Very Impressed

This evening marked the end of a four year wait as I managed to find the time to view the latest Bond movie, Casino Royale. Twas good, very good in fact. Now I know both Casino Royale and Daniel Craig have received nothing but exceptional reviews since the film was released but I of course needed to give it my own seal of approval as well.

I have only ever seen Daniel Craig in Layer Cake, a confusing and not brilliant film in my opinion. The only reason I watched it was to find out more about the guy after he had been cast as the new 007 and I liked what I saw, despite the film. However, it was understandable why Craig received so much opposition from Bond fans for his casting, simply because he didn't look the part. I believe he doesn't look right in this poster either.


Nevertheless, I certainly didn't jump on the bandwagon of campaigns such as Craig not Bond despite my anguish that Craig does not have a hairy chest so couldn't quote lines as Connery did, such as "There's a Japanese proverb that says birds don't nest in trees without leaves," an apt philosophy I follow. Rather I became intrigued by the potential new take on the franchise.

And that is exactly what Casino Royale is - a new take, a different perspective. Ok, Q and MoneyPenny are omitted, the gadgets are fewer and Bond is more physical than we are used to. But that closes one door and opens a window - instead of over-filling the film with ambitious stunts, the tension and suspense created throughout is fantastic. The quirks and one-liners have been minimalised as well, to ensure when Bond does deliver a line, it is timed perfectly, perhaps when unexpected, to maximise its effect. Craig is so hard-edged in this film, the one-liners are executed perfectly, you can hear the sarcasm or irony scream, which makes you laugh even more. Certainly I prefer such deliverance over Roger Moore raising his eyebrow, which always made his comebacks a little comedic for me. Personal opinion though.

What's the best thing about the new Bond? Well Daniel Craig himself answered 'the car,' which appears to be a pretty strong argument.


Seriously, how beautiful is this car? And for those who may argue it's no DB5, made famous by Connery in the 60's, well that's in the film too. Could you imagine being asked to play 007, drive an Aston Martin DBS and then an Aston Martin DB5? I'm surprised Craig accepted the pay check, not sure if I would. But is he Connery? Is he this cool?


Meh, doesn't matter. Because the new Casino Royale isn't trying to emulate the past, but enthrall audiences of today. Which it does, absolutely and undoubtedly. Daniel Craig has the look, the glare, the ego in the film to make me wish I could do that. There is a particular scene where he dons a tux and spends ages just looking at himself in the mirror. Front on, side on, for ages. He is James Bond, and loves himself as James Bond. Which is exactly who James Bond is: confident, arrogant in fact, selfish, ruthless, cold-blooded and the best at what he does. I think this pose sums up Craig's interpretation.


I wish I could pull off a look like that. Not for anyone else, but just for my ego. And that's why I think those who made and starred in this film should be congratulated. I wanted to be 007 today watching that film as much as I did when I have seen any other Bond film but for different reasons. His mannerisms, posture, presence were iconic to me just as Connery defined cool when beating Goldfinger in golf or as Pierce Brosnan looked standing next to John Cleese. The acclaim of this film must be twice as satisfying for him given the opposition to his original casting, to which I say enjoy and well deserved.