Review of Casino Royale (1954) by Ben N — 21 Feb 2015

If they keep going this way with Bond Films, the unthinkable might happen: a Bond Oscar. Daniel Craig's intelligent and understated Bond is perfect, and the dialogue written for him is so sharp and captures the Bond feel without being over the top.

The characters are dark, complicated and nuanced in a way that none would dream possible in a Bond film having seen the classics. Eva Green really ties this film together by being a Bond girl who is smart, independent and most unusually, an actual, human, character--she isn't just for Bond's enjoyment and even when he gets her, she isn't that simple and when she leaves, it appropriately and believably destroys him.

Judi Dench is one of my favourite actresses and she is a peerless M. Overall a really great film, one of the best.