In a celebration of 50 years of tuxedos and martinis, James Bond returns in the 23rd installment in the series. Fair warning, though: “Skyfall” is almost entirely unlike any Bond movie yet made. It’s restrained and introspective but still manages to be a taut, pulse-pounding action thriller. The result is easily Daniel Craig’s best 007 outing yet, and it might just be the best Bond since “Goldeneye.”
I’d like to get this out of the way to establish something of a frame of reference. Part of what made “Quantum of Solace” so difficult for me to watch was the fact that, although it had a fairly standard Bond-film plot, the title character felt more like a humorless, cookie-cutter action hero than a true James Bond. “Skyfall” is the complete opposite–James Bond is back in full quipping, martini-sipping, Aston-Martin-driving form, while the movie surrounding him is probably the most grounded in the history of the franchise.
The story is simple enough. After a mission in Istanbul goes bad, James Bond (Craig) is missing and presumed dead. Worse, a hard drive containing the names of every undercover NATO agent in the Middle East has fallen into the hands of an unknown entity. M (Dame Judi Dench) is blamed for the operation’s failure and put under intense pressure to resign. However, the MacGuffin hunt takes a backseat once the man responsible for the theft, Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem), targets MI6. Now Bond has to return to service to bring down Silva and to wrestle with the past, his superiors, and the fading importance of analog spies in a digital world.
Much of the film is spent contemplating the past and questioning whether or not the old ways of doing things are still relevant. The new Q (Ben Whishaw) looks all of 25 years old and brags that “I can do more damage on my laptop, sitting in my pajamas, before my first cup of Earl Grey, than you can do a year in the field.” When asked why he even needs Bond, he replies, “Every now and then, a trigger has to be pulled.” In addition, many elements of the classic Bond movies reappear in one way or another throughout the film, and although some of them may have fewer digital bells and whistles than their more recent counterparts, they are unquestionably still effective.
The film reinforces the theme of old ways locked in a struggle with a modern world by pitting Bond against a cyberterrorist. Bardem’s Silva is a scheming, sneering manipulator who prefers wreaking havoc from behind a computer screen to engaging in fisticuffs with secret agents. However, when it comes down to it, he’s more than capable of mixing it up with the best of them. Silva has his own issues with the past, and the conflict between him and living fossil James Bond forms one of the more interesting elements of the film.
For both better and for worse, the aura of sheer menace Bardem brought to Anton Chigurgh in “No Country For Old Men” is nowhere to be found in this film. It’s entirely possible that this choice was deliberate. However, for all his intelligence and skill, Silva ultimately appears a broken, pathetic shell of a man lashing out at the world for the injustice done to him. Sometimes this works brilliantly, but other times it makes it difficult to view him as an entirely serious threat.
Craig is in top form in his third stint as Bond, once again bringing a sense of constant internal torment to the character. This time, however, he also seems to have matured a little. He’s more professional and focused than ever, but also ever so slightly warmer. It will be interesting to see if future directors follow Sam Mendes’ lead and give Bond some actual character development for once, but I personally like where things are going.
The real standout of the film, however, is Dench as M. She has more reason to be haunted by the past than anyone–indeed, much of the plot addresses the mistakes she made over a long, difficult career all coming to a head at once. Dench’s performance is flawless. M is as tough and no-nonsense as ever, barely blinking when informed of Bond’s supposed death, but for the first time in the series we get a glimpse at the lonely woman beneath the armor. This is someone whose entire life has been spent making life-or-death decisions from an office, never having to deal with the consequences firsthand, only seeing the results of her actions in reports and on the faces of agents who make it back from the field.
I never thought I’d say this about a Bond film, but here it is: the cinematography in this movie is jaw-droppingly beautiful. Rather than embracing shaky-cam and running into some of the same problems that plagued “Quantum of Solace,” not to mention seemingly every other “gritty and/or realistic” action film of the last decade, cinematographer Roger Deakins keeps the camera steady for long, almost detached shots. One particularly memorable moment is a single-take fistfight between Bond and an assassin in front of a massive screen in Shanghai that occurs almost entirely in silhouette. This approach to shooting the film gives it the breath of humanity and melancholy air that the plot requires to function, and I personally would not be surprised to see it earn some recognition come Oscar season.
One final note: The opening credits song by Adele is easily the best Bond theme since Paul McCartney’s “Live And Let Die.” Paying tribute to the best parts of Bond’s oeuvre while giving us the bells and whistles of a modern blockbuster, “Skyfall” is an assurance of Bond’s staying power and a tribute to its storied legacy.
