Based on novels Trainspotting and Porno by Irvine Welsh, T2 Trainspotting is the sequel to the 1996 film in which a former heroin addict returns to Edinburgh, Scotland to meet with old friends as they deal with changing times and attitudes as well as things from the past. Directed by Danny Boyle and screenplay by John Hodge, the film is an unconventional sequel that follows four men dealing with the new world as Ewan McGregor, Jonny Lee Miller, Robert Carlyle, and Ewen Bremner return playing their roles from the previous films with special appearances from Shirley Henderson and Kelly MacDonald in their old roles. Also starring Anjela Nedyalkova. T2 Trainspotting is an enthralling and exhilarating film from Danny Boyle.
The film follows four different men who have each gone separate paths in life more than 20 years after a deal that was supposed to make them rich only for one of them to leave with the money and bring ruin to their lives. Yet, Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) returns to Edinburgh after his long 20-year exile where not only does he want to make amends but also deal with the fact that he’s returned to a world that has changed with some things that hasn’t changed. John Lodge’s screenplay doesn’t just explore Renton’s return to Edinburgh but also the fates and fortunes of his friends Simon “Sick Boy” Williamson (Jonny Lee Miller), Daniel “Spud” Murphy (Ewen Bremner), and Francis Begbie (Robert Carlyle). Sick Boy runs a failing pub while tries to blackmail top Scottish officials by filming their sexual encounters with a prostitute named Veronika (Anjela Nedyalkova) who is also Sick Boy’s girlfriend. Spud’s life is in a freefall after a failed marriage to Gail (Shirley Henderson) and being an absentee father to his son Fergus forcing him to return to heroin. Begbie is serving a 25-year prison sentence where he would escape prison.
Renton’s fortunes also haven’t gone well since he exiled himself in Amsterdam where he would also endure a fail marriage, an accounting firm that is forcing him out, and a heart attack. His return to Edinburgh forces him to deal with the fact that he not only fucked over Sick Boy and Begbie but also realize what is happening to Spud. Sick Boy decides to get revenge on Renton, despite getting back the share of the money they stole 20 years ago, with Veronika’s help but eventually realizes that there’s still some love towards his old friend as they also help out Spud. Begbie meanwhile, has a huge grudge towards Renton upon his escape from prison where the script also reveal that he has a family and does care about them despite being so brutal into everything he’s done. Renton and Sick Boy would work together to create a brothel with the involvement of Veronika and Spud but the two would know something would give as they’re bound to betray each other.
Danny Boyle’s direction is definitely stylish as it owes a lot to not just the 1996 film in terms of its visual style but also in showcasing how much Edinburgh has changed as it is a character in the film. Boyle’s usage of wide shots would capture how much the city has changed where Sick Boy lives next to a dump of destroyed cars as if a new housing development is about to emerge. Even in the usage of slanted angles where Boyle would showcase that sense of direction of where the characters are going as if their destined to go up or down. At the same time, Boyle would create compositions and shots of certain locations to match it with images of the previous film as it would evoke elements of nostalgia which is a key theme of the film visually and literally. Notably in a sequence where Renton has dinner with Veronika where he talks about the downsides of conformity and modernism in a dizzying montage where he talks about the idea of “choose life” in the 21st Century as it showcases why he, Spud, and Sick Boy are more fond of simpler times.
The film also play into the sense of melancholia as it relate to their late friend Tommy (Kevin McKidd via archival footage) in the same area where Tommy was trying to get his friends to walk to the Scottish Highlands. It’s a moment where Renton would accept the fact that he was responsible for Tommy’s descent as he would force Sick Boy to face his own tragedy and faults. It would culminate with Spud finally coming to terms with his addiction as he would channel his energy into something new as well as face Begbie who would see what Spud has created where it is this rare glimpse of humanity that seems to be lost in Begbie. Still, it does play into four men facing their own sins of the past as well as try to create something that does harken to simpler times and a balance of the past and present. Overall, Boyle crafts an evocative yet wild film about four men coming to terms with the past and their encounter with their modern environment in their search for nostalgia.
Cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle does brilliant work with the film’s colorful cinematography with its stylish approach to scenes set in the day with its lighting and how Edinburgh would look on a sunny day as well as the scenes set at night where it play into a stylish look to emphasize the manic ride the characters would embark on. Editor Jon Harris does excellent work with the editing as its usage of jump-cuts, montages, match cuts with the original film, and other stylized cuts play into the sense of nostalgia as well as the characters dealing with the past. Production designer Patrick Rolfe and Mark Tildesley, with set decorators Orlin Grozdanov and Veronique Melery, do fantastic work with the look of Sick Boy’s apartment and pub as well as the apartment that Spud lives in to play into their lack of stability. Costume designers Rachel Fleming and Steven Noble do terrific work with the costumes as it play into the look of the characters including some of the more youthful clothes that Veronika wears.
Hair/makeup designer Ivana Primorac does nice work with the look of the characters from Sick Boy’s hair to the look of Veronika. Visual effects supervisor Adam Gascoyne does amazing work with the visual effects as it play into the air of nostalgia in the way some of the footage that the characters talk about are shown on objects and such. Sound designers Glenn Freemantle and Niv Adiri do incredible work with the sound in creating an array of sounds to play into the chaos that the characters endure in their environment as well as some of the locations they would go to. The film’s phenomenal soundtrack is a mixture of hip-hop, new wave, alternative rock, Brit-pop, ambient, drum n’ bass, rock, punk, and other types of music that features contributions from the Clash, Blondie, Underworld, Queen, Wolf Alice, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Lou Reed, Brian Eno, Run-DMC vs. Jason Nevins, Fat White Family, Young Fathers, High Contrast, and Iggy Pop.
The casting by Gail Stevens is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Scot Greenan as Begbie’s son Frank Jr., Kyle Patrick as Spud’s teenage son Fergus, Charlie Hardie as the nine-year old Fergus, Pauline Turner as Begbie’s wife, Steve Robertson as a prison official who invokes Begbie’s wrath, Bradley Welsh as a rival brother owner in Doyle, Michael Shaw and Elijah Wolf in their respective roles as the 20-year old and nine-year old versions of Tommy, the trio of Christopher Mullen, Daniel Smith, and Daniel Jackson as younger versions of Begbie, James McElvar and Logan Gilles as the younger versions of Sick Boy, Aiden Haggarty and John Bell as the younger versions of Spud, the trio of Connor McIndoe, Ben Skelton, and Hamish Haggerty as the younger versions of Renton, and novelist Irvine Welsh reprising his role as Mikey Forrester who has become a black markets dealer. James Cosmo and Shirley Henderson are terrific in their brief appearances in their respective roles as Renton’s father and Spud’s former girlfriend Gail.
Kelly Macdonald is fantastic in her brief appearance as Renton’s former girlfriend Diane who has become a solicitor as she tries to help Renton and Veronika over Sick Boy’s legal and financial troubles while seeing what Renton had become. Anjela Nedyalkova is wonderful as Veronika as a Bulgarian prostitute who is Sick Boy’s girlfriend that becomes concerned with Sick Boy’s schemes while having an affair with Renton and befriending Spud whom she sees as someone that has a lot more to offer as a person in need of help. Robert Carlyle is brilliant as Francis Begbie as a psychopath who is hell-bent in getting out of prison to continue his life as a criminal where he also seeks revenge on Renton for putting him in prison where Carlyle also show a bit of vulnerability into the character as he would also briefly play a dual role as drunken man he met many years ago.
Ewan Bremner is amazing as Spud as a man who endured a lot of misfortune to the point that he’s hit bottom as he struggles to be clean and find a new outlet which he would eventually find as a way to come to terms with his faults and a new promise in his life. Jonny Lee Miller is remarkable as Sick Boy as a man who continuously schemes to get what he wants as well as deal with a cocaine addiction and his anger towards Renton where he tries to find a way to get even with him only to realize how much he needs Renton to get things done. Finally, there’s Ewan McGregor in an incredible performance as Mark Renton as a man who returns to Edinburgh following a 20-year exile where he deals with his own brush with death as he tries to figure out what to do with the remaining years of his life as well as make amends for his past sins in the hope he can redeem himself and find some idea of life he can live in.
T2 Trainspotting is a sensational film from Danny Boyle that features great performances from Ewan McGregor, Ewan Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, and Robert Carlyle. Along with its supporting cast, dazzling visuals, approach to nostalgia, and a killer soundtrack, it’s a film that manages to capture the spirit of its predecessor while not being afraid to use that film as a reference point in order to explore its characters who are still hung on to the past. In the end, T2 Trainspotting is a phenomenal film from Danny Boyle.
Danny Boyle Films: Shallow Grave – Trainspotting - A Life Less Ordinary - The Beach - 28 Days Later - Millions - Sunshine (2007 film) - Slumdog Millionaire - 127 Hours - Trance (2013 film) - Steve Jobs (2015 film) - (Yesterday (2019 film)
Related: Trainspotting OST - Favorite Films #10: Trainspotting
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the novel by Alex Garland, The Beach is the story of an American college student who travels to Thailand to find a mysterious island with a couple of young French people as they find all of the splendor as well as danger about its secrecy. Directed by Danny Boyle and screenplay by John Hodge, the film is an exploration into the idea of paradise only for things to go wrong when there isn’t such a thing. Starring Leonardo diCaprio, Virginie Ledoyen, Robert Carlyle, Guillaume Canet, and Tilda Swinton. The Beach is a mesmerizing yet uneven film from Danny Boyle.
Set largely in Thailand, the film follows an American college student who is given a map to a mysterious island as he brings along a French couple to join him where they find paradise but have to take great risks to maintain its secrecy. It’s a film that isn’t about people trying to find something different from the many conventional ideas of being on vacation but also wanting something more. Yet, their discovery of a secret community who wants to maintain that sense of paradise eventually becomes uneasy where it is clear that its habitants are sharing the island with Thai cannabis farmers who aren’t so keen in letting anymore outsiders into the island. John Lodge’s screenplay is largely told from the perspective of its protagonist in Richard (Leonardo diCaprio) as this young American college student who goes to Thailand seeking adventure and something different from the banality of conventional society.
Lodge’s script succeeds in exploring the island and why it’s so secretive as well as establish the characters such as Richard, the French couple Etienne (Guillaume Canet) and Francoise (Virginie Ledoyen), one of the island community’s founder in Daffy (Robert Carlyle) who would give Richard the map to the island, and the community’s leader Sal (Tilda Swinton). Yet, it’s in the narrative and its tone where the script falters as the first half starts off as this adventure for paradise where everything seems fine. Then it darkens once it moves into the second half where a community resident’s death starts to shake things where it goes into bits of surrealism as well as some dark suspense about what some will do to maintain this place a secret. It becomes a different film as well as something very strange where Richard is forced to watch outsiders who have a copy of a map that Richard drew for these American stoners as it would lead to all sorts of trouble.
Danny Boyle’s direction is definitely stylish in terms of not just the setting of the locations but also in the surreal elements in the film. Shot on location in parts of Bangkok and at the Maya Bay at Ko Phi Phi Lee in Thailand, the film plays into a world that is in conflict with the chaos of modernism and the serenity of this beach that Richard, Etienne, and Francoise would discover and live at for a time. Boyle’s usage of the wide and medium shots would play into the beauty of the locations as well as the sense of community in the people who live near the beach. Boyle would also use close-ups and some gorgeous shots for some of the intimate moments yet he is faltered by the film’s uneven script. Notably in the second half where it gets dark as it does feel like a different movie as it includes this very weird video game sequence where Richard pretends to be in a video game as it also include some references to Apocalypse Now as its third act is a really messy one. Though it would have a strong conclusion as it play into the fallacy of paradise, it also shows some of the ugliness in humanity that is no different from the chaos that is happening in the modern world. Overall, Boyle creates a compelling yet flawed film about a young man finding a map leading to paradise only it isn’t what it really seems to be.
Cinematographer Darius Khondji does brilliant work with the film‘s colorful cinematography in capturing the beauty of the beach locations in the day as well as some of the scenes set at night along with some of the scenes set in Bangkok. Editor Masahiro Hirakubo does nice work with the editing as it has some stylish rhythmic cuts and jump-cuts to play into the frenetic energy as well as in some of the low-key dramatic moments. Production designer Andrew McAlpine, with set decorator Anna Pinnock and supervising art director Rod McLean, does fantastic work with the look of the hotel rooms in Bangkok as well as the little resort the residents of the beach live at. Costume designer Rachel Fleming does terrific work with the costumes as it is mostly casual with the exception of the clothes that Sal wears that emphasizes her role as a leader.
Special effects supervisor Clive Beard and digital visual effects supervisor Robert Duncan do some fine work with the minimal visual effects as it involve a sequence with sharks as well as a balloon ceremony. Sound designer Glenn Freemantle does superb work with the sound as it play into some of the sparse and intimate moments at the beach to the layers of sound in Bangkok as it‘s unruly. The film’s music by Angelo Badalamenti is wonderful for its ambient-based score to play into the serenity of the island while music supervisor Pete Tong provide a fun soundtrack that features a few score pieces from John Cale and Brian Eno plus contributions by New Order, Blur, Moby, Faithless, Barry Adamson, Sugar Ray, All Saints, the Chemical Brothers, Unkle with Richard Ashcroft, Orbital, Leftfield, Underworld, and Asian Dub Foundation.
The casting by Gail Stevens is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Peter Youngblood Hills and Jerry Swindall as a couple of American tourists Richard meet on the way to the mysterious beach, Saskia Mulder and Simone Huber as the German girlfriends of those American tourists, Staffan Kihlbom, Jukka Hiltunen, and Magnus Lindgren as a trio of Swedish residents of the beach, Daniel Caltagirone as the community’s chef Unhygienix who has an unhealthy obsession with being clean, and Lars Arentz-Hansen as Sal’s boyfriend/community carpenter Bugs who has a dislike towards Richard and vice versa. Paterson Joseph is superb as Keaty as a member of the community who is kind of the film’s conscience as he starts to see the community unravel following an incident as well as try to get Richard to see reason when he is tasked by Sal to do something about the unwelcome visitors. Abhijati “Meuk” Jasakul is terrific as the head cannabis farmer who doesn’t like outsiders as he has this very eerie presence as well as someone who has found a way to live outside of the modern world without compromise. Robert Carlyle is fantastic as Daffy as a founder of the beach whom Richard meets in Bangkok as a man who has become insane and displays his own disdain towards modern society as he would give Richard the map to the beach.
Tilda Swinton is brilliant as Sal as the beach community’s leader who allows Richard, Etienne, and Francoise to be part of the community as she is intent on keeping the secrecy of the beach by any means necessary. Guillaume Canet is excellent as Etienne as a young Frenchman who is the most helpful and skilled person of the trio as he also finds himself competing with Richard for Francoise’s affection. Virginie Ledoyen is amazing as Francoise as a young Frenchwoman who goes on the journey as she is the most artistic as she is charmed by Richard as well as become disenchanted with Sal’s refusal to accept the real consequences of some of the tragedies that occur. Finally, there’s Leonardo diCaprio in a remarkable performance as Richard as a young American college student seeking adventure only to find horror later on as he nearly loses it as it one of diCaprio’s more overlooked performances that has him be full of energy as well as display some eerie moments.
The Beach is a terrific yet flawed film from Danny Boyle. Despite its messy and inconsistent script, the film does feature an excellent soundtrack, beautiful locations, and a fantastic cast led by Leonardo diCaprio. In the end, The Beach is a stellar film from Danny Boyle.
Danny Boyle Films: Shallow Grave - Trainspotting - A Life Less Ordinary - 28 Days Later - Millions - Sunshine - Slumdog Millionare - 127 Hours - Trance - Steve Jobs - T2 Trainspotting - (Yesterday (2019 film))
© thevoid99 2016
Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 12/23/08 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.
Based on the novel by Irvine Welsh, Trainspotting is the story about a group of heroin addicts living in the economically-depressed world of Edinburgh, Scotland as one of the addicts is struggling to find a life outside of heroin addiction. Directed by Danny Boyle and screenplay by John Hodge, the film is an exploration into the life of a young man dealing with his own heroin addiction as well as trying to maintain his friendship with those are addicts and those who aren't. Starring Ewan McGregor, Jonny Lee Miller, Ewen Bremner, Kevin McKidd, Kelly MacDonald, Peter Mullan, Shirley Henderson, and Robert Carlyle. Trainspotting is an outstanding yet harrowing film from Danny Boyle.
Drug addiction is often used as a way to escape from the world of reality no matter how bad it is. For Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor), he uses it as a way to get away from the real world as well as what it offers as he has friends who use it as well as those who don't do it. Still, Renton is eager to try to withdraw himself from the drug in an attempt to live a clean life as well as trying to get out more socially. Though he would eventually form a relationship with an underage woman in Diane (Kelly MacDonald), it wouldn't be enough as he is often drawn back to the world of addiction as he even gets one of his friends in Tommy (Kevin McKidd) to be part of this troubled world. After a series of circumstances and an encounter with Diane, Renton attempts to start a new life in London but old friends would only bring trouble as he is suddenly drawn into an even darker world involving crime as he tries to maintain something that would allow him to live a good life.
John Hodge's screenplay is unique for the way it explores the life of a young man and his struggles as it's told largely from his perspective with a lot of voice-over narration. While it's a film with a very grim subject matter, there's humor in the script that is filled with some stylish dialogue as well as scenes that are just terrifying to watch such as Renton trying to retrieve suppositories in the most disgusting toilet in Scotland. Still, Hodge's script has a structure where the first act is about his attempts to withdraw from heroin. The second act is his return to heroin and a near-death experience while the third is his life in London where he tries to start a new life only for his old friends to arrive and nearly ruin things. Through this narration, Renton allows himself to explain the unique world of heroin as well as his everything he's going through as well as his later life being a clean young man trying to make it in London where it's an entirely new world.
Danny Boyle's direction is very stylish as it's filled with lots of dark and funny moments through his unique compositions and scene staging. Yet, some compositions include references to the Beatles and scenes that can be a mix of beauty and ugly. Even in how Boyle would shoot a scene, notably Renton's near-overdose as he tells the film from Renton's perspective. Yet when Boyle creates funny moments, he creates something that can be disgusting to watch yet finds the right note of humor to create that scene. For the film's scenes in Edinburgh, the whole look seems a bit depressing and grey in contrast to the sunnier, colorful world of London. Boyle maintains a look and style to the film as he creates an energetic, fun, harrowing, yet sensational film that is repeatedly watchable.
Cinematographer Brian Tufano creates a unique look to the film with its grey, colorless look of exterior Edinburgh in the daytime with the smoky nighttime scenes at the club. Even some of the interior shots have a unique look to convey the troubled, hazy moods of Renton on dope. The look of London Tufano creates is more colorful in its exterior and interior scenes. Notably the nightclub rave scene to reveal the contrast world of retro-driven Edinburgh and the electronica world of London. Editor Masahiro Hirakubo is excellent in its rhythm, speed-cuts to emphasize the emotions of Renton, and transitions to reveal the world that Renton is surrounded by.
Production designer Kave Quinn and art director Tracey Gallacher do an excellent work in the look of some of the dirty, decayed look of Edinburgh in its apartments and other exterior worlds. The look for London is more clean and colorful until Begbie and Sick Boy arrives to make a mess of things. Costume designer Rachael Fleming does excellent work in the decayed look of the street clothes that the men wear while Sick Boy gets to wear nice suits. Yet, it's the sparkly dress that Diane wears that really stands out among the costumes as it looks great. Sound recordist Colin Nicholson and effects editor Jonathan Miller do great work in capturing the sound locations, action, and dance-club scenes.
The film's soundtrack is truly one of the greatest film soundtracks ever made with music legends like Iggy Pop, Brian Eno, and Lou Reed plus tracks by Brit-pop luminaries like Blur, Blur vocalist Damon Albarn, Elastica, Primal Scream, Pulp, and Sleeper. Other tracks ranging from 80s stalwarts like New Order and Heaven 17 to electronic acts like Leftfield, Bedrock, Ice MC, and Underworld provide the idea of new Britain. Orchestral pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach and Georges Bizet are used for comic effect as it's easily one of the greatest film soundtracks ever created.
The casting by Andy Pryor and Gail Stevens is wonderfully assembled with cameo appearances by the book's novelist Irvine Welsh as Mikey Forrester, Dale Winton as a game show host, screenwriter John Hodge as a security officer, producer Andrew MacDonald as a buyer of one of the flats Renton sells, and costume designer Rachael Fleming as a nurse. Small roles like James Cosmo and Eileen Nicholas as Renton's parents are good as is Susan Vidler as Allison, Shirley Henderson as Gail, and Pauline Lynch as Lizzy. Peter Mullan is great in a small but memorable supporting role as Swanney, the dealer who cooks up heroin for Renton and the gang. In her film debut, Kelly MacDonald is great as Diane. The underage young woman who looks older but provides a sense of surprise and wisdom to Renton in making him change his life as MacDonald is funny and charming in her film debut.
Kevin McKidd also does great work in his film debut as Tommy, a clean-cut man who gets dumped by his girlfriend only to succumb to the troubles of heroin addiction. McKidd's performance is excellent to see someone full of life and hope go down only to bring a sense of guilt to the film's protagonist. Ewen Bremner is excellent as Spud, the most innocent and comical member of the group as he's often clueless despite his earnestness and being just a good guy. Jonny Lee Miller is wonderfully slimy and witty as Sick Boy, the Sean Connnery-loving guy who likes to look good while being just as sleazy and untrustworthy. Robert Carlyle is amazing as the psychopathic Begbie, a guy who likes to intimidate people and be the leader. Carlyle's performance is fun to watch in every scene he's in as he's just one of cinema's most unlikely badasses. Finally, there's Ewan McGregor in a breakout performance as Renton. The protagonist trying to leave the world of heroin addiction while struggling with his addiction. McGregor's performance is really the heart of the film as he provides the sense of struggle and hopefulness in his performance.
Trainspotting is an exciting, funny, yet harrowing film from Danny Boyle. Thanks to Boyle's stylish direction, John Hodge's witty screenplay, a superb soundtrack, and an amazing ensemble cast led by Ewan McGregor. It remains one of Britain's beloved films as well as one of the best films ever made. With a lot of memorable scenes both funny and horrifying, it's a film that remains unforgettable in whatever scene that is shown. In the end, for a film that is witty, dark, yet mesmerizing, Trainspotting is the film to go check out.
Danny Boyle Films: Shallow Grave - A Life Less Ordinary - The Beach - 28 Days Later - Millions - Sunshine - Slumdog Millionaire - 127 Hours - Trance - Steve Jobs (2015 film) - T2 Trainspotting - (Yesterday (2019 film))
Related: Trainspotting OST - Favorite Films #10: Trainspotting
© thevoid99 2013
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
