One of my favorite narrative devices is Chekhov’s Gun – that
plot element that is introduced solely because it’s going to pay off
later. If you see a gun, you know it’s
going to be fired (or used in some other meaningful way). Skyfall,
the 23rd James Bond film, is littered with many such rewarding moments, leading
me to label it “Chekhov’s Bond.”
And oh, is that a good thing. Skyfall
is one of the best Bond films in recent memory, even surpassing Casino Royale in several important ways.
After a brush with death in a fantastic pre-credits
sequence, James Bond (Daniel Craig) is called back into active service when a
series of intelligence attacks puts the life of M (Judi Dench) in danger. It’s up to 007 to stop Raoul Silva (Javier
Bardem) and find out just why he wants M dead – fortunately, Bond has the help
of quartermaster “Q” (Ben Whishaw) and slinky secret agent Eve (Naomie Harris).
Since Daniel Craig was cast as the sixth (official) Bond, Skyfall is the film for which we’ve been
waiting. Sure, Casino Royale was breathtakingly realistic in its prequel treatment
of the iconic superspy, but its plausibility lacked a certain Bond-iness. No Q, no one-liners to speak of, and no
martinis: Skyfall restores all of these to the Bond mythos and, without spoiling
anything, sets up an exciting fresh-but-familiar direction for the
franchise.
There is much about Skyfall
that feels familiar. There are nods to
bygone Bonds – Goldfinger’s Aston
Martin appears, the explosion at MI6 recalls The World Is Not Enough, and there’s a cryptic allusion to Jaws –
but these feel organic rather than forced, acknowledging the long legacy of the
series on this, its fiftieth anniversary (Dr.
No debuted in 1962). Yet these
references are not what makes Skyfall
such a return to form; rather, there’s a sense that this is, finally, a Bond
movie and not a Bond prequel. Silva is
more a Bond villain than Le Chiffre or Dominic Greene, the return of Q’s
gadgetry is unexpectedly welcome, and when Craig adjusts his cufflinks after a
spectacular action sequence he brings to life a Bond worthy at last to stand
beside Connery and Brosnan.
Craig isn’t the only one doing a marvelous job here. Though Bond films haven’t always been
renowned for their spot-on acting, Skyfall
is filled with talented stars who are as compelling as anything this side of
the Oscar season. Craig maintains the
gravitas established in the last two films but cuts loose enough to bring that Bond
sense of humor to bear, wisecracking in the middle of an interrogation and
punning his way through a final confrontation.
And Bardem is a suitably creepy foe, his blond locks and impeccable scheme
distinguishing him from his “other” villainous role in No Country for Old Men. Whishaw
and Harris too are welcome additions to the series, with their roles set up for
future appearances.
Let’s not forget Ralph Fiennes and Albert Finney, who play a
government official and a helpful groundskeeper, respectively; they’re two reliable
actors with long pedigrees, and they add that likely air of dignity they always
bring. But the “breakout” star of Skyfall is Judi Dench, in her seventh
outing as M – “outing” being the operative word there, since she gets to step
out of the office quite a bit, even more than she did as the hostage in The World Is Not Enough. Dench gets plenty to do here, lending a hand
in a few action sequences and layering emotional depth onto what has usually been
a stuffy desk job. While her talent
comes as no surprise, we’re blessed that Skyfall
takes full advantage of it.
Director Sam Mendes was perhaps an unlikely choice to helm a
Bond film, known more for his introspective American
Beauty than anything else. He brings
that same interiority to bear on Skyfall,
but he does it without sacrificing any of the big-budget spectacle we’ve come
to expect from 007. Two separate train
sequences, a great chase scene in the middle of London’s busiest tube station,
and a thrilling shoot-out in a decaying British manor – Skyfall has enough major action pieces to tick off the boxes and
more. Mendes is surprisingly deft with
these, controlling our perspective without resorting to any shaky-cam
shenanigans. These are smart, stable
action sequences, reminding me once more how much I’d like a Christopher Nolan Bond
movie (but then that’s me getting distracted).
Skyfall loses none
of the Craig era’s approach toward relevance; Silva’s plot recalls Wikileaks
and the worst of chickens coming home to roost, while M’s response is a
reminder of how much the world has changed in the last decade (a wry wink,
perhaps, to the satellite laser of death from 2002’s Die Another Day). But Skyfall also emphasizes how much Bond
still matters; there’s a very interesting comparison to be made here with The Dark Knight Rises, in that both took
their heroes back to Square One to remind them that their true strength lies in
their beginnings.
With a return to form to match Bond’s revisiting of his
roots, Skyfall is a great reminder
that the sky (at least, post-Quantum of
Solace) isn’t falling – rather, it’s the limit. Whenever we see “Bond 24,” it’s already primed
for greatness.
Skyfall is rated PG-13
“for intense violent sequences throughout, some sexuality, language and smoking.” It being a Bond film, there are many action
sequences, plenty of gunfire, and bloody consequences thereof. Bond also seduces several women, though no
nudity is seen. An F-bomb, a few
cigarettes, and several cocktails (including that famous martini) are included,
as well. Ultimately, Skyfall is no less appropriate than any
other Bond film.
Stay tuned for Wednesday’s review of Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, followed by a Thanksgiving
surprise! (P.S. – I’m aware this is the
first Bond Film reviewed on this site – don’t worry, that’s an oversight that will
be corrected before long...)
Monday, November 19, 2012
Skyfall (2012)
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