Based on the novel Alias Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine, Mrs. Doubtfire is the story of an out-of-work actor who poses as an elderly British nanny so he can see his kids following the divorce from his wife. Directed by Chris Columbus and screenplay by Randi Mayem Singer and Leslie Dixon, the film is a light-hearted comedy where a man tries to be with his children as well as deal with the dissolution of his own marriage as the titular character and the role of Daniel Hiller is played by Robin Williams. Also starring Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan, Lisa Jakub, Matthew Lawrence, Mara Wilson, Harvey Fierstein, and Robert Prosky. Mrs. Doubtfire is a charming and entertaining film from Chris Columbus.
The film is a simple story of an out-of-work voice actor who gets divorced from his wife as he couldn’t see his three children as he decides to take on the role of a British nanny by the name of Mrs. Doubtfire when his wife needed a nanny to watch over the children. It’s a film that explores not just the concept of divorce where the children are caught in the middle but also a man who is put into a corner where he is only allowed to see his children for a small amount of time and has to get a steady job and a new home. By becoming Mrs. Doubtfire, Daniel Hiller not only becomes a better person but also realizes the mistakes he made in the way his marriage ended. At the same time, he finds himself having to contend with the presence of his ex-wife’s new boyfriend Stuart Dunmire (Pierce Brosnan).
The film’s screenplay creates not just a story that is compelling with bits of realism but also has a sense of charm and characters that audiences can relate to. While Daniel maybe sort of a man-child who never disciplines his children nor orders them around as he likes to have fun with them. It would be in the form of a birthday party for his son Chris (Matthew Lawrence) that would be the catalyst for the breakdown of his marriage to Miranda (Sally Field) who constantly works as she realizes how chaotic Daniel makes things prompting her to file for divorce. Upon the things he had to do in order to see his kids, Daniel would work at a TV station and live in an apartment that isn’t suitable for anyone at the time being as he can only see his kids for a few hours on a Saturday. At the same time, he would have to receive visits from a court supervisor (Anne Haney) to see if he can create a suitable home for his children. With the help of his makeup artist brother Frank (Harvey Fierstein), Daniel would take on the role of Mrs. Doubtfire.
One aspect of the script that makes it very interesting is how complex the characters are where Mrs. Doubtfire is this very unconventional British nanny as she maybe this big woman but also full of warmth and understanding as she would win over the kids including the eldest Lydie (Lisa Jakub). In this role, Daniel would find ways to better himself as he would eventually surprise Miranda during one visit late in the film. At the same time, Daniel would get a big job opportunity when he meets the TV station boss in Jonathan Lundy (Robert Prosky). The character of Miranda might seem like a woman who is just this workaholic who decided to end her marriage and create problems for her children. Yet, she is really just someone who wants to be happy as she has this great conversation with Doubtfire about what happened with her and Daniel where she does become more sympathetic. The character of Stuart could’ve been a villain but he is someone who manages to be a really nice guy that adores Miranda and the children as he would be an antagonist for Daniel.
Chris Columbus’ direction is very simple in terms of the compositions he creates as he would shoot the film largely in San Francisco. Much of it would include some close-ups and unique medium shots while Columbus would also create moments that play into a sense of energy of who Hiller is as an actor. Some of it would involve some crazy montages as well as lively moments that definitely crossed the line between innocent humor with a bit of bawdiness. One aspect of the film that Columbus succeeds is balancing humor with some drama as it relates to the concept of divorce. Though there are elements of sentimentality, Columbus manages to not overdo it and know to hit the right notes. Especially towards the end as it plays into what children have to deal whenever parents divorce. Overall, Columbus crafts a very entertaining and heartwarming film about a man trying to spend time with his children by pretending to be a British nanny.
Cinematographer Donald McAlpine does nice work with the film’s cinematography as it is very simple in the way many of the locations in San Francisco is presented along with the lighting in some of the film’s interior scenes. Editor Raja Gosnell does terrific work with the editing as it is straightforward with some inventive montages of Daniel’s voice impressions. Production designer Angelo P. Graham, with set decorator Garrett Lewis and art director W. Stewart Graham, does wonderful work with the look of the home Miranda and the kids lived as well as the apartment were Daniel would live in. Costume designer Marit Allen does excellent work with the costume design from the many different clothes that Mrs. Doubtfire would wear.
The makeup work of Greg Cannom, Ve Neill, and Yolanda Toussieng are phenomenal in the way they would create the look of Mrs. Doubtfire in every bit of detail. Sound editor Gloria S. Borders and sound designer Gary Rydstrom do superb work with the sound from the way some of the parts of the film‘s locations sound as well as some moments in the climatic restaurant scene. The film’s music by Howard Shore is amazing for its very light-hearted and low-key score with its orchestral arrangements that would also include some somber pieces while its soundtrack would feature music from James Brown, the Four Seasons, Frank Sinatra, House of Pain, B.B. King and Albert Collins, and Aerosmith.
The casting by Janet Hirshenson and Jane Jenkins is excellent as it features some notable small performances from Martin Mull as Miranda’s co-worker Justin, William Newman as a tired and dull TV show host, Scott Carpuro as Frank’s partner Jack, and Anne Haney as a court supervisor who would make a visit for Daniel’s apartment as she would meet Mrs. Doubtfire in a humorous scene. Robert Prosky is superb as a TV station boss whom Daniel meets as he catches Daniel’s act and realize that his station could be saved. Harvey Fierstein is fantastic as Daniel’s brother Frank who would create the mask and look of Mrs. Doubtfire. In the role of the children, Lisa Jakub is brilliant as the eldest child Lydie who deals with not seeing her father as she would warm up to Mrs. Doubtfire. Matthew Lawrence is amazing as Chris as a teenage boy who enjoys playing soccer with Mrs. Doubtfire while Mara Wilson is a total delight as the youngest Nattie who loves to be around Mrs. Doubtfire because she reads stories to her.
Pierce Brosnan is great as Stuart Dunmire as an old friend of Miranda’s who comes back into her life as he proves to be a nice guy that cares about the children though he serves as an antagonistic figure for Daniel. Sally Fields is incredible as Miranda as this frustrated working mom who is trying to find happiness in her life after years of a marriage that didn’t work as it’s Fields being quite calm and also very tender. Finally, there’s Robin Williams in one of his most iconic performances as the titular character and Daniel Hiller. It’s a performance that has Williams be at his funniest where he provides a lot of manic energy and improvisational ideas towards his humor as well as showing a sense of sensitivity and warmth once he plays the role of Mrs. Doubtfire as it’s really a performance for the ages.
Mrs. Doubtfire is a glorious film from Chris Columbus that features a tour-de-force performance from Robin Williams. It’s a film that isn’t just a family film that brings in a lot of laughs and heartwarming moments but also a film that manages to be so much more. Especially as it plays into the idea of family and what people go through with divorce as a man pretends to be a woman just so he can be with his children. In the end, Mrs. Doubtfire is an extraordinarily rich film from Chris Columbus.
© thevoid99 2014
Directed by Edgar Wright and written by Wright and Simon Pegg, The World’s End is the story about a group of friends who try to reclaim their youth by doing a legendary pup crawl in a town only to realize that the town has been taken over by aliens. The third film in an unofficial trilogy known as the Three Flavors Cornetto Trilogy, the film is not a spoof but rather a sci-fi adventure film of sorts where a group of friends try to drink 12 pints in 12 pubs to complete a legendary pub crawl. Starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman, Eddie Marsan, Rosamund Pike, and Pierce Brosnan. The World’s End is a very adventurous yet funny film from Edgar Wright.
The film is about a man who is definitely lost in his life as he tries to gather his old friends to try and complete a pub crawl they did over 20 years ago which they attempted to do but never finished. Though they’re all estranged from each other, the five men try to rekindle their old childhood friendship to do this legendary pub crawl in their old hometown of Newton Haven known as the Golden Mile. What happens is that there’s a lot of strange things happening in the town that raises suspicion forcing the men to team up and fight whatever forces they have all the way to the final pub known as the World’s End. It’s a film that plays into one man’s desire to relive the best moment of his life but he hasn’t managed to do anything as an adult as he tries to gather his old friends to relive that moment of their youth.
The screenplay that Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg’s explores not just the element of nostalgia but also how one man seems stuck in his past that he couldn’t deal with the current state of his life as he tries to reclaim his youth by attempting to complete a legendary pub crawl with his estranged friends. While the four other men in the story have grown into adults with pretty fulfilling lives, they’re reluctant to take part in this pub crawl only to become suspicious about the locals in their old home town. It is there that the tone of the film goes from being a study of nostalgia and friendship into a story of survival as these five men fight mysterious beings as it relates to the idea of perfection and such rather than the flaws of humanity. The narrative is quite simple in terms of its structure and plotting but what makes it so engaging is the fact that the story’s heart is about these five men trying to rebuild their friendship amidst the chaos of their situation and complete this legendary pub crawl.
Wright’s direction is quite simple for the most part but does have this element of nostalgia and ambition. Notably in the latter where there’s a lot of sci-fi into the story as well as a sense of adventure that is prevalent throughout the film. Even as it would play to the drama where Wright does find ways to put some humor into these moments but also have odes to such sci-fi classics like The Thing and Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Wright’s approach to nostalgia as he infuses the film with a lot of references to the early 90s as well as the idea of trying to live in the past as a way to showcase the sense of loss that the film’s central character in Gary King (Simon Pegg) is dealing with. Even as he does whatever to get to the World’s End by any means. Wright’s approach to framing is quite simple yet he does put in a lot of things that are quite extraordinary including the film’s climax that involves the mystery of the robots the characters are trying to fight off. Overall, Wright creates a very witty yet sensational film about one man’s attempt to relive his youth.
Cinematographer Bill Pope does excellent work with the cinematography from the look of the town at day to more stylish lights for some of the interior and exterior scenes at night. Editor Paul Machliss does amazing work with the editing by creating a few stylish montages as well as elements of stylish cuts in some of the film‘s comedic and suspenseful moments. Production designer Marcus Rowland, with set decorator Sara Wan and supervising art director Nick Gottschalk, does brilliant work with the different look of the different pubs set for each moment in the journey.
Costume designer Guy Speranza does terrific work with the costumes as most of it is straightforward with the exception of Gary‘s Goth-like clothes. Makeup prosthetics designer Waldo Mason does fantastic work with some of the makeup work to play up some of the freakiness of the alien-robots the characters fight against. Visual effects supervisor Frazer Churchill does superb work with some of the visual effects to play out the chaos of some of the sci-fi moments. Sound designer Julian Slater does nice work with the sound to create some sound effects and moments to play up the chaos of the film. The film’s music by Steven Price is pretty good as it‘s low-key to play out the sense of adventure and suspense with its guitar and orchestral music while music supervisor Nick Angel brings in a fun soundtrack filled with a lot of great cuts from the early 90s like Sisters of Mercy, Happy Mondays, the Stone Roses, Blur, Inspiral Carpets, the Charlatans, Kylie Minogue, the Sundays, James, and St. Entienne as well as a cut from the Doors.
The casting by Nina Gold and Robert Sterne is phenomenal for the ensemble that is featured in the film as it includes appearances from David Bradley as a famous pub drinker the boys knew, Rafe Spall and Alice Lowe as a young couple looking for a house, Michael Smiley as a drug dealer named Reverend Green, Bill Nighy as the voice of a mysterious enigma, and Pierce Brosnan as the men’s old schoolteacher Guy Shepherd. In the roles of the young characters, there’s Thomas Law as the young Gary, Zachary Bailess as the young Andy, Jasper Levine as the young Steven, Luke Bromley as the young Oliver, James Tarpey as the young Peter, and Flora Slorach as the young Sam as they’re all quite good in those roles. Rosamund Pike is wonderful as Oliver’s sister Sam who becomes suspicious of what is going around the town as she tries to help the guys get out of town.
Eddie Marsan is terrific as Peter as a family man/car salesman who is still dealing with the trauma of being bullied as a kid while trying to comprehend the chaos of the situation. Martin Freeman is excellent as Oliver as a real-estates agent who isn’t sure about taking part as he’s trying to deal with his business while later becoming more outrageous as the film goes on. Paddy Considine is amazing as Steven as a man who holds a torch for Sam as he tries to deal with Gary’s immaturity and the chaos of the situation. Nick Frost is brilliant as Andy as a corporate businessman who was once Gary’s closest friend as he is the most reluctant to take part in the pub crawl only to go insane in battling the robots and confronting Gary about his problems. Finally, there’s Simon Pegg in a marvelous performance as Gary King as this immature yet troubled man-child who tries to rally everyone to complete the pub crawl while being evasive as he’s often lying or just doing something where it’s a really funny performance from Pegg.
The World’s End is a fantastic sci-fi adventure film from Edgar Wright that features a brilliant ensemble cast led by the duo of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. The film isn’t just a fitting conclusion to their Three Flavors Cornetto Trilogy but also a great ode to the sci-fi adventure films while infusing it with smart and heartfelt humor. In the end, The World’s End is a sensational film from Edgar Wright.
Edgar Wright Films: (A Fistful of Fingers) - Shaun of the Dead - Hot Fuzz - Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - Baby Driver - The Sparks Brothers - Last Night in Soho
© thevoid99 2013
Directed by John Mackenzie and written by Barrie Keeffe, The Long Good Friday is the story of a gangster seeking to go legit only to see his empire being crumbled by an unseen foe. The film is an exploration into changing times in the wake of social and political turmoil in the 1970s in Britain as it revolves a gangster dealing with these changes. Starring Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren, Bryan Marshall, Eddie Constantine, Derek Thompson, and Paul Freeman. The Long Good Friday is a suspenseful yet thrilling film from John Mackenzie.
In the world of the mob, there are rules about what to do when deals are made and how to conduct things. For this mob boss in Harold Shand (Bob Hoskins), he’s always been careful and making sure he get things done while he doesn’t deal in drugs in the hope to do something good for Britain. Just as he’s about to make this deal with an American mobster in Charlie (Eddie Constantine) that would help ensure London’s status with the world. Something goes wrong as a series of bombings and murders occur as Shand and his men wonder what is going on. Even as Shand tries to get the police involved as the film becomes a mystery of sorts about not just this new enemy that Shand is facing but an indication that the old ways he’s been known for is on its way out.
Barrie Keeffe’s screenplay is an exploration into the fall of a crime boss’s empire just as he’s eager to become a legitimate businessman. Yet, these incidents that revolve around the death of some of his key personnel all takes place in the span of nearly two days starting on Good Friday. For Shand, he’s baffled into why all of these deaths are happening as he doesn’t have many enemies while it comes at the worst possible day. With his mistress Victoria (Helen Mirren) trying to smooth things out for Charlie and his lawyer Tony (Stephen Davies), even Victoria is aware that Charlie knows something as she doesn’t bullshit them but does manage to keep them in Britain for another day so that Shand can conclude their deal.
Of course, things do become complicated for Shand as he targets associates and such as he has no idea who to trust. Yet, his right-hand man Jeff (Derek Thompson) and a police official in Parky (Dave King) have an idea on who is targeting Shand. What Shand would find out is that the enemy that he’s dealing with are from an entirely different world as well as the fact that they don’t play by the old rules. Jeff and Parky would try to tell the old-school Shand to not approach this with violence but Shand has this belief that once something can be taken care of. It will go away. Still, there are things that become more complicated when Shand will do things that become overwhelming as Victoria would be the one person who will step in and try to sort things out but from afar as she is the closest person that Shand could trust.
John Mackenzie’s direction is definitely entrancing not just for some of the compositions that he creates but also the way he sets up the air of uncertainty that occurs in the suspense of the film. The film does start off with this montage involving a business deal that would set the stage for what is to happen. Yet, it doesn’t involve Shand directly yet it does involve his men. Though Shand is oblivious as he’s more concerned about this deal as it is presented with such lavishness on his yacht where behind him is the London Tower bridge in the frame. It’s an image to display Shand’s idea for the future of London while maintaining an air of tradition of what Britain is about just as he’s unaware of some of the things that is happening in his empire. Mackenzie does use a lot of stylistic shots from the use of cranes and tracking camera shots including some amazing images that play up the suspense.
Mackenzie’s approach to suspense is at times slow-building but also comes in for some unexpected moments as it does involve some key characters. After a few bombings, there is that sense that something could go wrong and another bomb might come in. Once there’s an idea of who the enemy is, things become more complicated as it all goes back to the beginning of the film. It reveals how this small deal involving one of Shand’s key men would lead to all sorts of trouble. The camera work becomes much tighter as well as ominous because it establishes the idea of a new world order emerging to get rid of the old. Especially if this new group is an organization that no one including the crime world should fuck with because the rules are different as Mackenzie puts in little moments that would establish this idea of a new world order. Overall, Mackenzie crafts a very haunting yet powerful crime drama about changing times and a crime boss’ fall.
Cinematographer Phil Meheux does brilliant work with the film‘s very vibrant cinematography for many of its daytime scenes while creating more stylish lighting schemes for scenes at night including some of its interior settings. Editor Mike Taylor does terrific work with the editing to play out the film‘s suspense along with some rhythmic cuts for some of the film‘s violent moments. Art director Vic Symonds does nice work with the look of Shand’s yacht and penthouse that he shares with Victoria as well as the look of the meat locker where he confronts some suspects.
Costume designer Tudor George does wonderful work with the costumes from the look of the men’s suits to the dresses that Victoria wears to display not just her persona but also as a woman of great importance. Sound editor Russ Hill does excellent work with the sound from the tense atmosphere in the dinner scene between Victoria, Charlie, and a couple of associates to the more chilling moments involving some of the film‘s violence. The film’s music by Francis Monkman is absolutely phenomenal as it’s a mixture of rock and electronic music driven by synthesizers to play out the sense of dread and uncertainty that occurs in the film as well as some eerie pieces that adds to the drama of the film.
The casting by Simone Reynolds is amazing as it features early film appearances from such future figures in British cinema like Dexter Fletcher as a kid watching Shand’s car, Paul Barber as an informant Shand confronts, Kevin McNally as a man in a Belfast bar, Karl Howman as Parky’s associate, Gillian Taylforth as a young woman who makes a chilling discovery, and Pierce Brosnan in his very first film role as an Irish hitman. Other notable small roles include Stephen Davies as Charlie’s lawyer Tony, P.H. Moriarty as Shand’s brutish hitman Razors, Bryan Marshall as councilman named Harris, Paul Freeman as Shand’s best friend Colin who gets killed early in the film, Dave King as the police official Parky, and Derek Thompson as Shand’s right-hand man Jeff who eventually reveals the kind of trouble that Shand is dealing with.
Eddie Constantine is great as the American gangster Charlie who knows more than what is going on as he becomes reluctant to do business with Shand over the incidents that’s been happening. Helen Mirren is fantastic as Shand’s mistress Victoria who deals with some of the chaos that is happening as she tries to keep the business going while keeping Shand in check as it’s a very captivating performance for a role that could’ve been conventional. Finally, there’s Bob Hoskins in his breakthrough performance as Harold Shand as an old-school gangster who attempts to go legit only to unravel by various incidents as he tries to hold on to the old ways in a world that’s changing. It’s a performance that allows Hoskins to be tough but also vulnerable as it’s a very mesmerizing performance from Hoskins.
The Long Good Friday is a remarkable crime thriller from John Mackenzie featuring incredible performances from Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren. The film isn’t just an intriguing gangster film but also a study into changing times as it revolves around a gangster’s empire crumbling by these changes. Notably as it involves enemies that are coming from a different world with different ideas making things difficult for the old world order. In the end, The Long Good Friday is an exhilarating film from John Mackenzie.
© thevoid99 2013
Directed by Stevan Riley, Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007 is the story of the James Bond franchise and how it was made by three men who would come up with a franchise that’s now lasted for 50 years. The documentary explores the roots of the James Bond story and how it would evolve in the many years through different actors playing Bond as well as all sorts of things that nearly derailed the franchise. The result is a truly engrossing and incredible documentary from Stevan Riley about the James Bond franchise.
The documentary explores the history of James Bond dating back to the 1940s when Ian Fleming was a naval officer working for the British government in World War II. During his time working for a newspaper and vacationing in Jamaica just as the Cold War was to start, he would write the first James Bond novel in Casino Royale that would launch the James Bond books series. Throughout the course of the film, it reveals how Albert “Cubby” Broccoli and Harry Saltzman teamed up to get the rights and create one of the great film franchises in the history of films.
With interviews by the families of Fleming, Broccoli, Saltzman, and associates that includes Christopher Lee who was a step cousin of Fleming. Also interviewed are five of the six actors who played James Bond while Sean Connery’s is only presented in archival audio and video interviews. In the course of the story, things are revealed into why Sean Connery left the franchise the first time around after You Only Live Twice and why George Lazenby only did one film. Also touched upon is the split between Broccoli and Saltzman after the release of The Man with the Golden Gun in which Saltzman sold his shares to United Artists though the two made peace when Broccoli invited Saltzman to the screening of For Your Eyes Only.
Another person that is talked about is Kevin McClory who claimed to have co-written Thunderball with Fleming and Jack Whittingham as it led to all sorts of legal troubles for many years that gave McClory the chance to make Never Say Never Again in 1983 against EON’s production of Octopussy released that same year. Broccoli’s daughter Barbara and his stepson Michael G. Wilson revealed a lot more into many of the legal issues that kept Bond out of the spotlight for six years in the early 1990s which contributed to Cubby Broccoli’s ailing health. It’s among one of the most compelling tales of the Bond franchise story as well as how they got the rights to Casino Royale in the hopes to reinvent Bond in a post 9/11 world.
Stevan Riley’s direction is brilliant for the way he tells the stories through many interviews from people who were in the franchise or were involved like production designer Ken Adam along with fans like former U.S. president Bill Clinton. Through the editing of Claire Ferguson, the film reveals a lot of rare photos and video footage of the films being made in production as well as old family movies from the Saltzman and Broccoli family of their time together during the 1960s. The actors who played Bond reveal small stories about the franchise where Pierce Brosnan revealed how he almost got the part in the mid-80s after Roger Moore’s departure but was derailed when NBC bought the rights to have Remington Steele on their network. It is among the many fun stories about the film’s franchise and it has more than enough material for Bond fans to enjoy.
Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007 is a phenomenal documentary from Stevan Riley that explores the history of James Bond. It is a film that Bond fans must see whether they know a lot about the franchise’s history or for those who are new to the series. It’s definitely something that serves as a great companion piece to the film’s franchise as well as reveal the story about the three men who created a franchise that is now 50 years old and is more beloved than ever. In the end, Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007 is a marvelous film from Stevan Riley.
James Bond Files: The EON Films: Dr. No - From Russia with Love - Goldfinger - Thunderball - You Only Live Twice - On Her Majesty's Secret Service - Diamonds are Forever - Live and Let Die - The Man with the Golden Gun - The Spy Who Loved Me - Moonraker - For Your Eyes Only - Octopussy - A View to a Kill - The Living Daylights - Licence to Kill - GoldenEye - Tomorrow Never Dies - The World is Not Enough - Die Another Day - Casino Royale (2006 film) - Quantum of Solace - Skyfall - SPECTRE - No Time to Die
Non-EON Films: Casino Royale (Climax! TV Episode) - Casino Royale (1967 film) - Never Say Never Again
Bond Documentaries: Bond Girls are Forever - True Bond
© thevoid99 2012
Based on Ian Fleming’s stories, Die Another Day is the story of James Bond trying to find a betrayer within the British government who had him imprisoned for a year in North Korea as he gets help from an American agent. Directed by Lee Tamahori and screenplay by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, the film has Bond take on new foes as well as team up an agent who is considered an equal of his as Pierce Brosnan plays Bond for the fourth and final time. Also starring Halle Berry, Toby Stephens, Rick Yune, Rosamund Pike, Michael Madsen, John Cleese, Samantha Bond, and Judi Dench as M. Die Another Day is a film that has some fine moments but is hampered by its hackneyed script and nonsensical action sequences.
After a mission in North Korea goes wrong that left the rogue Colonel Moon (Will Yun Lee) dead, Bond is imprisoned where he’s tortured for 14 months until he’s released by Moon’s father General Moon (Kenneth Tsang) as a prisoner exchange for Colonel Moon’s henchman Zao (Rick Yune). After being suspended for supposedly leaking information to the North Koreans, Bond escapes his hospital stay to go to Hong Kong where he meets Chinese agent Mr. Chang (Ho Yi) who tells Bond about Zao killing a few Chinese agents as Bond travels to Cuba. After getting some information from a cigar manufacturer in Raoul (Emilio Echevarria), Bond meets up with an American agent named Jinx (Halle Berry) as the two make separate missions to a secret island where Bond finds Zao who was trying to have surgery. Things go wrong until Bond finds some diamonds that belongs to a billionaire named Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens).
Bond decides to meet Graves at a country club in order to find out more about the diamonds as Graves invites Bond to a ceremony he’s having in Iceland. After regaining his 00 status from M who also wants to know more about Graves, Bond is sent to Iceland where Bond learns that Graves’ assistant Miranda Frost (Rosamund Pike) is a MI6 operative also investigating Graves. Jinx also arrives at Iceland to continue her mission as she and Bond make a discovery about not just Graves but who is he in league with. Also learning about the satellite that Graves created which is really a weapon, Bond decides to report this to M where he learns about the person that betrayed him to the North Koreans. With some help from Jinx, the two travel to South Korea to stop Graves from unleashing his weapon in order to start a war.
While the premise of the film has Bond taking on a billionaire who could be in cahoots with a North Korean terrorist in order to start a war is an interesting one. It starts off great in which Bond tries to infiltrate a meeting where he meets this rogue colonel and his friend that is involved with diamond smuggling where suddenly things go wrong as Bond is betrayed and sabotaged. Then the story starts to devolve into a premise where Bond has to share his time with another agent as they work together to find a terrorist and this billionaire where the results aren’t very good.
Part of the problem with film’s screenplay is that Gustav Graves as a villain isn’t very interesting at all. Sure, there is a twist about him that is revealed in the film’s second half that explains his motivations but it is handled with such silliness that he is just a villain who likes to have stupid gadgets around him to defeat his villains. The Zao character is a bit more interesting as a henchman but ends up becoming a second-banana to Graves by the film’s second half. It’s not just some of the characterization and situations that doesn’t work but also some of the dialogue where it’s not as humorous as it used to be while some of it feels forced in its delivery.
Lee Tamahori’s direction does have some engaging moments in terms of the way he builds suspense as well as the film’s opening prologue scene that establishes a lot of what is to come. Yet, Tamahori seems to be taken by the idea of creating a film that goes into a lot of locations like Iceland, Spain, and Britain as well as setting it in places all over the world. Since he couldn’t go everywhere, he has to utilize CGI backgrounds to create shots of Hong Kong and some places where it doesn’t very realistic. It’s not just that some of the set pieces and visual-effects driven moments don’t work at all.
Some of the film’s action sequences get into very silly moments where it’s not just the use of CGI that hampers these moments. Tamahori’s emphasis to give into the conventions of action-style editing and shooting styles ends up creating a film that is incomprehensive to watch at times. Notably with the twists that are later unveiled in some of the dramatic moments where Tamahori makes some editing decisions that really kills the impact that it should’ve had. Despite a few decent moments in the film, Tamahori ends up creating a film that is just a flat-out mess.
Cinematographer David Tattersall does nice work with the cinematography for some scenes in the exteriors including some lighting schemes in Graves‘ secret base scene. Editors Christian Wagner and Andrew MacRitchie do some OK work with the editing in the film‘s suspenseful and light-hearted moments but ends up playing to the rapid-cutting style of most action films where not much makes sense in the fights and action scenes. Production designer Peter Lamont, with set decorator Simon Wakefield and supervising art director Neil Lamont, does some fine work with some of the set pieces such as the MI6 offices but the ice-made hotel that Graves lives in easily the worst set piece of all of the Bond films.
Costume designer Lindy Hemming does very good work with the costumes in the dresses that Miranda Frost and Jinx wears to the tuxedos that Bond wears Special effects supervisor Chris Corbould and visual effects supervisor Mara Bryan do some decent work with some of the special effects but the CGI work is truly poor and shoddy. Sound editor Martin Evans does some terrific work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the action scenes as well as the party at Graves‘ ice palace. The film’s music by David Arnold is wonderful for some of the orchestral music that is played for some of the film’s action scenes though the electronic stuff isn’t very good. The title song by Madonna is truly one of the worst Bond theme song ever thanks to some bad production and the use of a vocoder that makes Madonna sound like Cartman.
The film’s ensemble cast is pretty good for the people that is hired as it features some notable small roles from Emilio Echevarria as Bond’s Cuban contact Raul, Ho Yi as Bond’s Hong Kong contact Mr. Chang, Michael Madsen as Jinx’s superior Damian Falco, Will Yun Lee as the rogue Colonel Lee, and Kenneth Tsang as Lee’s father. The worst small role comes in the form of Madonna as a fencing instructor named Verity where Madonna puts on a shitty British accent that makes her sound like a jackass. Bond regulars such as Colin Salmon as MI6 official Charles Robinson and Samantha Bond as Miss Moneypenny are very good while John Cleese is quite funny as Q. Rick Yune is terrific as the henchman Zao who tries to kill Bond while sporting a disfigured face while Judi Dench has some fine moments in her role as M.
Rosamund Pike is excellent as the MI6 agent Miranda Frost who is a skilled swordswoman as well as someone who isn’t keen on Bond’s charms. Toby Stephens is terrible as Gustav Graves due to the fact that Graves is a pretty lame villain who has to rely on an electric suit and swagger to get things done. Halle Berry is quite good as the agent Jinx as she is a woman who can kick ass and get things done as Berry does have chemistry with Pierce Brosnan. It’s just that she’s not given enough material to make her into someone really compelling as well as the fact that Jinx gets some pretty lame one-liners. Finally, there’s Pierce Brosnan in his final outing as James Bond where Brosnan maintains his sense of charm and wit to the role as well as a sense of grit but the script’s shortcomings really bog the character down as it doesn’t give Brosnan enough room to make Bond more engaging to watch.
Of the films in the James Bond series, Die Another Day is truly the weakest film of the entire franchise. Due to awful decisions from the part of director Lee Tamahori, misguided use of visual effects, a very weak villain, a lackluster script, and ridiculous action scenes that involves an invisible car. It’s a film that just puts James Bond into situations that are way too silly. While there are some moments that keeps the film from being a total disaster, it’s not enough to make it a worthwhile moment. In the end, Die Another Day is a terrible film from Lee Tamahori.
James Bond Files: The EON Films: Dr. No - From Russia with Love - Goldfinger - Thunderball - You Only Live Twice - On Her Majesty's Secret Service - Diamonds are Forever - Live and Let Die - The Man with the Golden Gun - The Spy Who Loved Me - Moonraker - For Your Eyes Only - Octopussy - A View to a Kill - The Living Daylights - Licence to Kill - GoldenEye - Tomorrow Never Dies - The World is Not Enough - Casino Royale (2006 film) - Quantum of Solace - Skyfall - SPECTRE - No Time to Die
Non-EON Films: Casino Royale (Climax! TV Episode) - Casino Royale (1967 film) - Never Say Never Again
Bond Documentaries: Bond Girls Are Forever - True Bond - Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007
© thevoid99 2012
Based on Ian Fleming’s James Bond character, The World is Not Enough is the story of James Bond trying to protect a billionaire’s daughter from a madman who plans to create chaos through a nuclear meltdown as Bond gets help from a nuclear physicist to stop it from happening. Directed by Michael Apted and screenplay by Bruce Fierstein, Neal Purvis, and Robert Wade from a story by Purvis and Wade. The film has Bond taking on new foes that includes this madman terrorist who is impervious to pain as Pierce Brosnan plays Bond for the third time. Also starring Robert Carlyle, Sophie Marceau, Denise Richards, Robbie Coltrane, John Cleese, Samantha Bond, Desmond Llewelyn, and Judi Dench as M. The World is Not Enough is a decent and fun film from Michael Apted.
After the assassination of Sir Robert King (David Calder) as James Bond tries to catch the assassin (Maria Grazia Cucinotta) that left her taking her own life. Bond learns that the money he retrieved for King was a trap as he and M believe that King’s daughter Elektra (Sophie Marceau) is the next target as she had just survived a kidnapping which her father was to pay the ransom. After getting assigned to project Elektra as she is trying to finish her father’s project to build an oil pipeline all across Asia and Europe. Bond learns that the person that is trying to go after Elektra is a former KGB agent who has turned into a terrorist as he wonders what Renard wants. After some encounter with men going after Elektra, Bond talks to Russian mafia boss Valentin Zukovsky (Robbie Coltrane) about what he knows as Elektra also meets him at Zukovsky’s casino.
When Bond learns that Elektra’s security head Davidoff (Ulrich Thomsen) is in cahoots with Renard, Bond gets rid of him to board a plan to a Russian base in Kazakhstan where he meets American nuclear physicist Christmas Jones (Denise Richards) to investigate what is going on. Bond finally meets Renard who was stealing some plutonium as things get into trouble only for Bond and Jones to escape. After the incident, Bond becomes suspicious about what Renard is up to as he and M learn that a bomb is attached to one of the King pipelines as Bond and Jones try to defuse it. Inside the pipeline, the two makes a horrifying discovery as Bond realizes what is going on. With M suddenly captured, Bond asks Zukovsky for help as Zukovsky also learns what is really going on. This would force Bond to stop Renard from blowing up Istanbul in order to create chaos.
When James Bond is assigned to protect the daughter of a friend that M personally knows, Bond realizes that something is up about a man’s assassination as it involves a terrorist who wants to create chaos in the world. This would then lead to Bond realizing that things are much more complicated as it involves complete control of the oil refineries for Europe and Asia with everyone being played for fools. With the help of a nuclear physicist, Bond would do whatever he can to save the world and his boss.
It’s a premise that is interesting and does play into what is expected in a James Bond story. The problem is that there’s a twist that is revealed in the middle of the second that would change things as a lot of the intrigue and suspense is suddenly gone. It creates a story that becomes uneven as it loses some momentum in the second half where it doesn’t do enough for Bond to really go out there and save the day. While characters like Elektra King and Renard are interesting, the one character that ends up being a nuisance is Christmas Jones as she doesn’t really do much but help Bond out a bit and be involved in whatever nuclear catastrophe that is out there.
Michael Apted’s direction does start out with a bang as it involves a meeting where Bond fights his way out and later a boat chase on the Thames river. Notably in the way the whole action sequence is presented as he does a solid job in keeping up with the momentum of the action. The film’s first half is strong due to the intrigue and suspense that would eventually lead to Bond’s first confrontation with Renard. By its second half once the twist is revealed, the momentum gets lost as it becomes a different film of sorts where Bond has to save M and save the world. Apted does maintain in creating some interesting compositions that includes a climatic battle inside a submarine. Yet, he doesn’t really do anything new that hasn’t been seen before in Bond films. Overall, Apted does a fine job in creating a film that is thrilling and exciting but loses steam in its more action-driven second half.
Cinematographer Adrian Biddle does some excellent work with the cinematography for many of the film‘s interiors in the King estate as well as the island where Renard stages his big plan along with some nice exteriors of the locations in London and Istanbul. Editor Jim Clark does terrific work with the editing by using a lot of stylish cuts including dissolves for the transitions along with rhythmic cuts to play up the film‘s action. Production designer Peter Lamont, with set decorator Simon Wakefield and art director Neil Lamont, does nice work with the set pieces such as the King estate as well as the submarine that Renard takes. Costume designer Lindy Hemming does some fine work with the costumes such as the glamorous dresses that Elektra wears to establish her heiress persona.
Special effects supervisor Chris Corbould and visual effects supervisors Steve Broughton and Mara Bryan do some superb work with special effects for some scenes including a meeting scene where M and Bond are briefed about Renard. Sound editor Martin Evans does wonderful work with the sound to capture the hollow sounds of the pipeline bomb scene to the array of layered sounds in some of the film‘s action sequences. The film’s music by David Arnold is brilliant for its thrilling score that plays up to the bombast of the action scenes as well as creating nice uses for the famed Bond theme. The title song performed by Garbage is a pretty decent track that mixes alt-rock with lush strings as it’s sung adequately by Shirley Manson.
The casting by Debbie McWilliams is stellar for the ensemble that is created as it includes some small appearances from Maria Grazia Cucinotta as King’s assassin, jungle music star Goldie as Zukovsky’s bodyguard, Ulrich Thomsen as Elektra’s security head Davidoff, Serena Scott Thomas as a physician Bond seduces, Colin Salmon as MI6 chief of staff Charles Robinson, and David Calder as Elektra’s father Sir Robert King. John Cleese is very good in a funny role as Q’s successor R while Samantha Bond is wonderful as Miss Moneypenny. In his final appearance as Q, Desmond Llewelyn gives a very delightful performance as the inventor as he goes out in grand style. Robbie Coltrane is excellent as Russian mafia boss Valentine Zukovsky who aids Bond in finding out what Renard is up to. Judi Dench is superb as M as she takes on personal interest to help Elektra only to realize what is really going on as she finds herself taken.
Denise Richards is absolutely awful as Dr. Christmas Jones as she says some really bad lines while exhibiting clothing that baffles people into thinking that she is a nuclear physicist as she does live up to the title as the worst Bond girl ever. Sophie Marceau is very good as Elektra King by displaying a great sense of sensuality as well as complexity about what she wants. Robert Carlyle is quite fine as the villainous Renard in his motivations and the fact that he’s impervious to pain although Carlyle doesn’t really get to do enough to make Renard more memorable. Finally, there’s Pierce Brosnan in a remarkable role as James Bond where he displays his sense of charm and wit to the role while also being the badass although the script doesn’t really give anything new to do despite the fact that he makes Bond a fun character to watch.
The World is Not Enough is a pretty good film from Michael Apted that features Pierce Brosnan as James Bond. While it does have a lot of moments that keeps fan excited and such, it does get hampered by an underwhelming second half that loses its intrigue due to a twist in the story. While it is one of the weaker films of the James Bond franchise, it is still better than most action-adventure films that are out there. In the end, The World is Not Enough is an enjoyable film from Michael Apted.
James Bond Files: The EON Films: Dr. No - From Russia with Love - Goldfinger - Thunderball - You Only Live Twice - On Her Majesty's Secret Service - Diamonds are Forever - Live and Let Die - The Man with the Golden Gun - The Spy Who Loved Me - Moonraker - For Your Eyes Only - Octopussy - A View to a Kill - The Living Daylights - Licence to Kill - GoldenEye - Tomorrow Never Dies - Die Another Day - Casino Royale (2006 film) - Quantum of Solace - Skyfall - SPECTRE - No Time to Die
Non-EON Films: Casino Royale (Climax! TV Episode) - Casino Royale (1967 film) - Never Say Never Again
Bond Documentaries: Bond Girls Are Forever - True Bond - Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007
© thevoid99 2012
Based on the stories by Ian Fleming, Tomorrow Never Dies is the story of James Bond facing off against a media mogul who is intent on destroying the world and profiting from it with his false news. Directed by Roger Spottiswoode and screenplay by Bruce Feirstein, the film is another adventure in which Bond tries to save the world as he gets help from a Chinese spy who is proven to be an equal to Bond. With Pierce Brosnan playing Agent 007 for the second of his four outings. The film also stars Jonathan Pryce, Michelle Yeoh, Teri Hatcher, Ricky Jay, Gotz Otto, Joe Don Baker, Vincent Schiavelli, Samantha Bond, Desmond Llewelyn, and Judi Dench as M. Tomorrow Never Dies is a fun and captivating film from Roger Spottiswoode.
After a British frigate was sent off course where it nearly went into Chinese waters, the frigate was mysteriously sank by a drill while a Chinese fighter jet was shot down. The incident makes the news as M asks James Bond to investigate the matter before the British Navy sends its ships to China to recover and maybe retaliate for what happened. Bond goes to Hamburg to attend an event at the news headquarters of media mogul Elliot Carver (Jonathan Pryce) whose wife Paris (Teri Hatcher) is a former flame of Bond’s. Also attending is a Chinese spy named Wai Lin (Michelle Yeoh) who masquerades as a reporter to get into the event as Bond chats with Paris who later reveals to Bond about what her husband is doing.
Bond goes into Carver’s secret base to retrieve a secret GPS encoder that he saw at a previous mission that was in the possession of a techno-terrorist named Henry Gupta (Ricky Jay). Bond gets the encoder but encounters trouble as he also sees Lin at the building trying to investigate as well. Bond makes his escape only to be confronted by a professional assassin in Dr. Kaufman (Vincent Schiavelli) who is trying to kill Bond so that Carver can make a headline to reveal that Bond is dead. Instead, Bond fights his way out as he travels to the East Vietnam Seas to meet with Jack Wade (Joe Don Baker) to reveal the GPS encoder as they learn about how the British frigate went off course. Bond goes to the wreck where he also sees Wai Lin where they make a discovery until they’re captured by Carver’s henchman Stamper (Gotz Otto).
The film is another story of James Bond trying to stop World War III from happening. However, in this post-Cold War world, the opponents are different as the situations to create World War III is much more complicated as it’s driven by this psychotic media mogul who wants to profit from World War III and become the top man of the media. For Bond, it’s a mission that has him trying to save the world once again as he would team up with a Chinese spy who is more of an equal to him as she is able to get things done and get out of tense situations.
Bruce Feirstein’s screenplay does have a lot of the attributes and plot schematics that is expected in a Bond film. Yet, it does manage to create something new in the way Bond has to deal with this new world order that wants to take control of the world events and prosper from it. Elliot Carver is an interesting villain as he’s just this man that is intent on wanting to get huge ratings and control the media for the sake of power as he is willing to do anything to achieve that. This would allow Bond to do something as he teams up with a Chinese agent in Wai Lin who is aware that Carver wants to have China be part of a war that they all know could be catastrophic. Lin is a unique character as she is someone who has her own tricks to get out of a situation as she and Bond become a team that can really do a lot of damage for Carver.
Roger Spottiswoode’s direction is definitely big in terms of its ambition and the action sequences that is created. Yet, he takes the time to let the mystery unfold as it is about Bond trying to see what Carver is up to before the Royal Navy can retaliate against the Chinese. With lots of amazing shots set in Hamburg, London, and Bangkok, it’s definitely a film that bears a lot of the hallmarks of the Bond films while Spottiswoode does create interesting shots to play out its suspense and drama. Notably the moments between Bond and Carver where the camera angles to establish these two men trying to outsmart one another and figure out how to outwit them. Overall, Spottiswoode crafts a very solid and engaging film that has all the hallmarks of a Bond film while making sure that it’s also exciting.
Cinematographer Robert Elswit does excellent work with the photography for many of the film‘s exteriors including Carver‘s event and the lights inside his secret stealth ship. Editors Michel Arcand and Dominique Fortin do nice work with the editing by creating fast yet steady cuts for the film‘s action scenes while slowing things down for its suspenseful moments. Production designer Allan Cameron and set decorator Peter Young do fantastic work with the set pieces such as the MI6 video room, the look of the stealth ship, and Carver’s home base. Costume designer Lindy Hemming does very good work with the costumes from the clothes the men wear to the glamorous dresses that Paris Carver and Wai Lin wear at Carver‘s presentation event.
Special effects supervisor Chris Corbould does terrific work with the special effects for many of the film‘s action scenes including the sinking of the British frigate. Sound editor Martin Evans does superb work with the sound to capture the chaos of the action scenes as well as the layers of sound in the Carver‘s presentation event. The film’s music by David Arnold is brilliant for its mix of lush orchestration and low-key electronic music arrangements to create a modern soundtrack that captures the spirit of the Bond music of the past. The soundtrack features the power-ballad title track sung by Sheryl Crow as well as the closing ballad Surrender by k.d. lang as well as sped-up, electronic take on the James Bond theme by Moby.
The casting by Debbie McWilliams is wonderful for the ensemble that is created as it features appearances from Julian Fellowes as the defense minister, Geoffrey Palmer as Admiral Roebuck, Vincent Schiavelli as Carver’s assassin Dr. Kaufman, and Joe Don Baker as Bond’s CIA friend Jack Wade. Bond regulars in Samantha Bond as the always witty Miss Moneypenny while Desmond Llewelyn is superb as the inventive Q who has a great moment with Bond in presenting a new car. Ricky Jay is terrific as the brainy cyber-terrorist Henry Gupta while Gotz Otto is very good as the very intimidating henchman Stamper. Teri Hatcher is stellar in a small role as Carver’s wife Paris who has a past with Bond as she would give Bond crucial information that would help drive the plot forward.
Jonathan Pryce is brilliant as the very ambitious Elliot Carver as Pryce gets a chance to be very calm and cool while also very dark in the way he wants to control the media. Michelle Yeoh is great as Chinese agent Wai Lin as she is someone who is very smart and charming but also manages to be a total badass in the way she deals with her foes as she proves to be a formidable equal for Bond. Finally, there’s Pierce Brosnan as James Bond where Brosnan maintains a mix of low-key wit and charm with a sense of grit as he makes Bond more relaxed but also captivating in the way he goes on about with his mission while being someone who does have rules. It’s Brosnan giving a very fine performance that allows Bond to be the professional but also display a bit of humanity in the way he deals with loss.
Tomorrow Never Dies is an excellent film from Roger Spottiswoode that features a superb performance from Pierce Brosnan as James Bond. Along with top-notch supporting work from Michelle Yeoh and Jonathan Pryce, it’s a film that has a lot of the elements of a James Bond film that audiences can enjoy while bringing something different to keep it fresh. In the end, Tomorrow Never Dies is a remarkable film from Roger Spottiswoode.
James Bond Files: The EON Films: Dr. No - From Russia with Love - Goldfinger - Thunderball - You Only Live Twice - On Her Majesty's Secret Service - Diamonds are Forever - Live and Let Die - The Man with the Golden Gun - The Spy Who Loved Me - Moonraker - For Your Eyes Only - Octopussy - A View to a Kill - The Living Daylights - Licence to Kill - GoldenEye - The World is Not Enough - Die Another Day - Casino Royale (2006 film) - Quantum of Solace - Skyfall - SPECTRE - No Time to Die
Non-EON Films: Casino Royale (Climax! TV Episode) - Casino Royale (1967 film) - Never Say Never Again
Bond Documentaries: Bond Girls Are Forever - True Bond - Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007
© thevoid99 2012
Based on the stories of Ian Fleming, GoldenEye is the story of James Bond going up against an old 00 agent from destroying London with a satellite weapon. Directed by Martin Campbell and screenplay by Michael France, Jeffrey Caine, Kevin Wade, and Bruce Feirstein from a story by France. The film marks James Bond return to the big screen following a six-year hiatus due to legal disputes as playing the role of Bond is Irish actor Pierce Brosnan. Also starring Sean Bean, Izabella Scorupo, Famke Janssen, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Cumming, Tcheky Kayro, Joe Don Baker, Desmond Llewnlyn, Samantha Bond, and Judi Dench as M. GoldenEye is an exhilarating yet fun film from Martin Campbell.
On a trip to Monte Carlo, James Bond follows a mysterious woman named Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen) who is rumored to be part of a secret crime syndicate called Janus. Bond tracks her down as she had just killed an admiral to steal a helicopter that can withstand electromagnetic pulse. The helicopter arrives at a Russian bunker where Onatopp and General Ourumov (Gottfried John) kill the people at a satellite command station to take control of a satellite known as GoldenEye that can destroy locations with an electromagnetic pulse. Witnessing this is a computer programmer named Natalya Simonova (Izabella Scorupo) as she hides from the massacre and manages to survive the collapse of the building. Bond is asked by M to investigate the matter as he travels to St. Petersburg to find out more about Janus.
With the help of CIA agent Jack Wade, Bond meets an old adversary in Russian mafia head Valentin Zukovsky (Robbie Coltrane) who decides to help Bond by setting up a meeting between Bond and Janus. After an encounter with Onatopp, Bond finally gets to meet the head of Janus as it’s revealed to be former 00 agent Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean) who Bond thought was killed in a mission they took part in nine years ago. Trevelyan with help of Onatopp and Ourumov trap Bond in the helicopter that was stolen as Bond and Simonova manage to escape as they’re eventually captured by Russian authorities as they meet Russian defense minister Dimitri Mishkin (Tcheky Kayro) where Bond reveals what’s going on.
Ourumov would end up causing trouble as he takes Simonova leading to a chase as Bond boards Trevelyan’s train where Bond has another confrontation with Trevelyan. After another escape with Simonova, the two travel to Cuba to stop Trevelyan from using the GoldenEye satellite as Bond learns what Trevelyan is planning to do.
The film is essentially another story of James Bond trying to save the world but this time around, he faces up against someone who was a friend and ally who knows Bond better than anyone else. It’s also a film where Bond has to deal with changing times as the Cold War is over and he has a new M that is very different from her predecessors who isn‘t fond of Bond and his antics. This would allow Bond to face hard facts about himself and his company as he discovers that the man who was once his ally has now become the enemy whose motivation is simply vengeance in the most extreme way.
The screenplay explores this new post-Cold War world where it’s clear that people like Ourumov is still trying to uphold the old prestige of the Soviet Union as he plans to threaten the new, fragile peace that Russia wants. Yet, it’s the Alec Trevelyan character that is the most interesting as he is the brains behind the scheme as he wants to destroy London for what they did to his parents. With Ourumov’s help as well as Xenia Onatopp and a computer programmer named Boris Grishenko (Alan Cumming), Trevelyan would not only get his revenge but also something more as he also wants to humiliate Bond. Still, the script allows Bond to re-think his strategies as he gets help from another computer programmer in Natalya Simonova who knows what the Janus crime group are up to and can stop the GoldenEye satellite from creating chaos.
Martin Campbell’s direction is definitely big in the way he presents the film as he is aware that this is a James Bond film and it has to be big. The film opens with this amazing prologue of Bond and Trevelyan teaming up to stop Ourumov at a Soviet chemical plant where it establishes Bond’s friendship with Trevelyan and the unexpected betrayal that would follow nine years later. With the locations set in Russia, London, Monte Carlo, and Puerto Rico, the direction establishes that the world is far grander in this post-Cold War period as computers also play a part in the scheme where Trevelyan and Grishenko would do things to control this deadly satellite.
With these spectacular action sequences that includes a few chase scenes, Campbell does manage to create a film that is thrilling while taking its time to establish what is going on. Campbell also balances the action with bits of humor as well as a lot of suspense as he makes sure that is about Bond doing his job to investigate where he would uncover many secrets about what he’s facing. Even as it would lead to a climatic face-off between Bond and Trevelyan in a grand sequence that pits 00 against 00. Overall, Campbell creates a truly solid yet exciting film that lives up to the James Bond name.
Cinematographer Phil Meheux does excellent work with the film‘s photography from the lighting schemes in the spa fight scene to some of the day and nighttime exteriors of the locations in the film. Editor Terry Rawlings does nice work with the editing by creating some rhythmic cuts for the film‘s action scenes along with some more methodical cuts for the film‘s suspense. Production designer Peter Lamont, with set decorator Michael Ford and art director Neil Lamont, does fantastic work with the set pieces such as MI6 base, the train car that Trevelyan chills out at, and the main base for the film’s climatic confrontation. Costume designer Lindy Hemming does superb work with the costumes such as the lavish dresses and clothes that Xenia Onatopp wears.
Special effects supervisor Chris Corbould does brilliant work with the special effects created for the action scenes along with visual effects miniatures made by Derek Meddings, whom the film is dedicated to. Sound editor Jim Shields does terrific work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of action scenes to the more intimate moments in the meetings Bond would have. The film’s music by Eric Serra is wonderful for its mix of orchestral flourishes and electronic music to create an air of suspense as well as utilizing the Bond themes to play out the action scenes. The title song by U2’s Bono and the Edge that is sung by Tina Turner is among one of the most fascinating songs of the Bond catalog.
The casting by Debbie McWilliams is amazing for the ensemble that is created as it features appearances from Minnie Driver as Zukovsky’s mistress, Serena Gordon as Bond’s Monte Carlo evaluator, Robbie Coltrane as Russian gangster Valentin Zukovsky, Joe Don Baker as CIA agent Jack Wade, and Tcheky Kayro as Russian defense minister Dmitri Mishkin. Alan Cumming is very funny as the cocky computer programmer Boris Grishenko while Gottfried John is very good as the villainous General Ourumov. In her first appearance as Miss Moneypenny, Samantha Bond is wonderful as M’s personal secretary who revels in her dating life while Desmond Llewelyn is fantastic as the very witty inventor Q who provides Bond some amazing gadgets.
Famke Janssen is superb as the villainous Xenia Onatopp as she has this great presence that is alluring while being very dangerous in the way she deals with men physically. Judi Dench is great as Bond’s superior M where Dench provides a very different approach to the character in her disdain towards Bond’s antics while making sure he maintains his professionalism in his mission. Izabella Scorupo is excellent as computer programmer Natalya Simonova who helps Bond to deal with the Janus crime syndicate as she is also a very smart individual who can deal with Grishenko. Sean Bean is phenomenal as Alec Trevelyan who organizes a plan to destroy London while trying to defeat Bond in every game while anticipating everything else Bond does as Bean does solid work.
Finally, there’s Pierce Brosnan in his first of four outings as James Bond. Brosnan brings a sense of wit and charm to the character that is very engaging as well as a physicality that is also startling to watch as he makes Bond a guy who isn’t afraid to throw down. Brosnan also manages to make Bond more human by having show a bit of humility for the fact that he’s facing an old friend adding a bit of new edge to the character as Brosnan definitely gives a very memorable portrayal of Agent 007.
GoldenEye is a marvelous film from Martin Campbell that features Pierce Brosnan in a remarkable performance as James Bond. Along with wonderful supporting work from Sean Bean, Famke Janssen, Izabella Scorupo, and Judi Dench. It’s a film that lives up to a lot of elements of the Bond films of the past while bringing something new to make Bond fresh and exciting. In the end, GoldenEye is a mesmerizing and spectacular film from Martin Campbell.
James Bond Files: The EON Films: Dr. No - From Russia with Love - Goldfinger - Thunderball - You Only Live Twice - On Her Majesty's Secret Service - Diamonds are Forever - Live and Let Die - The Man with the Golden Gun - The Spy Who Loved Me - Moonraker - For Your Eyes Only - Octopussy - A View to a Kill - The Living Daylights - Licence to Kill - Tomorrow Never Dies - The World is Not Enough - Die Another Day - Casino Royale (2006 film) - Quantum of Solace - Skyfall - SPECTRE - No Time to Die
Non-EON Films: Casino Royale (Climax! TV Episode) - Casino Royale (1967 film) - Never Say Never Again
Bond Documentaries: Bond Girls Are Forever - True Bond - Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007
© thevoid99 2012
