Review of Casino Royale (1954) by Trevor R — 20 Mar 2013

The best James Bond movie of them all, and the best action movie of the decade. Daniel Craig is a revelation as the "blunt instrument" that does the jobs nobody else will do, and the dark, emotional, unflinching journey of a man giving up his soul for the greater good is powerful stuff. Vesper Lynd is probably the best female character to ever show up in an action film (Although it's sad how seldom few there are vying for that position). She is Bond's equal in intelligence and cleverness, their back-and-forth quippery is made of the same substance as Tracy and Hepburn. Plus you've got a creepy villain, brutal fight sequences impeccably shot, the masterful poker game sequence... The list goes on. Martin Campbell's direction is assured, and the score is impressively restrained in being entirely focused on the journey of the character rather than giving us empty moments of fan service recognition.

The best scene in the film is quiet and simple, in which Bond comforts a traumatized Vesper as they sit on the floor of the hotel shower. It was Campbell's decision to change the script and keep them fully clothed, and in doing so, what would have been a cliche and easy bit of sexual eye-candy instead becomes a transcendent moment of love and compassion. That's the kind of beautiful subtly of character and theme that is all too rare in explosive action movies, and "Casino Royale" shows that the two do not need to be mutually exclusive.