moviereview - Quantum of Solace

QUANTUM OF SOLACE

	Hours after the death of his lover, Bond cuts loose to vindicate his loss and pull down an eco-cartel whose methods include the installation of dictators.	score 3+	moviereview rates films from 1 (unwatchable) to 5 (unmissable)
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Cast
Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Mathieu Amalric, Olga Kurylenko, Jeffrey Wright

Director
Marc Forster

Screenwriter
Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis

Country
USA / UK

Rating / Running Time
M / 106 minutes

Australian Release
November 2008

Official Site

To fully appreciate the emotional predicament in which James Bond finds himself, it’s worth recapping the final moments of Casino Royale for Quantum of Solace picks up hours after the latter left off. This first true Bond sequel hits the ground running, well, speeding actually, through perilous tunnels of Northern Italy. Bond (Daniel Craig) is bound for Siena but villains have other ideas in a heart-pounding, high-stakes chase that leaves unimaginable carnage and a ruined Aston Martin in its wake.

So much anxiety and all before the signature opening credits, a tone-setter from director Marc Forster (Monster’s Ball) whose immaculate production – from grimy Bolivian caves to the pristine halls of MI6 (M’s office is a must-have) – distinguishes a film that twists and echoes gleefully. An energetic script from Paul Haggis (Crash) indulges Bond’s shadowy side as M (Judi Dench) cuts him loose to pursue his lover’s killer and, hopefully, crack open an eco-syndicate with less than altruistic motives: coup d’état a speciality. He pushes emotion high while leaving only a couple of quibbles (why buy a DC3 when a more practical, though certainly less thrilling, Cessna was available?)

Quantum of Solace is, notionally, about trust, even if the film doesn't explore it very deeply. It hangs over Bond, his widening relationshipw with M, and Camille (Olga Kurylenko), a women pursuing her own vendetta. Everyone seeks justice as Forster directs Bond to within an inch of his life staging some exhilarating, if occasionally improbable, set pieces. Eschewing the famous gadgetry and quippery of Bonds past, the story is imbued with a new and welcome sense of menace that brings the anti-hero bang up to date.

A worthy companion to Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace is a dark, bleak and unruly tale of a vengeance that turns an assassin into a murderer. How M will bring him back from the edge remains to be seen.

// COLIN FRASER