Raw, visceral and disturbingly homo-erotic

Rating: 8/10 (22 December 2006)

I finally saw the new Bond last night and was really surprised by it. I knew that they were refreshing the franchise, but hadn't expected such a raw and visceral version of Bond. The action scenes were breath-taking and totally Martin Campbell, but this time the producers really allowed him to express himself in all his perverse glory. Gone is the camp, humorous charm. This Bond is truly dangerous, mainly because he is not always cool or in control, and he can be hurt, very badly hurt. Daniel Craig's astonishing blue eyes flash and smoulder. This is a very physical Bond and the opportunity to show his very developed, glistening, often injured torso is rarely missed. There are disturbing sado-masochistic undertones to this film, never has a Bond been so viscerally mashed, which culminate in the homo-erotic torture scene, which frankly disturbed me. Exquisitely photographed by Phil Meheux, a still from this scene wouldn't have been out of place in a Robert Mablethorpe collection. Mads Mikkelsen gives a superbly subtle and effete performance as Le Chiffre, and Eva Green is utterly beguiling in her beautiful quirkiness. Only the brief love interlude feels clumsy, reverting to the tone of a rom-com in its sweetness. I would have have liked a bit more charm, but perhaps that's the next developmental step in Bond's evolution.