Review 168: Skyfall
After an operation in Istanbul ends in disaster, James Bond (Daniel Craig) is missing and presumed to be dead, the identities of every active undercover MI6 agent are leaked onto the internet, and M (Judi Dench) becomes the subject of a government review over her handling of the situation. When the service itself is attacked, Bond's sudden reappearance gives M the pretext she needs to seek out Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem), a dangerous villain claiming a personal connection to both of them — but as he follows a trail from London to the South China Sea, Bond soon finds his loyalty to M challenged over secrets from her past.
The plot is a work of sheer genius, it's so intricate, so complex, so thought-provoking it's unlike any plot to any Bond film that came before it. It feels grounded in reality and deals with real world topics.
Just by watching this film you can tell that Director Sam Mendes and the producers were heavily influenced by The Dark Knight. The villain Raoul Silva seems very influenced by the Joker from that film. Like the Joker, is an ancient of chaos, he is releasing names of MI6 agents on the internet and getting them killed as a result and he lets the authorities get hold of him in order to progress his plans.
Producer Barbara Broccoli has stated that when planning a new Bond film, they always go back to the works of Ian Fleming and with Skyfall they clearly make no exception as the influences are subtle but still prevalent as the premise of Bond being believed dead but returns and is sent after a villain whose almost his equal seems very inspired by Fleming's twelfth and final Bond novel The Man with the Golden Gun.
Fitting for the 50th Anniversary, the script seems almost self-aware with many references to the Cold War and traditional espionage including a welcome return of the iconic Aston Martin DB5 which has become synonymous with the series since its debut in Goldfinger 48 years before.
Death and Rebirth: At the beginning of the film, Bond is presumed dead following a botched mission and has used his "death" to "retire" so to speak and has opted to overindulge in alcohol and silently feel sorry for himself. It's only when MI6 comes under attack and M is being pressured to retire that he comes out of that retirement and attempts to get back into the field.
Embracing the new school while keeping the old school alive: What this film illustrates so well is that
In tackling this topic, Skyfall becomes an intelligent
Throughout the film, both Bond and M are constantly challenged with the fact that they are ageing; M is questioned by the government represented by Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes) for having an outdated mentality and that the 00 division is now ineffective.
When he returns from his "retirement", he's not as warmly embraced as many of us would initially assume, he's encouraged to give up field work due to his injury which causes him to fail all the tests required to see if he's fit to return to active duty and to either take a desk job or retire officially.
Ultimately Skyfall shows that while espionage may seem hopelessly outdated and inefficient when most the work can be done with computers, sometimes the old ways are the best ways and we need a hero like James Bond to get the job done.
Director Sam Mendes direction is stylish (he really knew how to take James Bond to the next level and has made his masterpiece), the action scenes are incredible, the cinematography is beautiful, the score by Thomas Newman is uniquely brilliant, the production design is inspired, the costume design is majestic, the lighting is splendid, the make up is rich, we see the return of the Aston Martin DB5, the suspense is killing, it's fast-paced with very rarely a dull moment, the sound effects are excellent, the locations are fabulous, the stunts are amazing, the girls are all hot, the title song by Adele is mindblowing, the scenery is breathtaking, the effects are top notch and the ending was superb.
The acting is sensational, Daniel Craig gives his best 007 performance alongside Casino Royale,
At the beginning of the film we're presented with a James Bond whose opted to throw in the towel following the failure of his latest mission. He is noticeably more vulnerable and weaker in this film which makes
a mixture of his shaken confidence in light of the failed mission, ageing body, sustained injuries and increased drinking have put him off of his game
Naomie Harris is terrific as field agent Eve,
Bérénice Marlohe is feisty as Sévérine; a former sex slave who has been abused for most of her life, she meets Bond
Ben Whishaw is fantastic as the new Q. With this film we’re presented with a version of Q who’s younger and more
Rory Kinnear is superb as Bill Tanner
Ralph Fiennes is a fabulous addition to every ever growing series as Gareth Mallory,
Albert Finney is great as Kincade
As Raoul Silva, Javier Bardem was a simply sublime villain and one of the finest Bond villains of recent memory. Silva is “An angel of death” as described by Bardem. Someone who's very cleanshaven and charismatic who happens to be rotten on the inside. His vendetta is personal and he’s very much on the straight line to that objective. He’s a man out for revenge on the person who sold him out and his motivation is about being solely focused on the one person that he wants to eliminate.
Continuing Mendes and Eon's influences from The Dark Knight, the character of Silva seems very inspired by the Joker in his mannerisms, his chameleonlike use of disguises and how at one point during the film he allows himself to be captured by MI6 so that he can further his plan.
And as always, Judi Dench is fabulous playing M. What this film brings beautifully to the forefront is that she is the most significant person in Bond’s life, she represents authority to him. Over the course of the film, we see how M's cold and calculated attitude towards her agents causes her to make complex moral choices that botch the missions more than
This film’s exploration of their relationship makes for a tremendous emotional roller Costner ride going forward.
Skyfall reinvents the concept of what a Bond film can be and I highly look forward to James Bond’s return in 2015, 5/5.
The Anonymous Critic.
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