Movies
The Age
Thursday November 5, 2009
Quantum of Solace (2008)Movie One, 8.30pmAFTER James Bond (Daniel Craig) so magnificently returned to the screen in Martin Campbell's Casino Royale, expectations were high that the sequel, Quantum of Solace, would be just as good. Even better was the news Quantum would continue on from the end of Casino, with Bond tracking down the criminal organisation that had led to the suicide of his beloved Vesper Lynd (Eva Green). But therein lays the rub: with Bond hell-bent on revenge for Vesper's death, he is left with one grim expression for more than two hours. Craig's is arguably the most monotone performance in screen history. His adventures also lack any real interest or tension, with Mathieu Amalric's bad guy about as scary as a piece of toast. The women are no more interesting, either. The dreadfully named Strawberry Fields (Gemma Arterton) is a young woman way out of her depth. With no build-up other than Bond asking her to help find the hotel stationery (the worst Bond pick-up line ever), she is in bed with him €” generally to gasps of disbelief from the audience. The other woman is Camille (Olga Kurylenko), who is perfectly suited to Bond but neither shows any real sexual interest in the other. However, as Quantum has no ending it is possible there could be some kind of romantic resolution in the future. But Quantum is so dire a movie, so bleak and incoherent an experience, it would be better if the producers scrapped what they are doing, got rid of the joyless Paul Haggis and his scriptwriting cohorts and started again. SCOTT MURRAY
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