Skyfall

Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Albert Finney, Ben Whishaw

Dir. Sam Mendes
Scr. Neal Purvis, Robert Wade & John Logan

After the disappointing Quantum of Solace, fans have been holding their collective breath, hoping that Bond can be restored to the wonderful grittiness that was Casino Royale. Well, everyone can finally exhale – Mendes has delivered not only the best Daniel Craig Bond, but the best Bond outing …. (wait for it) …. ever. Well, maybe that’s overstating it, but not by much. Skyfall is not just a great Bond film, but a great action film, period – more than a sum of its Bond-ish parts, Skyfall walks a fine line and walks it well.

As is tradition, from the very opening scene, Skyfall drops us right in the middle of the action. Bond (Craig) is hot on the heels of a stolen list of undercover British agents, when he is shot and presumed dead. Of course, he isn’t dead and resurfaces when M (Dench) needs him most – MI6 is under attack, from an unknown enemy and from inside the corridors of political power. Bond is tasked with finding the list and restoring order to the universe.

It’s a pretty simple story, which is somewhat of a relief. The rule of thumb seems to be the more convoluted a Bond plot, the more awful the film. In Skyfall, the actions of a madman (Bardem) are driven by that most wonderful and visceral of motivations: revenge. And for Bond and M, this is a story of redemption and resurrection. This allows Mendes and his cast to delve, to reach down deep, and bring to the screen the most emotionally honest Bond to date. Sure, you don’t necessarily want every Bond film to be Skyfall, but this is a real emotional injection in the arm of a franchise which has certainly suffered from its fair share of two-dimensional characterisation.

Mendes also manages to navigate the fine line between a good film and a good Bond film. Without the knowing, and sometimes humorous, nods to the past, Mendes was in danger of making a film that simply wasn’t Bond. Without making fun, Mendes manages to homage the past and bring it right into the present.

The action on offer here is spot-on. Not too frantic or detached. But retaining a style and finesse that is all Bond. The whizz and bang of the London underground scene made my teeth rattle. I could have lived without all the product placement, and loudly scoffed at one particular moment when the camera lingered a little too long on Bond’s Omega wristwatch. But what’s a little mid-action advertising between friends?

For my money, Skyfall offers some of the best acting in a Bond film ever. Craig has already shown us he is more than cut out for this role and his performance here doesn’t disappoint. Dench is her usual wonderful and slightly cantankerous self. Bardem completes the oddly-Shakespearean trio, with a performance that possibly tops them all. Darkly camp, if there is such a thing, he is perfect. Fiennes is a welcome addition to the cast, giving a restrained and understated performance. Whishaw, as the new Q, is a delight. And Finney, well, I thought he was dead. Turns out, not so much.

I hugely enjoyed this film. I slapped my knee and whooped at one point, quite against my will. And the opening credits were simply the best (but being an Adele fan, I would say that). I highly recommend Skyfall, and not just to Bond fans. This is a fine action film with surprising emotional depth.

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M: Dignity! To hell with dignity! I'll retire when my goddamn job is finally done.