In short, Skyfall is the year's best blockbuster, easily surpassing anything Hollywood offered audiences last summer. Perhaps more impressive, it's also the most thrilling Bond adventure since Sean Connery donned the suit some forty-eight years ago in Goldfinger. The film successfully looks to the future while reintroducing the past, no small feat. The transition is seamless and will bring smiles to many viewers whose memories will be stirred and shaken. And yet, Skyfall is not merely a trip down memory lane. If judged only as a solo action vehicle, it is relentless and features one of the most memorable movie villains in some time.
Daniel Craig, now firmly established as Bond for the 21st century, does a lot of running and hanging in Skyfall. Despite being a required staple of the franchise, the opening pre-credits chase through Istanbul is not superfluous, ending with a dramatic decision by M (Judi Dench) that will stun some viewers. The main story picks up months later, as M sends Bond on a mission to locate a stolen hard drive containing decrypted names of British MI6 field agents. If the primary objective sounds like it was lifted straight from Mission Impossible, the ramifications are considerably higher here. Credit must go to writers Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and John Logan, who've used a simple starting point to contrast todays technological threats with the comparatively primitive megalomaniacal evildoers of decades past. The depth of this script reveals both Bond and M to be dinosaurs in an age when power can be transferred with one click on a laptop.
As momentum flags slightly around the one hour mark, Bond is taken by boat to a deserted island ruled by Silva. Sporting bleached-blonde hair and Miami nightclub attire, Silva is played with flamboyance by Javier Bardem. Had the Spanish actor not won an Oscar playing an equally disturbed psychopath five years ago in No Country For Old Men, I suspect he'd be in line for a nomination here. Silva's goals are far more intimate than the average Bond adversary, his methods inspired by intellect. The middle act of Skyfall, beginning with Silva's introduction and closing with a getaway in Bond's famed Aston Martin DB5, represents the films highpoint.
With Skyfall, director Sam Mendes has cemented his status as one of the most versatile directors at work today. After captivating audiences with his Oscar-winning dysfunctional dramedy American Beauty (1999), Mendes tackled other genres: the star heavy mob tale Road to Perdition, the introspective war drama Jarhead, the 50s era marriage tragedy Revolutionary Road, and the delightful road trip romcom Away We Go. Yet, he's remained consistent across productions of varying sizes. His films always look the part, both in design and execution. When I think back to Road to Perdition, neither the gunplay nor Paul Newman's forceful final performance stand out oddly enough. Rather, I remember the towering structures of downtown Chicago and the climactic dialogue-free massacre in the rain. In Skyfall there's a brilliantly constructed sequence when Bond shadows his prey up a Shanghai skyscraper, the city skyline in the background. Heavy shadows and eye-popping colors permeate the atmosphere, making the resulting fight scene unlike any I've seen in years.
With Skyfall, director Sam Mendes has cemented his status as one of the most versatile directors at work today. After captivating audiences with his Oscar-winning dysfunctional dramedy American Beauty (1999), Mendes tackled other genres: the star heavy mob tale Road to Perdition, the introspective war drama Jarhead, the 50s era marriage tragedy Revolutionary Road, and the delightful road trip romcom Away We Go. Yet, he's remained consistent across productions of varying sizes. His films always look the part, both in design and execution. When I think back to Road to Perdition, neither the gunplay nor Paul Newman's forceful final performance stand out oddly enough. Rather, I remember the towering structures of downtown Chicago and the climactic dialogue-free massacre in the rain. In Skyfall there's a brilliantly constructed sequence when Bond shadows his prey up a Shanghai skyscraper, the city skyline in the background. Heavy shadows and eye-popping colors permeate the atmosphere, making the resulting fight scene unlike any I've seen in years.
The other calling card so prevalent in Mendes' work is the theme of family. Throughout his filmography, personal relationships have dictated character motivations regardless of scope. Audiences may be surprised by the final act of Skyfall, a title that ultimately refers to something far more personal than any other in the series. Connery would be pleased with the location. As M becomes the focal point of a battle between two "sons," we learn the hows and whys of Bond's upbringing and are introduced to Kincade, played by Albert Finney in an wonderful extended cameo.
By films end familiar characters are firmly reestablished, including Q and Moneypenny. Ralph Fiennes will be on hand for future installments as an MI6 higher-up. Bond has his Walther PPK, and is equally comfortable with a knife. And the rousing original theme marks a triumphant return, reminding viewers that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
By films end familiar characters are firmly reestablished, including Q and Moneypenny. Ralph Fiennes will be on hand for future installments as an MI6 higher-up. Bond has his Walther PPK, and is equally comfortable with a knife. And the rousing original theme marks a triumphant return, reminding viewers that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
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