Happy Christmas
Just a quick note to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous 2007.

Normal service will be resumed sometime in January (by that, I mean sporadic posts interspersed by long periods of silence.)
- posted by Paul @ 11:45 am |

 
The name's Blonde
Casino Royale - a name which, for Bond film lovers, previously sent shivers down their spines, and vague flickering memories of David Niven, Peter Sellers and Woody Allen. Now, it's Daniel Craig (moody and ruthless), free running, torture and betrayal.

In short, the new Bond film is a triumph.

I'll try not to spoil the film for those of you intending to see it, but like every Bond film it's fair to say that if you like Bond films, you'll enjoy it and if you don't, you won't.

However, that doesn't really do justice to the film itself. Like the previous actors who have taken on the mantle of Bond, Craig seeks to take his predecessor's attempts at the part and make it personal to him, and on the whole I think he succeeds. More Connery than Moore, Craig's Bond is a man not to be messed with, although it's fair to say he seems to bleed more frequently than any of his predecessors.

As for the film, the much talked about torture scene leaves enough to the imagination to make a grown man squirm (although not to the same extent as the "ear" scene in Reservoir Dogs - probably due to the film makers desire for a 12A certificate as anything else.)

With Casino Royale the first of Ian Flemming's Bond books, we are given the story of how Bond became 007 (all grainy film and moody lighting/flash back), before the story moves on and gathers pace, gone too are the gadgets and the CGI and in their place come hard hitting chases and fight scenes. The free running set piece being a particular triumph.

The question for Craig will be how he is allowed to take the part forward. It's one thing to show the origins of Bond, it will be quite another when faced with a script which hasn't been based on a Flemming book. However, that's a challenge for the next script writer - for the moment it is simply a case of celebrating what we have: namely an excellent addition to the series, with the promise of more to come.
- posted by Paul @ 1:38 pm |