Quantum of Solace
This is not a review per se, but here are some comments I jotted in my notebook during the film:
A portion of comfort?
A measure of mercy?
Where? For whom? By whom?
“Revenge is a dish best served cold” may apply here: measured but alas, cold and empty. I don’t believe in revenge and Bond tells M he doesn’t either. The trouble is, I would need to see this film too many times to figure out motivations. The film goes so fast that perhaps it doesn’t matter.
Planes, trains, automobiles
And automobiles, stairways, and balconies; enough action and violence to go around.
Lady dipped in crude oil rather than gold….
The dissonance and harmony scenes were the best and the moments when the film evoked the deep satisfaction one gets from experiencing an intelligent film.
Parallel structure in dialogue and visuals;
Tuxedos and vestments… the opera scene is fascinating high art, a Godfather thing going on …
The rest of the film is uneven. Does the fault lie with the director, Marc Forster or the three writers: Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis, John Wade – the same team from Casino Royale – though this time Haggis’ name leads.
For example, there is a fleeting shot of burn scars on Camille’s back (Olga Kurylenko) but if you blinked you would have missed it. The reference at the end, and her fear of fire… well, if you missed that brief shot, the connection is lost. Too elliptical here – or poor continuity checking or heaven help us, editing.
Was this Bond consistent with Bond in CR? I actually think he was. Maybe the next Bond film will give us further insight into the real Bond, James Bond.
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