Review of Spectre (2015) by Thomas H — 05 Oct 2016

If not the greatest movie ever made, faced with competition of the likes of The Conjuring 2, Halloween 6 (theatrical cut), Inception and Alien, Spectre is quite possibly the coolest movie ever made. Of no comparison to its immediate predecessor Skyfall, simply due to the fact that the latter became a mess of plot integrity (and questionable degrees of humour) about half way through, Sam Mendes' Spectre isn't just the best Bond film so far, but is great in ways distinctly detached from the 007 franchise.

Unlike so many other films, Spectre has that quality of universal accessibility; the flow of events, direction and tone all amount to an experience that needn't require circumstance to be fun and immersive. And it goes further: Spectre is a life experience, not just a cinematic one. 007's adventure is an across the world adventure, yet the perception is personal. His encounters against Bautista's Mr Hinx, Waltz's Blofeld and Bellucci's Sciarra are each iconic, and specifically mature (the cameo of Bellucci isn't a bluff of valid storytelling, but is in fact sensitive and humane).

And that's just one half! Simultaneously, Spectre gives its audience the grounded realities of Max Denbigh, Fiennes' M and Whishaw's Q, a parallel reality of equal coolness and memorability (Andrew Scott may be famous for Sherlock, but it's as Denbigh that he truly shines).

And then even after those realities, there's still Madeleine Swann.

Swann as a concept is risky, yet the script manages to operate her character so that a viewer should feel endeared toward the character, if not instantly (an example of instantaneous endearment would no doubt be GoldenEye's Natalya Simonova). Her moments in the hotel room and on the train alone define Spectre's root identity of humanity. Casino Royale didn't have a lesser female presence in the form of Vesper Lynd, however, Swann's attribute is to define her own movie more than how Eva Green defined hers in 2006. For some reason, Spectre in all its elements does seem to have a special power - a special identity of isolation, represented in part through Swann.

Story-wise, Spectre is perhaps at the mercy of the criticism of retconning, but in all honesty it doesn't matter even if true; the style and tone of Spectre is just too damn appealing, too much in service to the audience. The dialogue and character interactions (between all the characters) is as impressive as the set pieces. Moreover, what helps Spectre a great deal is the likeability and relatability of Bond's universe. Regardless of your politics, Bond and his colleagues are as sympathetic as any other set of characters from any other movie. Somehow, Daniel Craig as Bond isn't just a perfect casting choice, but an expression of the idea that there's nothing to support and oppose, but to just exist.

The climax is tremendous, fulfilling in brilliant fashion the formula of false endings. Bond's own image contrasted against Waltz's Blofeld is fantastic, providing a series of images that will always rival the Star Wars and Lord of the Rings films.

It is possible: Spectre is the greatest movie ever made. I would have no problem giving it that status, because to be quite frank there haven't been too many other films that have repeatedly been able to allow me the same depth of pleasure and reflection.