An odd mix of a Bond film, full of confusing decisions. Like:
*a pre-credit opening sequence that falls into two parts - a small little action sequence in Spain then a big spectacular one on the River Thames (apparently the first sequence was meant to stand alone but was felt to be not strong enough... honestly they should have known that at script stage, and instead we have this long-feeling two parter);
*casting one of the best Bond girls in the series - Sophie Marceau, who is beautiful, smart, exotic and sexy as hell, everything you want in this universe - then one of the worst, Denise Richards. Now Richards was a fine looking woman in the late 90s and looks terrific in boots, shorts and tank top... but as a nuclear scientist no way. She seems more concerned with her tousled hair and lip pout than acting, and seems young enough to be Pierce Brosnan's daughter. Although her character is okay (brave, spunky, smart), she's got some terrible dialogue eg after almost being blown up in a pipe her first question to Bond is "what's this about you and Elektra?". It's like someone suggested casting Richards as a joke and the next thing everyone knew they were filming. It's also a shame they give such a wonderful character as Elektra such a dull death (being shot on a bed) before the big climax.
*continually giving Pierce Brosnan one liners to say when it should have become clear for whatever reason he's lost the ability to do so.
*The Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? style domestic scene between Elektra and Renard (Robert Carlyle) showing their weird domestic relationship - he's jealous of Bond's ability as a lover, he can't feel anything; Renard is far more sympathetic and touching than actually scary. (Though I did like the idea he was eventually dying of a bullet in the brain. NB What happened to 009 who put that bullet there?)
There were some good things in this movie - it is very exotic (Kazakhstan, Istanbul... maybe that's why they wanted an American Bond girl), Marceau is wonderful, Robbie Coltrane has a great death, and I liked the nod to Bond history with the title.
The action sequences are surprisingly un-involving, certainly not as good as Tomorrow Never Dies... I came away with this memory of lots of crash boom bang (boats driving through restaurants in London, spiky wheels destroying cars in the Caspian Sea, a big clunky sub falling to the bottom of the sea) rather than anything thrilling; it even does a rather dull ski chase, which I thought would be impossible. You couldn't say it was a bad Bond movie, but I couldn't help feeling underwhelmed.
No comments:
Post a Comment