Quantum of Solace (2008) Columbia/Action-Adventure RT: 106 minutes Rated PG-13 (intense sequences of violence and action, some sexual content) Director: Marc Forster Screenplay: Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade Music: David Arnold Cinematography: Roberto Schaefer Release date: October 31, 2008 (UK)/November 14, 2008 (US) Cast: Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Giancarlo Giannini, Gemma Arterton, Anatole Taubman, Jesper Christensen, David Harbour, Rory Kinnear, Tim Pigott-Smith, Joaquin Cosio, Judi Dench. Opening Song: “Another Way to Die” by Jack White and Alicia Keys Box Office: $168.4M (US)/$589.6M (World)
Rating: ***
At 106 minutes, Quantum of Solace holds the distinction of being the shortest James Bond film in the entire series. It also has one of the weakest villains, but he’s just a small part of something huge that will be developed over the next few movies.
Directed by Marc Foster (Monster’s Ball), Quantum of Solace picks up just moments after the conclusion of the previous film Casino Royale. James Bond (Craig) has assassin Mr. White (Christensen, The Interpreter) in the trunk of his car. He has vital information about Quantum, the large criminal organization responsible for the death of Vesper Lynd in the previous film. He explains that they’re everywhere, an assertion proven by the MI6 who helps him escape before he can tell them anything useful.
The subsequent investigation takes Bond to Haiti and environmental entrepreneur Dominic Greene (Amalric, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) who’s helping an exiled Bolivian general (Cosio, Rambo: Last Blood) overthrow the government in exchange for a seemingly worthless piece of desert land. Naturally, he has a nefarious plan that will bring him greater wealth at the expense of innocent people. Along the way, he picks up Camille (Kurylenko, The November Man), Greene’s lover who has a personal grudge against the Bolivian general. It’s like the vendetta Bond has against the ones responsible for Vesper’s death.
After being disavowed by M (Dench, Shakespeare in Love), Bond goes to an old friend for help. Mathis (Giannini, Seven Beauties), the MI6 agent mistakenly believed to be a traitor in Casino Royale, begrudgingly agrees to join 007 on his latest unauthorized mission. He also gets help from the consular employee, Strawberry Fields (Arterton, The King’s Man), tasked with bringing him back to London. Of course, she’s seduced by Bond. The CIA, including Bond’s ally Felix Leiter (Wright, The Hunger Games), is also involved.
Quantum of Solace is one of the lesser Bond films with its slender storyline and lackluster villain, but it’s still reasonably entertaining. Craig’s second time at bat is on par with Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) which also happens to be Pierce Brosnan’s second time playing the character. It has some decent action scenes and Kurylenko is one of the more interesting recent Bond Girls. She’s certainly not hard on the eyes. I would have liked to see Arterton’s character used a bit more before she meets a fate that recalls one of the very best Bond movies, Goldfinger (1964).
Greene sucks as a villain, plain and simple. He hasn’t a single memorable trait and his plan is actually kind of boring. He’s a bore too. In his defense, he’s merely a smaller part of the bigger picture, a major criminal organization that shall go unnamed for now. But I’m sure fans know what I’m talking about. In any event, Amalric does an okay job with what he’s given to work with.
When Quantum of Solace kicks into full force action mode, it’s kind of fun even though it’s not the type of action one expects from a James Bond movie. It’s still the usual fights, shootouts and chases, but on a somewhat larger scale. The finale, at a hotel in the middle of the Atacama Desert, is pretty good. The place is powered by highly flammable hydrogen fuel cells which can only mean one thing. It will eventually explode, but only after Bond deals with all the bad guys.
Craig is settling in nicely as James Bond. Unlike his predecessors, we get to see him evolve as the series progresses, becoming a cold-blooded killer who learns it’s best not to form any attachments in his profession. Dench hasn’t lost a step as M. She’s as tough as ever. I like Wright as Felix Leiter. He was always an interesting side character.
In the end, Quantum of Solace may not be the type of James Bond movie us older folks remember. Like everything else in life, it has to change with the times. Thankfully, producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli keep enough of the familiar elements to still keep longtime fans invested. Quantum of Solace isn’t a great Bond movie, it’s a good one. It’s enough to tide fans over until the next film, the amazing Skyfall.
