Skyfall!

Confession time: before Skyfall, the only James Bond movies I had seen were From Russia With Love and Casino Royale. I’ve always meant to watch more, but the list of all twenty-two Bond movies seemed daunting. However, after seeing Skyfall, I have now more reason to watch the older Bond movies, as Skyfall returns James Bond to the top of the pack of action heroes. Furthermore, Skyfall is a great film for Bond fans, action fans, and even the film buff.

The film follows, of course, the famed MI6 agent, James Bond, played by Daniel Craig. After a mission goes horribly wrong and Bond is declared dead, MI6 is found under attack by a mysterious villain, Raoul Silva (played by Javier Bardem), with a personal grudge against M (played by Judi Dench). It’s up to James Bond to save the day, as always.

The way I describe it makes it sounds ridiculously simple, but it’s not. The script, co-written by one of my favorite screenwriters, John Logan, takes Bond to his usual exotic locals such as Istanbul and Shanghai, but sets the entire last hour in England, taking Bond on a much more personal journey than before. The film’s theme is about the relevance of espionage agents such as 007 in today’s world, along with growing old and losing your youthful vigor. The theme is quite powerful, along with a much more emotional core than I expected: the relationship between Bond and M.

Skyfall is full of the typical Bond humor. There were a few great one-liners, and Craig is much more suave than he was in Casino Royale, despite the film pointing out his growing older. The Bond girls are there as well, and although they don’t really add much to the film, it wouldn’t quite be a James Bond film without them. Finally, the action that’s usual for James Bond is here as well, and quite breathtaking. The opening chase scene in Istanbul stands out as a memorable sequence.

Daniel Craig nails the vulnerability that Skyfall forces James Bond to go through, proving once again that he will be remembered as one of the greatest James Bonds. Judi Dench also nails the role of M as always, but the script gives her much more to do with the role, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see her campaigned for Best Supporting Actress come Oscar-time. Q returns to the world of Bond in the form of a young man, played by Ben Whishaw. Although some had expressed concerns of a young Q, Whishaw hits the role out of the park, and is a comedic highlight of the film.

However, the real star of the movie is Javier Bardem’s genius portrayal of Raoul Silva. In a year of both Bane and Loki, it’s amazing that a James Bond movie can top them both within a single monologue. Silva is quite a menacing villain, with bizarre mannerisms, and a much deeper backstory than the typical Bond villain. Javier Bardem also deserves an Oscar campaign for Silva, proving a more than worthy adversary for Bond.

The music in the film is great, starting with Adele’s theme, “Skyfall.” The song perfectly fits the mystery of the movie, along with being a good song in its own right. Thomas Newman’s score is great as well, both implementing Adele’s song and the famed James Bond theme seamlessly. The direction is well done, but the real technical accomplishment of the film is the cinematography. I don’t often look for cinematography, but some genius moments are shot through this, including a fight done completely in silhouette. Another highlight is the previously mentioned monologue, which is one long shot that never moves, but still maintains its menace. If Skyfall is not nominated for Best Cinematography at the Oscars, there is a serious issue with the Academy.

Skyfall is impeccably acted, including the phenomenal performances of Judi Dench, Daniel Craig, and Javier Bardem. The action is mesmerizing, the music is great, and the cinematography is the best I’ve seen all year. Skyfall is not to be missed. Skyfall is directed by Sam Mendes, distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Columbia Pictures, and is rated PG -13 for intense violent sequences throughout, some sexuality, language and smoking.

 

A+