November 2008

Last Sunday, my good friend Saurav and I, decided to go to the hall and watch Quantum of Solace. The semester exams being just over, the new Bond movie gave us the perfect opportunity to soak our tired nerves in some high-octane 007 action. Presenting here is how we liked the movie. First, a quick look at the plot.

The movie takes on right from where the prequel Casino Royale left; Bond is seen carrying Mr. White captive in his car while some villains chase him. An interrogation of Mr. White leads Bond to a sinister group named Quantum which is helping, to achieve vested interests, a corrupt military general to usurp power. A mysterious lady named Camille who has her own vendetta helps Bond to find Dominique Greene, the mastermind behind Quantum. As Bond, desperate to take revenge of the death of Vesper, goes out in a killing spree, M has to put a leash on him by forfeiting his credit cards and passport. Undeterred, Bond seeks help from old friend Mathis and continues his mission that spans across continents and ends in Bolivia with Bond finally getting his quantum of solace – a little measure of happiness amid sorrow.

In sharp contrast to the bright and colourful Casino Royale, QoS is very dark. A good part of the movie set against the backdrop of the dull and drab Bolivian deserts. Even Camille, the Bond girl in the movie, is dark. Bond himself boasts a rough and tanned look. Purposefully so, for this is supposed to reflect Bond’s emotional state. He is now more ruthless and full of revenge. However, Quantum of Solace fails to live up to the expectations which were indeed soaring high post-Casino Royale. After the 21st century reboot of 007 that Casino Royale was, the movie that really reinvigorated Bond and renewed our interest in the series, Quantum of Solace has failed to deliver. It has an unremarkable title song to begin with. Consider ‘You Know My Name’ from Casino Royale which is still etched into my memory. M and Mathis apart, there are no other memorable characters in the film. Dominique Greene is no comparison to Le Chiffe and is rather a disappointment. And then, QoS is packed with unnecessary action, to the extent that it takes you some time to absorb the plot, not to mention too much camera movement in the car chase that makes your head spin! More than once I felt I was watching an action thriller. The Bond factor was missing for a greater part of the movie. The building explosion near the ending was a rather shabby depiction; Marc Foster could have taken cues from ‘License To Kill’. Nonetheless, the movie has its moments. The aerial dogfight being one of them. The scene where Bond is holding on to his friend Mathis, whose last words to the trigger-happy Bond were those of forgiveness, is not going to be forgotten anytime soon. The cat-and-mouse chase between M and Bond in the hotel provided some good humour amidst tension in true Bond style.

Having said all that, there is no denying that the movie has fared well in the box office and though not one of the best Bond movies, QoS definitely deserves its own place in the series. As a Bond fan, I enjoyed the movie and now I’m yearning for more. Seriously, CR and QoS have left us wanting for more and now we await the third movie in the recent series with bated breath!

Rating:

Daniel Craig has delivered a fine performance once again. However, the debate continues if he at all suits the Bond character. He is more of an action hero, many Bond fans will complain! My friend Dr. John J Sinha (Johnda) who has grown up watching Sean Connery and Roger Moore, was telling me, “Most people like Sean Connery and Roger Moore. Moore suited the Bond character more, I thought. These guys had class… It is sad to see Bond become a Craig – what a pity. With Sean Connery and Moore, you could almost “smell” the Gucci perfumes and aftershaves. Those were the real men.”

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