Review of Quantum of Solace (2008) by Dave I — 12 Sep 2014

Boring. Quantum of Solace is, I'm assuming, not a good Bond movie. I still have next to no experience with this series, but based off Casino Royale, this is an extremely poor showing for 007. It's not even a good action movie. It's poorly shot, poorly edited, poorly paced, emotionally detached, and dramatically inert.

The story is nonsense. I still really have no idea how it connects with Vesper. But basically, Bond's out to uncover the organization behind Vesper's murder. Along the way, a bunch of non sequiturs ensue.

Up until this point, I've had nothing but positive experiences with director Marc Forster. Finding Neverland is a charming and effective film. And World War Z is one of my favorite blockbusters of 2013. But this, this is a textbook example of a director who has no idea what he wants to do, and he has no idea how to do it. The writer's strike of 2007-2008 didn't help matters. But even given that, this is a shockingly inept film.

At only an hour and forty-five minutes, Quantum of Solace doesn't allow for a moment of reflection. We're thrown into the action with no situational bearing. The first 20 minutes of the movie consist of a laundry line of really choppy (and inconsequential) action scenes. From there, we get the plot running rings around itself for another hour and twenty minutes.

Fact is, this movie really couldn't have been less interesting. Bond in a make-or-break Poker game in a classy hotel? Interesting. Bond falling in love in Venice? Interesting. But Bond walking through the desert? Not so interesting. Putting 007 in these exotic but solitary locations takes the fun human interaction out of the character. Daniel Craig still gives it his all, but he is severely let down by the material.

As for the Bond girls, it feels like they picked the wrong one to focus on. Olga Kurylenko plays Camille, and there's absolutely no chemistry between her and Bond. She's not even really a love interest. She's just your run-of-the-mill, charisma-less heroine. On the other hand, Gemma Arterton plays Fields, another MI-6 agent. And had the movie kept Craig and Arterton together, I fully believe that the whole experience would have been a lot more fun.

One final note on the cast, Mathieu Amalric plays the villain, Dominic Greene. And he's awful. He lacks all of the qualities that make a villain convincing.

You don't have to be a enthusiast to know that music is very important to this series. Bond songs can and should be iconic. But Jack White's "Another Way to Die" is ... misguided, to put it nicely. The lyrics could work, but the production is a mess. David Arnold fares better. In what might be his final Bond score, Arnold provides everything we've come to expect from this franchise.

Quantum of Solace isn't entirely without merit (that Opera house scene is very impressive and well done), but on a whole, the thing that sticks with me the most is how this is a wit-less, senseless, and charm-less entry to the franchise. Better luck next time, I'm guessing.

"If you could avoid killing every possible lead, it would be deeply appreciated." 4/10.