We went to go see the new James Bond film yesterday and after all the great reviews, I left the theater strangely disappointed. This is the first Bond film ever to have 007 as a secondary character. The crux of the plot and the emotional heft of the film is a revenge story between M and an ex agent played beautifully by Javier Bardem. Bond does the running and jumping and shooting here but it is the M/Silva relationship that takes center stage. Bond has no Vesper Lynd or Tracy Draco to emotionally connect to in "Skyfall" and as such has no deeper dimensions outside the aging, damaged agent the script sticks him with.
Javier Bardem's villain is the glue which holds the drama together. It's by the actor's sheer force of character that this film is memorable. With all the weighty verbage in this film, I would have thought the filmmakers could have given the back story to M/Silva a little more flesh. Especially with the pathos dripping suicide pact at the end. Why does he want M to kill them both? We know he hates her for abandoning him to a Chinese torture cell but this ending hints to something else. Why does he want to die with her when he sees she's mortally wounded? A missed opportunity for some good drama.
As far as Bond's women, we have seen a Macao living, shower taking, boat loving mistress of an assassin before in a Bond film. As in The Man With The Golden Gun, a woman wants her employer/lover dead. But Maud Adams performance in 1975's weak entry is miles ahead of Bernice Marlohe's quivering lower lip and overly long, nervous cigarette ash. When Severin dies it means nothing to the emotional arc of the film. I never believed that Bond or Silva ever cared about her. At least in TMWTGG, Miss Anders is shown hating the sex she's forced to endure with Scaramanga. There is no scene in Skyfall to show us Severin's dread of Silva so there's only her word for his loathsomeness in a Macao bar.
Eve is a good character but as she is untouchable due to the Moneypenny myths, her story with Bond can only go so far. Again, their relationship a lost dramatic opportunity in a midst of some nice banter.
Aesthetically, Daniel Craig's body is getting odder. Gone is the naturalistic manliness of Sean Connery in Dr. No or Thunderball for a gym stalwart of overblown proportions. Whenever he disrobes, I feel Bond must spend more time pumping iron than firing lead. Is his butt really that hard that not even a towel can hide it's contours?
Bond's relationship to M is stuck in neutral here. M is not allowed to show any warmth toward her employee. They share little more than a grudging respect. In fact she risks his life on the train bridge as she had with Silva years ago in Hong Kong and as Bond will risk her's in Scotland. She's a hard bastard but has to be. It was a sad comment on a relationship that is ultimately boiled down to a piece of desk bric a brac.
The crew in Skyfall shines through magnificently. Cameraman Roger Deakins and set designer Dennis Gassner are the heroes. Their work continually amazes even when the film lapses. Alexander Witt and Gary Powell keep the action sequences tight and exciting. As far as the director, I have always felt that the more talented crew and actors he can assemble, the better his films.
My view is that Michael Apted was the last "Actor's Director" that created a successful Bond adventure. And Martin Campbell remains the gold standard in action films, a director who understands action as well as drama.
Skyfall's main premise that 007 will be relegated to a supporting role is it's paramount flaw. Allowing Skyfall events to be driven by Silva makes this a great action film but only a good Bond film.
A new bird has arrived at the bath. Seems to be alone unlike the usual birds. It has a very distinct single note chirp. The usual chickadees are getting used to us being around and we're not hampering their swimming pleasure.
