Film Review: Casino Royale

Daniel Craig puts in a remarkable performance as the new James Bond in Casino Royale , and after reading the hype about the London opening attended by Queen Elizabeth and countless stars, the classic Ziegfeld was obviously the place to see it.

With a grainy opening in black and white, this 21st Bond film represents a departure from previous films in several senses. While Pierce Brosnan and Timothy Dalton carried on the 1970s Roger Moore archetype of Bond as man-of-leisure and polished spy, Craig offers grit and a very dark side to the character, proving faithful to the original 1953 Ian Fleming book. We haven't seen anything like these noir aspects of Bond on screen since the earliest Sean Connery films or Live and Let Die.

But after Bond earns his "00" status brutally making kills, the opening credits that follow offer up the typical lush color and pulsating theme music. Riotous casino motifs and card suits (mostly spades) shoot in various directions, and this extravagance quickly segues to fast action in two exotic locales: A huge muddy set suggests a rebel stronghold, a rough jungle redoubt in remote Uganda, followed by breathtaking action pursuing a suspect through a beachfront construction site in Madagascar.

As usual, M (Dami Judi Dench) is rather peeved with Bond's actions. Without revealing the story line or unfolding of dramatic action, I must nevertheless say that the fast pace through the Bahamas, Miami and then Montenegro's Casino Royale is indeed breathtaking. Moreover, this Bond does bleed quite a bit; the slicing and dicing in this first Bond movie in four years seems savagely violent. In addition, while the leading lady has less kittenesque qualities than earlier cunning vixens such as Ursula Andress or Pussy Galore, she nevertheless has a rough multifaceted personality that builds on the complexity of Bond's.

Casino Royale features neither Q nor Moneypenny, though some fascinating gadgets and big gun in the glovebox of Bond's remarkably uncomplex car do recall Q—as does Bond's classic play-on-words with "penny" and "money". Fortunately, several classic elements remain: a stunning Aston Martin; a gratuitous shot of the Houses of Parliament; gambling tens of millions from H.M. Exchequer at the casino; and several variations on the Bond martini. A pro pos gambling, the card scenes last so long and are shot with a variety of techniques that at times the movie resembles a far more glamorous world series of poker than you'll ever catch on the small screen. But so much of the movie seems refreshing precisely because it does not slavishly adhere to the by-now tired leitmotifs of the past 20 Bond films. Perhaps given the absence of political issues—apolitical terrorists notwithstanding—Casino Royale will be the first 007 film to be screened in China. The movie already broke box office records in Britain and clearly will lead the pack in US receipts this weekend. Probably the most enjoyable Bond film in twenty years—since The Spy Who Loved Me. For maximum viewing effect, go see it on a huge screen.

Tags:   casino royale, daniel craig, james bond, judi dench, live and let die, roger moore, sean connery, the spy who loved me, ziegfeld

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Posted on 11/17/2006 ( Permanent Link )
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