Quantum of Solace

"What do you know about Bond, Camille? For he is a rather tragic case. His MI-6 say he is difficult to control. Nice way of saying everything he touches seems to wither and die." -- Dominic Greene

If there's one thing the Bourne franchise has done for movies, it was bring the shaky cam technique into the foreground. And with mixed results. When its used right, it can create extremely visceral and exciting action sequences. When it isn't, which is often the case, it just looks like a mess. This is one of the reason why I dislike the Bourne franchise. Quantum of Solace uses this technique throughout, though it is most noticeable in the footchase through Siena, where the camera becomes so shaky you have no clue what it was you were just looking at.

And that is the main problem with that style of shooting. One that Dan Bradley flat out said that if the viewer is confused and doesn't know what it was he just saw, it will make the sequence that much more exciting. Here's a where I disagree. All that does is make the viewer confused, and therefore annoyed. For example, the end of the boat chase still doesn't make any sense simply because the way it is presented to us just doesn't work.

However, the script is what I love about this movie, and is a major point of debate amongst fans of the Bond franchise. Many say their is no story, or that is doesn't make sense. The way Quantum of Solace's story works is this: we are given the dots and are meant to draw in the lines. It starts off with an attempt on M's life by agents of Quantum, thus driving MI-6 to try and figure out exactly who is Quantum. The plot with Bolivia is a sub-plot. A sub-plot that is showing us how Quantum plans to get their money back after Le Chiffre lost it all in Casino Royale.

The beginning does fell a little rough, as if it is simply jumping from one action sequence to another, but the moment Dominic Greene appears, which is rather quickly given the movie's 106min runtime, everything begins to fall into place making the entire show move more smoothly.

Now, for the performances. All the major players are here doing their thing. Daniel Craig is his usual Bond self. Though he does come across as a little colder this time around, perhaps even a little too cold. Judi Dench plays the strictly business M. It is all as we've come to expect from these actors in these roles. Mathieu Amalric plays a very convincing villain. His Dominic Greene is a calm calculating businessman, and is a major player within Quantum. Seeing his character fight is a rather nail biting experience because he is so frenetic, swinging wildly and without abandon, while shrieking at Bond it is really something to witness. Not to mention he knows who to tear into someone verbally.

While Quantum of Solace is not a great standalone movie, it is a perfect epilogue to Casino Royale, and if taken as such if highly enjoyable. This one may not be as solid as its predecessor, but it is definitely one of the best in the franchise.

Final Verdict: 8.3 out of 10