Progressive Wednesday

The TGIF Movie Review: Casino Royale

April 6th, 2007 by Matt

I grew up watching Bond movies: Dr. No, Moonraker, The Man with the Golden Gun, even Sean Connery’s forgettable (and unofficial) comeback as 007 in Never Say Never Again. While oblivious to the blatant sexism (and probably racism) of the early flicks, I geeked out on the gadgets, the world travel, the inevitable victory.

But then here’s Casino Royale, the newest Ian-Fleming-inspired flick, featuring Daniel Craig as an iron-eyed, lock-jawed Bond. This movie’s initial motive is to show you James Bond from his beginning (though set contemporarily), and a brutal beginning it is. Before getting his double-O status, he must first make two assassinations. After his upgrade, he begins a hunt from Madagascar to the Bahamas to Montenegro for millions of dollars being funneled and invested on behalf of terrorists. As surprising as this might seem, all this chasing leads to a Texas Hold ‘Em showdown between a cocky and cool-as-the-other-side-of-the-pillow Bond and Le Chiffre, the man behind the money.

But this film makes it work: with it’s strong women — Judi Dench as “M” and Eva Green as “Vesper Lynd” — acting as intellectual, cunning, and equal counterparts; with action that defies your imagination but sells it as real as steel; with a vulnerable 007, but one with an audacious toughness and an adrenalized lack of apology. To watch Casino Royale is to watch Bond on Red Bull and vodka, shaken, stirred, and lit on fire. This movie, I’m not afraid to say, makes most of the others in its series look like film-school projects. It’s that good.

This Bond bleeds and bruises and literally stops breathing. This Bond is darkly comic instead of campy. This Bond is a brute with bravado and a heart that aches. This is a Bond that, yes, saves, but who needs to be saved. This Bond is less caricature, and more, dare I say it, more man.