Notes from the Other Side

Rating: 8/10 (10 April 2007)

Not being a James Bond addict this viewer approached CASINO ROYALE in the quiet of the home with the DVD form of the film. For the first time the unique appeal of this 007 character makes sense under Daniel Craig's interpretation. Prior Bond films with the varied actors who have portrayed him have gone for the slick, tricky, smart killing machine whose eyes seemed always on the outlook for the next gorgeous babe he treated with little respect except for physical favors. The various villainous characters seemed to blend and the stories appeared to be more interested in that tired musical soundtrack theme and carnage than they were in character development.
Enter Daniel Craig, all buff and uber-masculine, and the beginnings of James Bond's character are explained in a touching manner, making this machine-like concept a deeper being. Of course, credit must go to director Martin Campbell working with an intelligent script by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade which travels Craig's Bond from Uganda, to the Bahamas, Miami, Montenegro and Venice. The chief bad guy this round is Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) who complete with scarred blind eye and cruel gaze is Bond's nemesis. Judi Dench turns in another strong performance as the ubiquitous 'M' on charge of 007's ventures and along the way Bond meets such good/bad characters as Giancarlo Giannini, Jeffrey Wright, and the very elegant and stylish French actress Eva Green whose complex character provides all the information we needed to know about James Bond's view of women.
CASINO ROYALE is a strong 2 1/2 hour film that for this viewer makes James Bond an interesting character in addition to being a suave stunt/lady-killer man. Daniel Craig is in fine form (literally) and proves his mettle here. This viewer will see the next Bond/Craig film in the theaters! Grady Harp