Quantum of Solace
B-
November 14, 2008
At least one or two notches below the artistic level of its predecessor, "Casino Royale," which was one of the best Bonds ever, "Quantum of Solace" is a sharply uneven movie, in which the sum total is not better than its constituting parts. Essentially a dark (in moments really noirish) revenge melodrama, the picture delivers the expected goods of a Bond serial by now, big action set pieces, glamorous foreign locales, some good punch lines (though not enough), and strong central performance from Daniel Craig, who impressively refuses to turn his character into a standard and iconic creation.
However, under Marc Forster's cold and detached if proficient helming, the movie lacks an engaging story, an emotional core and soul. It's as if the long-time producers, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, set out to make a movie in the mold of "Casino Royale," but then also decided to execute it quickly, without paying much attention to characterization, coherent plot or even a solid arc for the fragmented story, which begins and stops and begins a number of times in the course of a relatively short time (running times is less than hours).
After a splashy action set-piece at the very beginning�a chase scene that is not particularly well shot or edited�and a rather weak and fractured first reel, the movie actually improves, and in the later chapters, Forster is able to demonstrate again that he is a good actor's director.
"Quantum of Solace" is just as noteworthy for what it excludes out as for what it includes vis-�-vis the previous chapter and the franchise series as a whole. Marking the first direct sequel produced by EON productions, "Quantum of Solace" picks up the storyline juts one hour after the end of "Casino Royale." But in many significant ways, the two films could not have been more different, largely a result of the scenario, credited to the team of Neal Purvis and Robert Wade and Paul Haggis.
For those who need a reminder: Fueled, enraged, and saddened by the betrayal of Vesper (Eva Green), the woman he loved and trusted, Bond determines to track down and punish her killer. His determination actually becomes an obsession that almost costs him his humanity�he shoots in cold blood�and Craig is excellent in portraying an angry man, who almost plunges to the lower depth of depression and psychosis.
Pursuing his determination to uncover the truth, Bond and M interrogate Mr. White (Jesper Christensen) who reveals the organization which blackmailed Vesper is far more complex and dangerous than they had imagined.
Forensic intelligence links an Mi6 traitor to a bank account in Haiti where a case of mistaken identity introduces Bond to the beautiful but feisty Camille (Olga Kurylenko), a woman who has her own vendetta. Camille leads Bond to Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), a ruthless business man and major force within the mysterious organization.
On a mission that leads him to Austria, Italy and South America, Bond discovers that Greene, conspiring to take total control of one of the world�s most important natural resources, is forging a deal with the exiled General Medrano (Joaquin Cosio). Using his associates in the organization, and manipulating his powerful contacts within the CIA and the British government, Greene promises to overthrow the existing regime in a Latin American country, giving the General control of the country in exchange for a seemingly barren piece of land.
The saga piles up incidents of treachery, murder and deceit, stressing how Bond has always allied with old friends in his battle to uncover the truth. As he gets closer to finding the man responsible for the betrayal of Vesper, 007 must keep one step ahead of the CIA, the terrorists and even M, to unravel and stop Greene�s sinister plan.
True to form, the yarn uses a number of retardation devices to keep the level of suspense. Hence, Camille's motivation in engaging in such a risky action is initially unclear, and revealed in the last reel in a long monologue. As expected, though attracted to each other, the two separate, but we know it's only a matter of time before they remeet, join forces, and perhaps even exchange a kiss. (The only sex scene in the picture is between Bond and another femme).
If the trail gets more complicated, it doesn't get more involving. Ironically named Greene, Amalric plays him as a villain of the old school (with a heavy French accent to match), a greedy capitalist who realizes that there's a fortune to be made out of controlling one scarce resource, water (regards to "Chinatown").
As noted, throughout the story, Bond is in contact with his supervisor M, again played by Judi Dench, in a part that seems bigger and bigger with each installment. M has never really trusted Bond, and in this picture, she even fires him from his job, only to be told that you can't fie James Bond! It takes some time for M to realize how crucial is Bond's role in the politics of the new, ever-shifting world, in which you can trust no one.
Bringing in some ideas from the Cold War, "Quantum of Solace" posits The U.S. versus the British government and First World versus Third World countries. The political context doesn't make much sense, and you feel that the scribes are paying a lip service to political revolutions and decadent military regimes. Also shallow is the use of au courant ecological and environmental themes, which often come across as mere reflection of the zeitgeist.
The exotic locations (a staple of every Bond picture) distract attention from the schematic, unengaging story up to a point. Reportedly, this production shot in more locations overseas than any other Bond movie in the 46-year-James Bond franchise (Still the longest series in film history). Included in the touristy views are such places as Panama City and Colon in Panama, the Atacama Desert in Chile, Sienna (where the story begins), Carrara, Lake Garda, and Fonteblanda in Italy, Bergenz in Austria, and one spectacular aerial sequence, in which Bond's aircraft is about to explode in the air, in San Felipe, Mexico.
In general, "Quantum of Solace" is an old-fashioned vengeance saga in the guise of a postmodern yarn that goes out of its way to be fresh, but ends up reminding us how calculated a machine the James Bond picture has become, with or without its products placement, which in this film are kept to a minimum.
http://www.emanuellevy.com/article.php?articleID=11634
The revealing bits come as additions to the main things he saying like friends are important "at least the ones still left"... 
And wearing a hat is not enough, people still point fingers at him... The end is about Marc Forster.
not the 'masterpieces' like Dark Knight etc.
