Ricky Church completes his countdown to Spectre with a review of Skyfall…
2012 marked the 50th anniversary of the James Bond franchise and the world’s greatest secret agent. Amid MGM’s financial troubles, they had to push the next Bond film back a bit, but this served to help them really celebrate Bond’s milestone. Skyfall is a film that commemorates Bond’s legacy in cinema, honouring the many films that came before and examining the character in a way very few of the previous Bonds have done.
After a mission goes horribly wrong, a list containing the names of MI6’s undercover agents goes missing. Someone who has a mysterious connection to M’s past is behind the theft and Bond must come out of hiding to stop them. However, he must confront long-held personal demons in order to achieve victory.
Skyfall is arguably Daniel Craig’s best portrayal of Bond to date. What makes Bond tick is shown much more and that’s largely due to Craig’s performance. Bond closes himself off from nearly everyone around him, but occasionally shows the cracks in his tough persona, both physically and emotionally. While the death of his parents is never outright explained, the experience was obviously tragic enough, coupled with the harsh environment of his family home, to severely traumatize him. Craig displays this very well along with bringing Bond back to his former glory as he works through his brush with death.
One of the entertaining aspects about Skyfall is its meta-commentary on Bond’s 50 years. In a world full of Jason Bourne’s, Ethan Hunt’s and Jack Bauer’s, can James Bond still keep up with them? The film directly addresses Bond’s age and relevancy in this new age of espionage through the character’s near-death trauma and ability to complete the job. This theme works well with the overall plot of the film as not only Bond struggles to remain relevant, but so does M and the rest of MI6.
Ultimately this commentary celebrates Bond’s 50 influential years in a way Die Another Day failed to do for his 40th anniversary. There are plenty of respectful nods to Bond’s cinematic past, such as the introduction of Q and Moneypenny in this iteration of the franchise and the return of the famous Aston Martin DB5 from Goldfinger, complete with an ejection seat. Skyfall really does show a love for the whole franchise.
The supporting cast is great all around. Judi Dench gives her best performance as M, exploring in greater detail the relationship between her and Bond. Naomi Harris is similarly great as Eve Moneypenny, a nice update to such a longstanding character. Her chemistry with Craig shines throughout the film as they play their flirtatious game. Ben Whinshaw similarly has a great rapport with Craig as the new Q, matching 007’s wit. Ralph Fiennes also makes an excellent addition as Mallory, M’s stern but fair boss.
However, Javier Bardem steals most of the show as the film’s villain, Raoul Silva. Unlike many of the villains before him, Silva is a fully developed character, his motivations being somewhat relatable as well. Though a few Bond films have used a dark mirror image of Bond as the villain, Silva stands out from them because of how fleshed out his character is and Bardem’s performance. He really is fascinating to watch as he flips between his eccentric charm to his explosive danger.
Sam Mendes’ direction also has to be called out. Skyfall may be the best looking Bond film simply due to the gorgeous cinematography with its sweeping shots of scenery, production design and action scenes. One of the best scenes of the film involves Bond fighting an assassin with their silhouettes standing out among the lights of Shanghai. Then of course there is the great climax at Bond’s childhood home, fighting off waves of Silva’s men with a few guns and homemade weaponry. It’s a neat spin on the usual climaxes in Bond films; instead of Bond invading the bad guy’s lair, they invade his space.
Skyfall is an excellent film in the franchise that explores the character’s psyche and enduring status as a pop culture icon. The acting, action, direction and focus on story over spectacle all make this film stand out among Bond’s best adventures.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Ricky Church
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng&v=ajiqDmBADMc
Originally published November 5, 2015. Updated April 14, 2018.
