"There is something horribly efficient about you"

Rating: 6/10 (21 November 2008)

Arghh, I've got a splitting headache! The human brain only process a certain number of images every second, and when a film has an average shot length of about 0.4 seconds, it really clouds one's perception. It's not that 'Quantum of Solace (2008)' isn't a classy film; it's classy in the great Bond tradition, blending cheap thrills with sophisticated banter, nefarious villains and gorgeous women. But when, as an enthusiastic cinema-goer, I dread the arrival of the next action sequence, something has gone seriously wrong. Marc Forster is a talented director, as evidenced by 'Stranger than Fiction (2006),' and he has a good visual flair, handling Bond's quieter moments with a steady and sophisticated hand. However, if his idea of an action scene is to cut frenetically to a different angle three times a second, with a shaky camera that suggests you're driving alongside 007 on a malfunctioning washing-machine, then he really needs to stick to quiet, contemplative dramas and light comedies. When all is said and done, I can't appreciate the artistry of a sequence if I can't decipher what is going on.
I don't want to dwell on the negatives, though. 'Quantum of Solace' improves considerably in its second half, surrendering an overload of adrenalin-charge action set-pieces for a more understated, brooding tale of loss, regret and retribution. The film is a follow-on from Martin Campbell's 'Casino Royale (2006),' though it remains independent enough to succeed as a standalone film, such that even new arrivals to the franchise (assuming they exist) can still follow the story reasonably well. Daniel Craig, in his second turn as Ian Fleming's famous MI6 agent, has not lost any of his potency, managing somehow to come across as both brutal and tender at the same time. Judi Dench, as M, continues to prove that even an old woman can be commanding enough to boss around Britain's toughest spy, a triumph of casting if you ask me. Olga Kurylenko does well as Bond's strong-willed female sidekick, though she's not quite strong enough to get along without the guiding masculine hand of 007; it wouldn't be a Bond film if the girls could take care of themselves, would it?
Craig's portrayal of Bond is that of a tortured human being; a rather exceptional one, of course, but a human nonetheless. This effectively harks back to Sean Connery's earliest portrayals  in 'Dr. No (1962)' and 'From Russia With Love (1963)'  in which Bond wasn't an agile, unassailable superhuman, but a suave government agent with a frightening mean streak. Craig certainly brings more humility to the role, but his inherent personal vulnerability is a facet of his character that I'm glad is being explored. The primary villain of 'Quantum of Solace' is a greasy-haired Frenchman named Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), whose sinister plan involves cornering the water supply of Bolivia. It doesn't sound very diabolic when you say it like that, but look deeper and there's something more ominous afoot. Greene belongs to a shady organisation named Quantum, of which even MI6 knows practically nothing, and whose members will certainly play a larger role in the inevitable Bond 23. As long as the next appointed director exerts more effort in keeping the action sequences discernible, then I'm looking forward to whatever comes next.