Best.Bond.Ever.
Yep, I'm just gonna come out and say it - Skyfall is the best Bond move so far. It's a big claim, one which I back myself in making 100%. I will now attempt to convince you that this statement is correct. In dot point form.
- Bond's Character - More time is spent on actually developing the character of James Bond in Skyfall than in all the rest of the Bond movies combined. He's given a back story, an emotional backbone and even looks vulnerable at times. All the while remaining bad ass and ultimately unstoppable.
- The Villain - It's a given that Javier Bardem would play an excellent Bond villain, but this is something else. Bardem's Raoul Silva is clever, smooth, despicable AND actually has personal motivation for his... villainy. The character is so cunning there were I actually thought he might get the better of Bond, something which I can't say any of the previous Bond villains have achieved.
- The Action/Story - Skyfall opens of course with a completely over the top action scene to get everyone pumped, but from there the story and action build with such preciseness and without a moment of lost momentum that it builds to a beautifully worked action crescendo at the end and an emotional payoff the likes of which 007 has not offered before.
- The (lack thereof) Gags and Gadgets - Some people lament the old Roger Moore days with the unending lame puns and insane gadgets. I think the new more serious approach to Bond is a breath of fresh air, but here we have just enough gags and gadgets to hopefully apease that crowd without being over the top. Perfect balance.
- Sam Mendes - Anyone who has seen any of Sam Mendes's previous movies (American Beauty and Road to Perdition to name a couple) would know that him being in the director's chair was always going to bring a new level of artistry to Bond. And he does just that. Nuff said.
****1/2 out of *****
They should have taken more time writing the script
The original Taken was a hit, and why shouldn't it be. Take a likable actor in Liam Neeson, have him play a likable character who stops at nothing to achieve his goal and takes crap from no one, kicking all manner of ass on the way, throw in a fairly straightforward but satisfying storyline and plenty of action and thrills and you have yourself a winning formula.
Taken 2, on the other hand, is garbage. The thrills from the first movie are instead replaced with sappy melodrama and a lame revenge story, the action is tame and by the numbers, and the villain feels like he's be more at home reading Dostoevsky with a tall glass of milk rather than killing people. Liam Neeson feels like he's simply going through the motions this time, and the whole damn thing just feels kinda phoned in. But that's a cash cow sequel for you huh?
Oh, and then there's the script. It's painful. The dialogue was so horrendous I could have written it. And that's a bad thing, because I have no idea how to write a movie script. Avoid this travesty.
*1/2 out of *****
Is seeing Helen Hunt in the buff appealing?
If you answered "yes" to the above question, you'll probably enjoy The Sessions, but I imagine you probably don't enjoy life much. Or keeping your dignity. If you answered no you should still enjoy this tale of a poet in his late 30's who is paralysed due to suffering from polio as a child. Due to his immobility he is still a virgin, and is desperately seeking to lose said virginity despite suffering from Catholic guilt over the issue, which he discusses at length with the his priest played by William H Macy. Helen Hunt plays his sex surrogate, which is apparently different from a prostitute because they only offer you a maximum of six sessions. Whatevs.
The Sessions is funny, smart, charming (believe it or not) and, if there's any justice, John Hawkes should be nominated for an Oscar for his sympathetic portrayal of the lead character here. Well worth seeing despite the abomination mentioned in the head.
**** out of *****
