Back in Safe Hands

Rating: 7/10 (9 November 2012)

Daniel Craig's first outing as James Bond, "Casino Royale", was one of the best of the series, but unfortunately his second, "Quantum of Solace", was one of the worst, and raised serious questions about the direction in which the franchise was heading. It was followed by a four- year hiatus, not a deliberate decision on the part of the producers but rather a consequence of MGM's financial troubles. Nevertheless, the extra time may have been beneficial in allowing a major rethink to take place, because "Skyfall" is actually rather good, certainly far better than its predecessor, if not quite in the same class as "Casino Royale".
The plot is not particularly original. The McGuffin- the thing the bad guys are trying to get hold of- is a computer disc containing details of undercover MI6 agents whose lives will be put at risk if their identity is revealed. This plot device is hardly new- there was, for example, a similar storyline in one of the "Charlie's Angels" films. The villain, Raoul Silva, is a rogue former MI6 operative with a grudge against the organisation he used to work for- just like Sean Bean's character, Alec Trevelyan, in "Goldeneye".
Yet in the context of James Bond, familiarity is not always a bad thing, nor is innovation always a good one. I don't mean that every Bond film should be a virtual remake of "Dr No", or "Octopussy", or even "Goldeneye"- such a film would be unlikely to succeed, either artistically or financially, in the very different climate of the 2010s. One of the flaws of "Quantum", however, was that it departed too far from the traditional idea of what a Bond film should be, and "Skyfall" restores the balance by being more respectful of Bond tradition. The hero once again introduces himself as "Bond, James Bond", and once again enjoys his dry Martinis shaken rather than stirred. Two recurring characters (both last seen in "Die Another Day") who make a return are Miss Moneypenny and Q, here played by Ben Whishaw as a youthful, bespectacled computer geek.
Craig has been criticised, largely by those who blame him for not being Connery, or Moore, or Brosnan. Yet one of the strengths of the series (as with "Dr Who") is that each actor who has played the main character has been free to bring his own interpretation and insights to the role. Craig's Bond is more serious, disillusioned and doubt-ridden than Connery's, Moore's, or Brosnan's. Of his predecessors, he probably has most in common with Timothy Dalton. Some may regret the loss of the note of light-heartedness which once characterised the series, but any attempt at Moore-style levity would probably be alien to Craig's style of acting. In this film we get to learn a few things about Bond's background and of his childhood, things which might explain his rather gloomy demeanour. We learn, for example, that he was orphaned at an early age and that he grew up at Skyfall Lodge, an old manor-house in the Scottish Highlands. This definitively answers the question of Bond's nationality, although none of the actors who have played him, except Connery, have given him a Scottish accent.
I was initially disappointed to learn that Judi Dench, a relic of the Brosnan era, was still playing Bond's superior M. Although Dame Judi remains a fine actress, even in her late seventies, I felt that even in "Quantum", four years ago, she was too old to play the part convincingly. Plot considerations, however, made it essential that she be cast in the role as Silva's grievance centres on the way in which he was treated by her in the past; a key element in Dench's characterisation has always been M's ruthlessness and willingness to sacrifice her agents in what she sees as the wider national interest.
An important part of the success of any Bond film is a convincing villain, and this was something in which "Quantum of Solace", with the colourless Mathieu Amalric, was conspicuously lacking. "Skyfall" does much better in this regard. Javier Bardem's Silva, softly-spoken but menacing, is perhaps the most memorable Bond villain since Sophie Marceau in "The World is Not Enough". Bardem- better here than he was giving that over-praised performance in "No Country for Old Men"- is also able to show that Silva is something more than just a villain, a man whose villainy arises from the fact that he has been made to suffer unjustly.
On the debit side, Naomie Harris is not the most charismatic of Bond Girls, and it is a pity that a more substantial role could not have been found for the lovely Bérénice Marlohe; her character, Sévérine, joins the long list of "Bond Girls killed off too early". (Others include Shirley Eaton in "Goldfinger", Maud Adams in "The Man with the Golden Gun" and Caroline Munro in "The Spy Who Loved Me").
"Quantum" was directed by Marc Forster who did not seem to have much idea about how to direct an action movie. For "Skyfall" the producers turned to Sam Mendes, one of Britain's most distinguished living directors and the man responsible for masterpieces like "American Beauty" and "Road to Perdition". "Skyfall" is not perhaps a masterpiece, but it is a very assured piece of film-making, with none of the dreadful shaky camera-work which marred "Quantum". Mendes also invests some scenes with a visual beauty surprising in a Bond film, and makes the action sequences as thrilling as they should be. The Bond franchise seems to be back in safe hands again. 7/10