz’s villain lacks any originality as he merely serves this purpose of stringing all the films together. In other words, ‘hehe, it was me the whole time!’ Sadly Waltz becomes a caricature in this world. Some great hand to hand combat happens, but none of the action really comes from the villain. The final action act is a video game conclusion, save the princess and get out of the building in time. What a bore.
Bond is still supported by an excellently serious Ralph Fiennes as M and Naomie Harris as Money Penny. Ben Whishaw’s Q finally gets his do and breaks to the surface of the spyage with his gadgets and gizmos galore. Andrew Scott’s C is quite literally a less complex Moriarty, his character from the BBC Sherlock series. Type-casting if it ever needed a definition. Even gorgeous and brainy Madeleine Swann (Seydoux) cannot save Spectre. A character that could have been a cryptic comment on the Bond brand of misogyny gives way to Bond romance that sprouts in a matter of days. It’s so unbelievable it appears stupid rather than old fashioned. But what is bond without women who lay down for him? Maybe this character cannot work anymore.
Spectre is uninspired and slogs on so long you feel you have watched a few different films. Mendes is not coherent on a look or a story. like he was in Skyfall . Craig phones it all in and considering his publicly vented boredom with this character you wonder if the film should have been made at all. Also there is the inevitable comparison with the recent Bond homage Kingsman which narratively addresses technology and surveillance as weapons. This is simply bad timing, but really what everyone is waiting for the announcement of who the next Bond will be as Idris Elba rumors continue to spiral. I for one would love Elba as Bond, if you don’t believe me watch the BBC’s Luther. We shall have to wait and see, but maybe we all need a break anyway?
A Gentlemanly Disguise
January 30, 2015
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015).
D: Matthew Vaughn. DP: George Richmond. W: Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughn. Starring: Colin Firth/Samuel L. Jackson/Mark Strong/Taron Egerton/Michael Caine/Sofia Boutella/Mark Hamill/Sophie Cookson/Jack Davenport.
What if the only English spy wasn’t a famous Mr. Bond? The new film Kingsman: The Secret Service answers just that with its own brand of suit wearing and umbrella fashioning gentleman of violence. These groomed benefactors of the aristocracy must find a new replacement for a fallen member and one of their own looks into his past to recruit a street London kid for his exclusive club.
The film’s graphic novel origins are evident with quick swinging camera work that emulates pages of action. Almost every action or fight sequence has an element of slow motion, Matrix-like moments. This is rather fabulous in sequences with Gazelle (Sofia Boutella) whose legs from below the knee are fighting apparatuses. Director Matthew Vaughn, known for Stardust, Kick-Ass and X-Men: First Class, is clearly in his element here, but it maybe a bit too much.
Kingsman generously steals, references, and over uses the Bond series to create its style and humor. There are many moments that work, but about halfway through the film the winks become tiresome. A lot of the humor is UK based, these overstated Bond references are probably to help the film internationally. Sadly the use of women in the film harkens back to many a Bond film. There is the woman sidekick as weapon, woman as spy prize, and fellow woman spy, who of course needs help from her comrade to overcome her fears. Why can’t there just be one who kicks ass all on her own? The final sequence with a locked up princess is particularly regrettable.
What makes Kingsman ultimately entertaining is Colin Firth as Galahad (all the Kingsman sport aliases from King Arthur). It can be such fun to see an actor clearly having fun and this part, so against type for Firth, is exactly that. Still cutting in a great suit, his Galahad is plenty panache and substance, generously taking in rough and tumble Eggsy, played by newcomer Taaron Egerton. Egerton holds his own against Firth and other English actors like Michael Caine and Mark Strong. Even Samuel L. Jackson as a sort of Google tyrant is delicious here, much better than he was in Robocop.
Thematically the technological threat of Kingsman is topical, Ex Machina deals with similar issues of privacy and tech sharing or stealing. However, the issues are lost in this sort of package, which addresses the violence more than anything. I would commend Vaughn for never shying away from showing the reality of violence, killing characters and allowing others to show grief. All of this is alive in Kingsman, along with an incredible firework-esq sequence near the end. Ultimately, it could have done more, and we shall see if Vaughn bothers with the sequel as he tends to abandon his projects after one go.
The Bond is Back
November 30, 2012
Skyfall (2012).
D: Sam Mendes. W: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, John Logan. DP: Roger Deakins. Starring: Daniel Craig/Judi Dench/Javier Bardem/Ralph Fiennes/Naomie Harris/Bérénice Lim Marlohe/Ben Wishaw/Albert Finney/Rory Kinnear/Helen McCroy. (NOTE: Based on Ian Fleming’s characters from his James Bond book series.)
He struts, he gleams, he’s wounded, he’s heroic, and damn it, he likes his drink made a certain way. Bond is back.
Although this is Daniel Craig’s third film in Ian Fleming’s well quaffed hero’s tux, 2008’s Quantum of Solace was so dreadful most of us needed four years to get over the memory. This year’s Skyfall is brilliant in comparison. However, 2006’s Casino Royale is probably the best concept and executed film of the Craig era. And here’s why…
Skyfall runs at a whopping two and a half hours, which was survivable but annoying as the film was mostly uneven. Director Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Revolutionary Road, Away We Go) has a clear visual vision. Cinematographer Roger Deakins must be given high praise for his camera work. There are moments where the use of shadows and light is just astounding and will remind anyone what can be achieved through this visual medium. Deakins is an industry veteran and lends a new dark beauty to Bond’s world.
With three writers on the script this may have been the downfall of Skyfall. There are few too many easy fixes, with a planned attack ultimately feeling a bit to obvious and simplistic. The adult Home Alone-esq defense falls flat too. At times this is remedied by Javier Bardem’s grizzly and memorable turn as Craig’s enemy. Without ruining anything, it is safe to say he makes white the new black. It is also fun to see Craig against a smart villain who isn’t defined by guns and rooftop leaps. Craig continues to give his Bond depth, while harnessing this ex-military modern look. Somehow he is able to be physically imposing and dashing in a tux all at the same time.
The Bond ladies of this film are striking, but remain in their usual two categories. Judi Dench returns as her crankily head of British Intelligence, M. Dench never fails to play her competing warmth and coldness towards her Bond. Her presence elevates the film and her storyline is well developed as the maternal figure of woman. In the other category lies gorgeous French Cambodian actress Bérénice Lim Marlohe as Sévérine. As the sexual causality of the film she represents the sexual figure of woman. Unfortunately, Naomie Harris’ as Eve, Craig’s pseudo partner, could hopefully bridge the gap and be a female comrade to Bond. However, you get the feeling she’d hop into bed with him at any minute, which negates that concept.
Ultimately, Skyfall is immensely enjoyable. Composer Thomas Newman uses the canon of Bond music to his advantage, creating throwback moments that elevate the film. There are fun nods to old Bond films, but nothing is overdone or cheeky. Even Ralph Fiennes seems in place in this world. Lastly, whose ever idea it was to have Adele write and perform the theme song should get a bonus. The credits sequence is breathtaking, but so is the song. Harkening back to when Bond songs were ‘it,’ Adele’s song is truly on the mark.