Quantum of Solace (Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Jeffrey Wright) – I went to see the latest Bond movie and realized I was in The Bourne Identical. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Forty-six years after Dr. No introduced Sean Connery and the first Bond girl, Ursula Andress, we get the third installment of Daniel Craig’s James Bond in Quantum of Solace. The name is a bit cryptic; the music isn’t Bond quality; and the story gets lost in the special effects and chase scenes. Nonetheless, the movie is a thrill-a-minute, heart-stopping and frenetic thriller. In that sense, it is true to the Bond tradition. Gone are the days of the suave and smart-alecky Bond whose martinis are shaken, not stirred, and who is every bit as interested in his women, cars, hotels, scenery and sex as he is in the criminal evil-doers out to take over the world. Craig’s Bond, supposedly the one before Connery’s (the whole trilogy is supposedly a “pre-quel”), is deadly serious and really no fun at all.
Quantum of Solace takes up where Casino Royale left off (a lot like the Bourne movies). Bond is still devastated by the death of Vespa, his true love but the one who betrayed him. He is both out for revenge and in search of the leaders of an evil organization known as Quantum, previously unbeknownst to MI-6 and its leader, M, played by Dame Judy Dench. She reprises her character here but has a much larger role than in previous movies. Dench’s relationship to Bond seems intriguing. She is both tough boss but also almost motherly, serving as protector and disciplinarian. Quantum tries to get M, and Bond has an additional motive to get the bad guys. Solace’s unrepentant enemy is Dominic Greene, played by googly-eyed Mathieu Amalric. He is trying to dominate Bolivia’s utilities and put a military leader of his choosing into power. It’s not exactly trying to destroy the planet but it provides a worthy adversary.
Greene is also being pursued by the gorgeous Camille, played by Olga Kurylenko (also in the recently released Max Payne), a Bolivian secret service agent. She is a fitting Bond girl but not quite Ursula but much better than Denise Richards. Camille and James hook up, if you know what I mean, then go out to get Greene. I liked the latest in the Bond series but I long for the sequel where Craig’s Bond develops a sense of humor that will bridge the gap between himself and the Bond of Dr. No, Goldfinger and the films we know so well.