Quantum of Solace
The James Bond franchise continues its makeover with the 22nd film in the series, 2008’s Quantum of Solace. It seems that every hero is getting a reboot these days, with Batman going darker still in the Christopher Nolan instalments and other superheroes becoming more adult and more mature. It is very likely a reflection of the times, as the once colourful ideas of childhood become grittier and more realistic. The Bond franchise was in need of a reboot, badly, and Casino Royale was a tremendous step in the right direction.
Daniel Craig’s version of James Bond maintains the basic traits of the superspy, but there are emotional layers now and this Bond has other ideas beyond what we might have been used to. While some might long for the days of goofball villains and a bed-hopping 007, I for one am pleased to see an agent operating in the context in which he lives. With Quantum of Solace, Monster’s Ball director Marc Forster takes the helm and his project is an interesting one.
The movie picks up right where Casino Royale left off and we are thrust into the middle of a car chase. Bond evades his pursuers, of course, in impressive fashion and meets with M (Judi Dench) to interrogate Mr. White (Jesper Christensen). Mr. White is, of course, a Quantum agent and fans will remember him from his role in Casino Royale. He is a middleman of the Quantum organization, however, and we quickly learn that the group is much larger and more threatening than we first imagined.
A traitor is revealed inside the organization and M is attacked, leaving Bond to chase down the bad guy and search for how deeply the corruption runs. The journey takes him to Haiti, where he meets Camille Montes (Olga Kurylenko). She is attached to the film’s villain, Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), and a plot is soon revealed involving oil, the Bolivian government, and a larger plot from Quantum using a front organization known as Greene Planet.
The story is complex and the movie feels like the middle part to a trilogy. Viewers not familiar with Casino Royale will probably be lost throughout the majority of Quantum of Solace, as there is a considerable amount of setup in the 2006 Bond film. Nevertheless, the flick moves at an incredibly fast pace and splashes the viewer right in the middle of the action. The move towards more of a “Bourne-style” action sequence is evident, as Forster uses lots of close shots and different angles during the fight and chase scenes. And believe me, there are a LOT of fight and chase scenes. Fans of high adrenaline action will get their fill.
On top of the action sequences, Quantum of Solace is a fairly complex motion picture. James Bond is dealing with different motivations and is under the almost maternal watchful eye of M. Their relationship comes a little more into focus, with Bond almost obsessively chasing down her attacker and proving his dedication to finding out the truth. He also carries a considerable amount of resentment due to events covered in Casino Royale. This is explored quite nicely and Craig does a good job bringing the emotions to the surface without creating obvious, over-the-top sequences.
With Quantum of Solace, we witness a James Bond who is human. Yes, he still sleeps with a woman (hell, she’s called Strawberry Fields, for crying out loud) he met only moments earlier and he most certainly still drinks the classic martini. But there’s something refreshing and unique about 007 in this continuation of the reboot and I found the emotional layering and complexities enthralling. The plot is germane and serves as a sensibly self-contained outline on which to place the larger truth about James Bond. As such, I enjoyed Quantum of Solace and can’t wait to see where Bond heads next.
Trailer:
