Dir: Martin Campbell
Writ: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Paul Haggis based on the novel by Ian Fleming

• Daniel Craig - James Bond
• Eva Green - Vesper Lynd
• Mads Mikkelsen - Le Chiffre
• Judi Dench - M

Before I saw this film I said that I would enjoy it, I just decided, spur of the moment type of thing that I would like it. And I’m glad to report that I didn’t have to lie to myself, because I did enjoy it. It isn’t perfect, it is too long and a little lacking in plot. It isn’t isn’t really a Bond film, although of course technically it is. But it doesn’t have the same gadgets and big bad in the same way as the other Bond films.

Instead we get a Bond who is brand new to the world of being a 00 agent.

Craig makes a great Bond, he isn’t really good-looking, but then again I’ve never thought that any of the previous Bonds were good looking either, and I really don’t get the Sean Connery kerfuffle. What Craig has though is presence. He is an excellent actor and really carries off the coldness of Bond. I’d love to see him play an evil bad guy.

There is some great dialogue, some great action scenes, a wonderful car crash and plenty of violence.

Although perhaps I’m a little too cynical because Show Spoilers ▼

All in all a good film, but not really one you’d want to watch twice. Let’s hope that Craig doesn’t do too many Bond flicks because it’d be a waste of his talent.

Related posts

• The Golden Compass (4)
• The Bourne Ultimatum (6)
• Witch Child (0)
• TMNT (2)
• Throne of Jade (2)

Dir: Christian Volckman
Writ: Alexandre de La Patellière, Jean-Bernard Pouy, Jean-Bernard Pouy & Patrick Raynal

• Daniel Craig - Barthélémy Karas
• Catherine McCormack - Bislane Tasuiev
• Romola Garai - Ilona Tasuiev
• Ian Holm - Jonas Muller

It is 2054, Paris and a young woman has just been kidnapped. Karas, a police captain specialising in kidnapping is charged to find her, and to find her alive. The company she works for, Avalon, are very insistent that this researcher be found.

But if I’m honest the plot isn’t really all that interesting. Run of the mill sci-fi detective noir, if such a thing exists. You’ll quickly guess that the big “concerned” company isn’t all puppies and squishy kittens. But it doesn’t really matter that the plot is a little boring, because you can just enjoy the visuals.

This is a motion-capture film, then transformed into an animated one, all in black and white. Well, apart from a few colour scenes toward the end, and it looks fantastic. Like a comic book in motion. There have been comparisons with Sin City, but I don’t see it, apart from the comic book/noir aspect. The storyline and characters are all very different.

But there is a slight coldness, or distance in the film. It’s hard to engage with. Whether this is the fault of the plot, or the technical aspects taking away from the performance/art I’m not sure.

Go to enjoy the pretty noir pictures, but don’t expect a masterpiece.

IMDb | wikipedia | Official site (in french) | No-Necked Monsters | Everything Is Nice

Related posts

• The Three Evangelists (2)
• The Extremes (2)
• Seeking Whom He May Devour (2)
• Goblin Quest (2)
• Angel-A (4)

• Eric Bana - Avner
• Daniel Craig - Steve
• Ciarán Hinds - Carl
• Mathieu Kassovitz - Robert
• Hanns Zischler - Hans

Based on the events that followed the terrorist attack on the Munich Olympic Games in 1972, this film has a lot of political baggage. There are those who see it as an example of anti-semitism. There are those who think it shows too much favour to the zionist cause. Whatever. Should it be examined based on topic, or on the quality of the film?

The film itself did keep my attention the whole way through. At just over 160 minutes it is a little long, but never overly so. Leaving aside the political discussions I thought the film did a good job of capturing Avner as a character. The rest of the team as less well-defined, but their roles re mosr of supporting and assisting Avner rather then as characters in their own right. That is not to say that they are uninteresting, or that they are 2D, just that their motivations and feelings are not given as much weight as Avners.

I thought that the story itself was well told; the tension surrounding the bombings/shhoting builds nicely. There is the mysterious French group to wonder about, and to help create a sense of paranoia and doubt.

As I said, their are those, on both sides, who will claim that this film is biased. But I don’t think it is. We are clearly shown the violence and random deaths portrayed by the Palestinian terrorists, we are shown the Israeli’s need to fight back and protect their home. It isn’t as though one side or the other is painted evil, though perhaps that is what some of the critics wanted?

The most telling scene in the film, for me, was the one between Avner and the PLO terrorist, where they discuss Israel. Avner, pretending to be a German socialist extremist of some description defends Israel, and its right to exist. And in the course of their discussion we see what it is that people really want. A home to call their own.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0408306/”>IMDb | Galactic Jack | Random Burblings | Screamer in the Matrix |

Related posts

• Veronica Guerin (0)
• When is a murder not a crime? (0)
• Wash this blood clean from my hand (6)
• Walk The Line (0)
• United 93 (2)