Film Review: SKYFALL (2012)

Director: Sam Mendes
Writers: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, John Logan & Ian Fleming (Characters - Uncredited)
Running time: 143 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

Genre: Action/Adventure/Thriller
UK Release date: 26^th October 2012

Watched at the Picture House (K-town) Saturday 28^th October 2012.

-o0o-

When Bond came back with ‘Casino Royalle’ (2006) he came back with a bang; he then stumbled a bit in ‘Quantum of Solace’ (2008) but I’m very pleased to report he’s bang on form again with ‘Skyfall’. Putting Sam Mendes in charge has really worked and we have a coherent character led story that really delivers. I could see parts where some younger members of the audience were beginning to lose interest, but these were few and far between. Plenty of action to keep the explosion junkies happy as well as a nicely put together plot. Here’s a very brief (& spoiler-free) summary.

A hard drive is stolen containing the identities of many deep-cover agents around the world. Bond is immediately on the case; chasing down the thief in one of the best opening sequences I’ve seen to a Bond film (or any other film for that matter). Needless to say the bad guy gets away and Bond is missing (presumed dead). But when the MI6 building in London is attacked he decides to come out of retirement and help M track down whoever is behind it. What follows is an exciting and enthralling journey that strikes at the very core of Bond and in particular his relationship with M. It seems M has had a much larger bearing on Bond’s life than was ever revealed before. I will leave it there before I say too much… Wouldn’t want to be run over by a run-away train now would I.

Beautifully shot with much less reliance in gadgetry than has been customary in the past. It’s almost like they were keeping truer to the Bond that Ian Fleming wrote about; a man that relies more on his wits than on technology. All the performances were excellent (as ever) with Daniel Craig taking on the mantle of James Bond for a third time and gaining great plaudits on the way. Judi Dench does a great job as M; a role that this time requires great depth and she provides in spades! For the evil mastermind we have Javier Bardem who does such a great job as the Bond villain Silva; perfect for the role. Also worthy of note were Ralph Fiennes as Gareth Mallory; Naomie Harris as Eve; Bérénice Marlohe as Sévérine; Albert Finney as Kincade and not forgetting Ben Whishaw who did a great job as Q.

A film that brings Bond back to its roots with many old characters re-stated by the end; I’m certain it will please many long-standing fans like myself. The story does have quite a lot of emotional depth both for Bond and for M as they are forced to face their past. A highly enjoyable film that stretches all the emotions; everything from laughter to despair; I loved it! Well worth a look – It has my seal of approval, which, coming from a man who, if he used his middle name and mother’s maiden name would be called James Bond… Think on.

SteelMonster’s verdict: VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

My score: 9.4/10

IMDb Score: 8.5/10 (based on 14,362 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1074638/

MetaScore: 83/100: (Based on 10 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 94/100 (based on 63 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 91/100 ‘Liked it’ (based on 41,688 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/skyfall/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Psychologist: I'm going to say a word, and I want you to say the first word that comes into your head. Country?
James Bond: England.
Psychologist: Gun?
James Bond: Shot.
Psychologist: Agent?
James Bond: Provocateur.
Psychologist: Murder?
James Bond: Employment.
Psychologist: Skyfall?
[pause when there is no answer]
Psychologist: Skyfall?
James Bond: Done.
[Walks out]

Q: I'm your new quartermaster.
James Bond: You must be joking.

James Bond: Everyone needs a hobby...
Raoul Silva: So what's yours?
James Bond: Resurrection.

Sévérine: What do you know?
James Bond: Well, it takes a certain type of women to wear a backless dress with a Beretta 70 strapped to her thigh.

Raoul Silva: England... Mi6... so old-fashioned!

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site: http://www.007.com/skyfall/
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Skyfall/459060174146573
Trailer:

Film Review: PERFUME: THE STORY OF A MURDERER (2006)

Director: Tom Tykwer
Running time: 147 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 24th January 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is the second time I’ve seen this film, but the first time I’ve attempted a review. I admit I loved the film first time around and, I’m very pleased to say, I haven’t changed my opinion of it on a second viewing. Based on a novel by Patrick Süskind it tells the story of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille and his quest for the ultimate perfume.

Set in the early 1800’s in Paris where Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is born under a fish stall in a market. He is quickly orphaned, but has an extraordinary sense of smell. He just smells everything, piecing together the world around him by its odours. At thirteen he is sold by the orphanage to a tanner, where he works long and hard. One day he is chosen by the owner to go into the city on deliveries with him. This exposes Jean-Baptiste to even more scents and he finds one scent irresistible, that of a young woman selling fruit. So taken is he that he follows her and, before he knows it, in trying to keep her quiet while a couple walk by, he accidentally suffocates her. This doesn’t appear to matter to Jean-Baptiste, he now sniffs every part of her, trying to get her scent, but eventually it fades. Now he has a purpose, to discover how to capture and keep the scent of a woman. As fate would have it, he has to deliver to an old perfumer, Giuseppe Baldini, who is down on his luck. Jean-Baptiste demonstrates his abilities by divining the ingredients of a rival’s perfume and even improving on it. Baldini is so impressed, he buys Jean-Baptiste from the tanner and they begin to work together. Jean-Baptiste persuades Baldini to teach him everything he knows about making perfumes if he makes scents for him. Having learned everything he can from Baldini, but not the thing he really wants to know, Jean-Baptiste leaves for the town of Grasse where Baldini says he can get what he wants. Arriving there, Jean-Baptiste soon learns new techniques in capturing aromas and, after a few failed experiments, he perfects a way to capture the scent of a woman. What follows are a series of mysterious murders and Jean-Baptiste puts together the thirteen scents he needs to make the most perfect perfume. He has his sights on the last scent, that of Laura, the daughter of the well to do, Richis, who, in order to protect his daughter takes her away from the town, not knowing the Jean-Baptiste is in hot pursuit. I won’t say any more about the plot, I think that’s enough for one day!

This film is beautifully shot, has an epic plot and is very well performed and I don’t understand why it isn’t more highly rated. Yes, it’s a little too long, but I’ve found it enthralling both times I’ve seen it. Excellent performances from all of the leading cast, Ben Whishaw as Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, Dustin Hoffman as Giuseppe Baldini, Rachel Hurd-Wood as Laura, Alan Rickman as Richis and John Hurt as the narrator.

There is a scene near the end of the film where Jean-Baptiste is about to be executed and, if you’ve seen it, you’ll know what I mean; it’s one of the most beautifully imagined scenes I’ve ever seen. As I’ve already said, the film is a bit too long, but apart from that I can find little else wrong with it. If you can spare the time I urge you to watch this film, hopefully you’ll thank me!

My score: 8.7/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0396171/
Official Site: http://www.perfumemovie.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/screenplay/vi897581337/