Quantum of Solace
Quantum of Solace as any Ian Fleming aficionado would recognize is the title from 1060’s anthology For Your Eyes Only. That’s about all that is recognizable from the original in this script polished up by Canada’s Paul Haggis. Quantum conjures up a theory of physics regarding energy but Quantum here turns out to be a clandestine organization fronted by Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric) that MI6 can only theorize about since they appear to be invisible. What they do is destabilize governments so that greedy hands can corner the market on the world’s most precious commodity. Enter James Bond to shed light on these shady interlopers. He’s been searching for solace since his love life went sour and he enters the fray literally with guns blazing only hours after his heartthrob Vesper Lynd is dispatched in Casino Royale. Though not nearly so glib, traditional Bond fans won’t be disappointed as the action is non stop through endless romantic locations (filmed in six countries) and the gadgets continue to be the coolest although Bond himself tends not to be the end user. Characters with impossible names come up like field operative Strawberry Fields (Gemma Arterton) and his licence to kill still has the lady-killer clause as he seduces her but interestingly does not get busy with his reluctant partner Camille (Olga Kurylenko) also looking for revenge. Recurring are Judi Dench as M, Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) and Giancarlo Giannini back to clear the name of René Mathis. For my money Daniel Craig continues to breathe new life into this long running franchise portraying the most believable 007 yet as his depression goes a long way to explain a nihilistic personality always intrinsic with the character James Bond.