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Casino Royale
Feel slightly off, went to bed at 4AM this morning after finally finishing and sending off work related files. Didn’t wake up till 3PM, and then went off to see Casino Royale with dad. Both dad and I have decided since then, that the film is probably one of the best Bond films, and that Craig is a really good Bond (dad really disliked Brosnan's Bond.)
Daniel Craig = Bestest Bond Ever. I’ve never actually thought of Craig as attractive, intriguing yes, attractive no (actually, I’ve never thought of Bond as sexually appealing either), but man, his Bond is hot. There were moments in the film where all I could think of was “Wow. He’s really hot and smart.” Craig just really fill out whatever he’s wearing in the best of ways, and the sense of cunning in him is just- just always there. It is like knowing you are entertainment for a predator.
So, I was really surprised that they showed Bond, James Bond being stripped naked, tied to a chair and tortured by being hit in the balls with a thick rope (the sound made me cringe, his first scream made me want to block my ears, I do bad with torture scenes). Yes, Brosnan’s Bond was tortured at one point, but not in such a visceral and intimate way (see, I can’t even decide if I want to giggle in hysteria or cringe just by typing this sentence.)
The whole movie felt like an invasion into James Bond, cutting up his psyche and serving it up with a side of physical torture. Let’s put the invincible, the opaque under the microscope and see what happens. It is a fascinating watch, it also felt unbelievably invasive and at times damn uncomfortable. Through the years I’ve built up this picture of James Bond in my mind - he is impervious to all attacks. He can walk off bullets, seduce any woman, and can escape any capture. It is quite jarring to see Craig’s Bond defy all of the above, well, except number 2, but the thing with number 2 is that he didn’t sleep with the first woman he seduced (and believe me, that threw me,) and the second wasn’t so much a seduction as two people falling off a cliff.
There is just something so much more raw, instinctive about Craig’s Bond, even his intelligence, at times appear to be cunning than cold logic. Probably one of the reasons as to why I adore the way Craig’s Bond, attempt to make up for his weaknesses, through actions that could be either logic or just instinctive cunning. The chase through Madagascar, when it was obvious the person he was chasing was much more physically adaptable and fit, Bond makes up for it by thinking. The man may run faster but Bond found a damn truck/crane to bulldoze down whatever obstacles the man jumped/slid over.
Judi Dench as M, as usual, is superb. She is exceptional this time around, so much sharper, edgier and just all around on top of her game. She owns the screen whenever she’s on it.
More thoughts later.
ETA:
Something I can’t believe I forgot to mention; Vesper, the Bond Woman of the film. OMFG! There is just so much love I feel for this woman, smart, sexy and vulnerable enough to let Bond be there for her. Love how she psychoanalyses the man, and plays evenly on the field of broken and sharp psyche. The shower scene had my heart all squished- it is just beautiful, how he sucked the metaphorical blood off her fingers, and there was NO sex, which was perfect. Because Bond, James Bond did NOT exploit her moment of weakness like he does with every other woman he meet, he had enough respect for her to sit next to her in a running shower, and just hold her *FLAILS!* How I adore that scene.
Daniel Craig = Bestest Bond Ever. I’ve never actually thought of Craig as attractive, intriguing yes, attractive no (actually, I’ve never thought of Bond as sexually appealing either), but man, his Bond is hot. There were moments in the film where all I could think of was “Wow. He’s really hot and smart.” Craig just really fill out whatever he’s wearing in the best of ways, and the sense of cunning in him is just- just always there. It is like knowing you are entertainment for a predator.
So, I was really surprised that they showed Bond, James Bond being stripped naked, tied to a chair and tortured by being hit in the balls with a thick rope (the sound made me cringe, his first scream made me want to block my ears, I do bad with torture scenes). Yes, Brosnan’s Bond was tortured at one point, but not in such a visceral and intimate way (see, I can’t even decide if I want to giggle in hysteria or cringe just by typing this sentence.)
The whole movie felt like an invasion into James Bond, cutting up his psyche and serving it up with a side of physical torture. Let’s put the invincible, the opaque under the microscope and see what happens. It is a fascinating watch, it also felt unbelievably invasive and at times damn uncomfortable. Through the years I’ve built up this picture of James Bond in my mind - he is impervious to all attacks. He can walk off bullets, seduce any woman, and can escape any capture. It is quite jarring to see Craig’s Bond defy all of the above, well, except number 2, but the thing with number 2 is that he didn’t sleep with the first woman he seduced (and believe me, that threw me,) and the second wasn’t so much a seduction as two people falling off a cliff.
There is just something so much more raw, instinctive about Craig’s Bond, even his intelligence, at times appear to be cunning than cold logic. Probably one of the reasons as to why I adore the way Craig’s Bond, attempt to make up for his weaknesses, through actions that could be either logic or just instinctive cunning. The chase through Madagascar, when it was obvious the person he was chasing was much more physically adaptable and fit, Bond makes up for it by thinking. The man may run faster but Bond found a damn truck/crane to bulldoze down whatever obstacles the man jumped/slid over.
Judi Dench as M, as usual, is superb. She is exceptional this time around, so much sharper, edgier and just all around on top of her game. She owns the screen whenever she’s on it.
More thoughts later.
ETA:
Something I can’t believe I forgot to mention; Vesper, the Bond Woman of the film. OMFG! There is just so much love I feel for this woman, smart, sexy and vulnerable enough to let Bond be there for her. Love how she psychoanalyses the man, and plays evenly on the field of broken and sharp psyche. The shower scene had my heart all squished- it is just beautiful, how he sucked the metaphorical blood off her fingers, and there was NO sex, which was perfect. Because Bond, James Bond did NOT exploit her moment of weakness like he does with every other woman he meet, he had enough respect for her to sit next to her in a running shower, and just hold her *FLAILS!* How I adore that scene.