I finally got to see the latest James Bond film "Skyfall," although it's been out since mid-November. But with less than two weeks until the Oscar nominations are announced, I would not be surprised if it garnered a nod in the best picture category, among others nods. In my humble opinion, this isn't just the best Bond film of the franchise; it's one of the best films of 2012.
What I liked about this film is that the makers eschewed the camp of previous Bond outings and took this seriously. I wasn't sure what to expect from Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes ("American Beauty," "Revolutionary Road"), but I also saw his crime thriller "The Road to Perdition," in which Craig played a pivotal role. The action sequence in the beginning of "Skyfall" didn't disappoint. Just as Mendes can handle suburban angst, he pulled off an action movie that examined themes of aging and duty to country at the expense of its soldiers of espionage.
Bond (Daniel Craig) and his spy partner (Naomie Harris) fail to retrieve a list of undercover agents from an assassin, causing British government to question the judgment of the leader of MI-6, M (Oscar-winner Dame Judi Dench, who should be nominated for best supporting actress). It turns out that a spy from her past, Raoul Silva (fellow Oscar-winner Javier Bardem, who should also get a best supporting actor nod), is behind the bombing of MI-6 headquarters and the outing of the undercover agents. Bond, who went through a life-changing ordeal after a judgment call by M, has to not only retrieve the information, but save M's life.
Craig continues to explore the darkness that haunts an aging Bond. In one scene where Bond comes to terms with the fast-changing world, he meets Q (Ben Whislaw), a twenty-something-year-old computer geek. I also want to commend Albert Finney's cameo as a groundskeeper from Bond's childhood.
Even with its requisite shootouts and explosions, "Skyfall" is also a thriller that delves more into its characters than previous Bond movies. It's a fitting way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Bond franchise. Even the opening sequence, with the title song performed by Adele and written by her and her regular cowriter Paul Epworth, was well done. If the song doesn't win best song at the Oscars, I will be quite disappointed.
I recommend this film highly, giving it an A-.
Writing Diva
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