Once again, we're going back in time to review the highly successful British film Skyfall (2012). Directed by Sam Mendes, Skyfall is the 23rd in the James Bond collection of films, and stars Daniel Craig as James Bond, features Judi Dench who reprises her role as M and Javier Bardem as Raoul Silva, the impressive and slightly comical antagonist.
The film follows the character of James Bond, (Craig) an MI6 agent who is in pursuit of a stolen computer hard drive, which contains details of undercover agents in terrorist organisations. Also starring in the film alongside Bond are: ‘M’ (Judi Dench) the Head of MI6, Intelligence and Security Committee Chairman Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes) and Eve, another MI6 operative (Naomie Harris). Additionally, the main villain in the movie is Raoul Silva (Bardem) who is a cyber-terrorist and regularly comes in to conflict with Bond and the film also features Bérénice Marlohe as Séverine, Raoul Silva's mistress.
The film’s musical score is impressive and despite this being another addition to a long standing collection of Bond films - this one is particularly distinctive in it's style. It explores points of Bond’s psyche that were rarely touched upon before; the ways in which he deals and is dealing with the path in life he has chosen to take and the effect this has on his emotional, mental and physical stabilities. Despite going where no Bond film has gone before, the film’s stylistic features are very in-keeping with the whole premise of the series. For instance, everything from the musical score and theme song (Adele – Skyfall, which I will go into more depth in a moment) to the remarkable and dramatic visual effects and stunts is suitably ‘Bond’ and has a sense of gravitas and eloquence while still showing the vulnerability of it's characters and it's depiction of the gritty, ruthless and cut-throat world of espionage.
Once again, the role of James Bond is reprised by Daniel Craig, who quite frankly, I find vastly more appealing to watch than Pierce Brosnan, but let’s not pick straws. The film focuses more on the person behind the persona, something we haven’t necessarily seen before. Craig is able to portray a person struggling with the state of mind and body he requires for his job - and the way in which he has dealt with past traumas - incredibly convincingly. Craig is able to convey Bond's determination, despite having many flaws, through the physical facial gestures he makes (slight wincing, lack of melodramatic movement) which is particularly hard when the character is known for having a strong demeanour, who gives nothing away to his opponents. This is Craig’s third time being Bond and I really feel as if in this particular instalment he is fully able to make the character his own, and it shows (we all envisage a particular sense of how Bond should be from the previous films, and for me, Craig met all my expectations of the character and added his own notable take on it, which is hard to do when dealing with such an established character and series).
During the film’s incredible (and plentiful) action sequences (particularly the closing fight) Craig and the characters which he conflicts with, play their part instinctively well, their movements are fast, their expressions poised and flaringly determined, encapsulating the very essence of spy-on-spy action that we have so eagerly awaited. In particular, Craig is once again joined by an impressive cast featuring the always iconic Dame Judi Dench as M, whose performance is emotive, comical and thought provoking. Dench is able to adopt a motherly type role, maintaining the strictness in her expressions for her character's professional side coupled with the regret and consequence the character has faced in her actions and personal life. The various new additions of actors to this piece push Skyfall further past the label of ‘just another bond film’ into an outright masterfully constructed film of its own. For example, Javier Bardem becomes the surprisingly comical if slightly demented counterpart to Bond. Raoul Silva, a shunned MI6 operative out for revenge - arguably steals the scene when he features, with a confident performance from Bardem, who possesses a remarkably distinguishable attitude on the events of his character’s life.
However, one actor who I had not previously heard of surprised me with their quirky and strangely humorous take on ‘Q’ and that was Ben Whishaw. He is able to distinctly convey a lighter-hearted and highly amusing portrayal of the character without losing the highly intelligent and scientific exterior that the character possesses - being the head of the research and development division. The character has some wonderful lines such as 'what did you expect, an exploding pen?' which are smartly delivered by Whishaw. This all adheres to the character's highly intellectual nature; still managing to endear himself to the audience, through his soft and cheeky mannerisms. His performance greatly reminded me of Richard Ayoade’s depiction of Maurice Moss in The IT Crowd, and I think the above shows his skill as an actor, contributing to an important part of the film that would otherwise be lacking.
With regards to the theme song and the general musical composition of the film, it is easily recognisable; subtly incorporating and further elaborating on the basic notes and rhythm of the iconic song. The result is a new classical theme song by Adele, justly titled ‘Skyfall’ after the title of the film. The theme song exudes a sophisticated and dramatic tone, and Adele’s voice allows the piece to become easily memorable and grander than just another piece of music. In particular, the score opens the main beginning of the film after Bond falls in the initial opening sequence. Acting as a catalyst, this sets off a sequence of stunning visual effects, creating sensational montages of imagery which captivates and engages the audience. This in turn encourages the audience to connect with the film and adheres to the dramatic nature of the piece, allowing the audience to establish an expectation of what is about to follow and setting the mood for the viewer for the rest of the film.
Visually, the entire film is stellar. Featuring an array of fast-paced chase sequences, heart-stopping feats of unimaginable wonder and fully charged explosions, Skyfall makes sure it packs enough punch to thrill and satisfy any action loving viewer and leave them wanting more. Most importantly however, I feel as if this film has a far more stable and progressive narrative - something which other films have lacked. In those cases, I have found myself wondering whether anything truly meaningful happened, having thought they had been directed more around the special effects as opposed to general character progression. However, this is not the case in this piece as I was left pleasantly surprised by the focus on the character of Bond and the person behind the name. The clever reference to the ‘Skyfall’ theme, which will be revealed when you watch the film yourself, brings the film into such a stronger level other than visually magnificent; it adds a sense of purpose and family emotion that could never quite be as poetically conveyed before.
It is for that reason that I highly recommend you take the time out of your varying schedules to enjoy this movie. It has been wonderfully constructed and has everything you could possibly want - appealing to a multitude of tastes in cinema - I shall not soon forget Skyfall and I assure you, neither will you.
5/5 stars
Reviewed by Mel.
