We’ve seen James Bond in so many similar scenarios that we tend to
marvel when new ones pop up, like they frequently do in Skyfall, Daniel Craig’s third, and possibly best, turn as the
British spy yet.
Skyfall is not entirely
fresh: several scenes still take place in glitzy casinos, oak-paneled offices
and high up in glass skyscrapers where assassins lurk in the shadows with
high-powered rifles. I guess Bond can’t stray too far from the franchise formula,
although he does try so hard here in Bond 23.
It begins like all the other Bond movies, with an action-packed
pre-title sequence (before an excellent title song by Adele). Sometimes these
sequences have nothing to do with the rest of the plot, but this one does. Bond
and an agent we’ll call by her first name, Eve (Naomie Harris), are chasing a
spy assassin as he shuttles precious cargo back to its buyer. The cargo is a
detailed database of spy information — a pack of spy trading cards, if you will
— a story device that appears frequently in modern espionage thrillers. If the
database is stolen, and then hacked into, it could reveal the names and
locations of every deep-cover operative in the British spy service. Bond bolts
after the assassin in a chase sequence that moves from car to motorcycle to
train, but never to a Segway, a joke beneath Craig but not Roger Moore — I miss
those gags.
We come to learn that the mystery assassin isn’t the real
villain, but a sub-contracted employee of Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem), a former
British spy who has some issues with forgiveness. Silva was disavowed by his
bosses, common practice in espionage, and now he’s taking it out on Bond, his
boss M (Judi Dench) and on MI6, the British spy agency. Bardem’s Silva is
terrifying, if only because Bardem himself is terrifying — his speech patterns,
those cold eyes, and his towering physical presence will give you the willies. In
his introduction to the film, Silva shares an analogy about coconuts and rats
that might give you nightmares. In the same scene, Silva admits he’s gay, and
then uncomfortably gropes at Bond in what might be a first for the franchise. You’ve
heard of Bond Girls; maybe Bardem is the first Bond Guy.
Skyfall is mostly about
Silva’s intricate revenge plots against M, and involves sequences on an
abandoned island in China ,
a casino brawl ended by giant lizards, a subway derailing and a shoot-out in a
government building. This is all typical Bond material. But then the movie does
something strange: it stops being a James Bond movie. Of course, James Bond is
still in it, but he’s doing things we’ve never seen him do before, like getting
in a car and driving away from all the mayhem. Bond has always been an
offensive player, but here we see his defensive side as he packs up and leaves London with M by his
side. Where he drives, and what he drives, I will let you discover, but let me
tease it by saying it involves Bond’s past, which has always been a taboo
subject in other Bond films.
The last part of the film is the defensive siege in an old
country house. There are few gadgets, few martinis and even fewer witty
one-liners. Where the first half of the movie feels like anything from Bond
1-22, the second half feels more like Straw
Dogs, with James Bond as the protective homeowner defending his property
from murderous invaders. I greatly enjoyed this part of the movie. It’s unlike
any other Bond movie in the whole franchise. And for once we learn something
deeper and more meaningful about the super-spy.
Craig here is muted, but fantastic. I would have liked more
energy in his role; he plays the whole thing kinda hushed and quiet. I did like
a sequence in the first half of Skyfall
where Bond has to update all his physical training, including an unfortunate
day at the shooting range. Harris as Eve is also a lot of fun. Bond and Eve
share a moment that cuts away so fast that I can’t decide if they had sex or
not. For once, it’s a mystery. Dench is lovely, as always. She’s contrasted
here by a new addition, Ralph Fiennes, who could easily be a Bond himself.
There are many new ideas to behold in Skyfall, many of them I can’t discuss here in fear of spoiling some
surprises. Director Sam Mendes should be commended for introducing these fresh elements
to the franchise. This is still the grittier, edgier Bond of Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace — in the same vein as the Timothy Dalton Bonds, The Living Daylights and License to Kill — but Skyfall also introduces another level to
the franchise that I wasn’t expecting. It shows us humility and reverence.
Now, all that being said, James Bond, despite all his frantic
dashing from cartoony cliché to gritty action-drama, still can’t escape from some
of the trappings of the genre. This is especially evident in that opening
pre-title sequence, where Bond drives a motorcycle through a crowded Turkish
market and at one point takes cover behind a fruit cart as guavas and mangos
explode above him. This is the material of Bond parodies and all that’s missing
are two workmen carrying a pane of glass across a roadway.
In some ways, Skyfall
is the best of both worlds: an old-school James Bond picture and also a dramatic
re-examination of the spy and all his powers.
