Skyfall (2012)

I walked into Skyfall, the 23^rd (or 25^thif you’re a stickler) James Bond movie, knowing what to expect. I was aware of the praise being heaped on the movie by virtually everyone, but just couldn’t trust it. I have seen all the Bond movies of the past fifty years and they have each been virtually identical. The formula hasn’t changed since 1964 and it can be quite frustrating talking to a die-hard fan of the series, because I can never remember which movie was which, who was in it, or what happened. I will not have that problem with Skyfall.

This new movie has most of the things you would expect from a 007 picture. The opening sequence is a chase that involves riding motorcycles on rooftops and leaping onto speeding locomotives. This is followed by the opening credits which feature the title song, this time from Adele, and girls made of seaweed dancing around. Now the mandatory plot kicks in, though I honestly don’t remember the specifics of it. I know terrorism and explosions are involved.

Where things start to get interesting are in the early scenes with Bond himself. He is getting old. He is not able to pass a routine physical examination to see if he can continue in his crime-fighting duty.  Yes, James Bond is an immortal cinematic icon, but that doesn’t mean he has to be a mindless action figure. In this film, unlike any other, Bond is a human being, complete with shortcomings. He also has a past, a fact so interesting that I marvel that nobody thought of it before. Daniel Craig brings a reality to the character that is astounding in its freshness. It used to be that all you had to do to play Bond was look suave and run around shooting things.

Equally fascinating is the performance by Judi Dench as M, the leader of the British secret service who has always been involved in the movies, but at a distance. Now, this character too has a history that slowly unravels before us, though everything remains a complete mystery. M’s emotional connection to Bond is addressed for the first time and some Bond purists may whine that both characters have become too gentle because of these moments. I say that they have become real. The little clues we get about Bond’s childhood only make this relationship more obvious. Again, I am surprised that nobody else has noticed that mother begins with M.

These are the things that resonated the most with me and they are what make the movie memorable beyond mere action, but don’t worry. There’s still plenty of action and, for once, I was impressed. There are a few of the more ridiculous set-ups, like the opening, which are expected. However, most of the action scenes are surprisingly involving. There’s a particularly interesting fight that is staged almost entirely in silhouette and which contains more than one visual illusion that actually caught me off-guard (I can’t describe it any further. You’ll just have to see it.). Most wonderfully of all, the entire film was shot with a camera that stays steady and actually allows us to see everything going on. It is beautiful.

Even the series' usual sexism is handled in a less tasteless way. The primary Bond girl of the film is Naomie Harris who does not sleep with Bond, at least it isn't suggested onscreen, and her true identity brings her character a special significance. There is also Berenice Marlohe who plays a woman who has become a skilled actress in order to survive. It would be easy to mistake her performance as eye candy and let it go unnoticed. Pay attention. There's a lot more going on.

The villain is played by Javier Bardem, who approaches his role with a controlled mania. He comes across as overdrive on a tranquilizer and I thought he was marvelous. His introductory scene is timed with a unique precision. The scene takes place in an enormous room, which is framed by a very wide shot that doesn’t move as Bardem walks deliberately slowly towards the camera, making a speech that we may not have otherwise paid any attention to. Bond fans worried when Sam Mendes signed on as director here that he was going to avoid action entirely to make a big batch of Oscar bait. Instead, the result is a perfect blend of the exciting action fans wanted and the dramatic involvement the series so desperately needed.

I think a lot of times my friends get annoyed with me for disliking almost every new action movie that is released. I especially had trouble this year with The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises, both of which I hated for the usual reasons. I don’t hate action movies, but I am not going to care about one that is action and nothing but action. Skyfall is a genuinely intriguing film because it gives us actually good reason to care about it and about these characters that have been so boring for so many years. Though I reserve the spot of my favorite Bond movie for Goldfinger, which remains a fun novelty, I truly feel that Skyfall is the best of the series, even to the point that I would recommend it be seen separately from the others. It’s in an entirely different class.

10/10