Skyfall (2012)

Film: Skyfall (2012)

Director: Sam Mendes

Starring: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem

Skyfall was easily one of my most anticipated films of 2012. I'm a huge fan of the Daniel Craig Bond films and Casino Royale would probably make my list of top 10 favourite movies. I'm such a big fan of Craig that I looked past the flaws in Quantum of Solace and actually enjoyed it (I still think it's a decent film, it just doesn't match the highs set previously by Casino Royale). So heading into Skyfall, my levels of excitement were high to say the least.

And it did not disappoint. Skyfall has been called the best Bond film ever in numerous reviews and I struggle to disagree with that statement. I have to admit, before Casino Royale I was not much of a Bond fan. The Connery films were decent but I won't touch the Roger Moore editions with a ten foot pole. My first experience of Bond as a youngster was Pierce Brosnan's debut as 007 in Goldeneye and unfortunately it all went downhill from there. Die Another Day is one of worst films I've ever seen. Thankfully Skyfall has everything to satisfy the fans who love the previous movies as well as the new breed like myself who adored Casino Royale. It has all the brutal and stylish traits that Craig has brought to the role as well as the classic 007 trademarks from the series's glorious past, like the return of Q and that unmistakeable Bond theme tune (you know... duh duh, duh duhhhhhhhh, duh duh duh!). Skyfall has something for everyone: the Bond girls, the gadgets, the villain, the ridiculous action-packed set-pieces, but it's very tastefully done and doesn't feel corny or stupid like a lot of the old Bond's do.

That's largely thanks to director Sam Mendes. It was a master-stroke by the Broccoli's and MGM to bring the Oscar winner on board to direct Skyfall and it came together perfectly. Mendes successfully incorporates the best aspects of Bond's past into the Daniel Craig era and makes it work; not an easy feat when you have so many people to please. With Mendes' trusted hands at the wheel, Skyfall soars to new heights that few Bonds before it have ever matched. There has never been a more beautifully shot Bond movie and DOP Roger Deakins should take all the plaudits. The landscapes throughout are incredible and every scene is given astonishing care and attention.

However a film is only as good as it's cast and Skyfall possesses one of the finest in Bond history. Daniel Craig returns to the role of 007 in his third outing as Britain's top spy. The man just exudes coolness. In Skyfall Craig is given license to show more emotion than he has previously. In Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace Craig was a ruthless and brutal killing machine who didn't think twice about his actions (only towards the end of Casino did we see his sensitive side with Eva Green's Vesper.) Here we see a more sensitive side to 007 as Craig deals with the mortality of Bond. For the first time we see 007 lose a step,as we see him struggle to battle back to his best. Skyfall see's Craig's best performance as Bond yet and you can really see he's grown into the role. In my opinion he is the best Bond of them all.

Special mention must also be made to the leading lady in Skyfall, the ultimate Bond girl, Judi Dench. She was the only survivor when the studio cleaned house from the Brosnan era and her performances as M have been  brilliant. But in Skyfall Dench takes the character to another level and very nearly steals the show. Her role as mother/mentor to Craig's Bond brings out the best in both actors and when the pair grace the screen together we see some of the strongest scenes in the whole film. Credit must also be given to the rest of the cast. Every actor and actress featured in Skyfall is sublime. Javier Bardem ripped out a page from the No Country For Old Men scrapbook and brought his best villain performance to the role of Silva, Bond's new cyber-terrorist nemesis. Bardem is downright terrifying and creepy at the same time, plus his hair is enough to scare you senseless. The Bond girls in Skyfall are two of the finest in the franchise's history; Berenice Marlohe (pictured above) is the sultry and mysterious Severine and Naomie Harris is the deadly yet flirtatious Eve. Both actresses bring something different to Skyfall and both leave a lasting impression. The British contingent of Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw and Albert Finney are also superb and help elevate Skyfall to another level. This film is blessed with an abundance of on-screen talent that puts the majority of 2012 films to shame.

I only have one problem with Skyfall; I'm still not entirely sure I can rank it above Casino Royale. My decision on the subject changes every day but right now I have both films on par together, perfectly balanced, neither movie edging out the other as my favourite. My love for Casino Royale is absurdly high because it was the first Bond film I'd seen that was actually cool. It shed all those awful Bond one-liners and cheesy moments. No stupid gadgets and ridiculous situations. Daniel Craig's Bond in Casino is a post-Bourne Bond, big on realism and I loved that, and still do. Skyfall certainly has all of those traits and keeps very true to the realistic feeling set in Casino and Quantum but there's a part of me, that Casino loving maniac part, that felt a bit of put off when those classic Bond moments popped up in Skyfall. Not to the extent where I felt the film suffered because of them but I just felt it was, well, a bit naff sometimes. Despite that, I do feel that Skyfall has a superior ending than Casino Royale. That's the only part of Casino that bugs me because the first three quarters are so amazing that the ending feels somewhat underwhelming. Skyfall has an incredible and unforgettable finish that really rewards the viewer, something Casino lacks. 

I'm pretty positive you've probably already seen Skyfall if you're reading this but if you haven't, do yourself a favour and get to the cinema before they stop running it. Even if you don't really like Bond movies you will enjoy this, such is the quality of the talent and direction put into this film. Like I said previously, Skyfall is the best of both worlds and will please Bond fans and neutrals alike. 

A More Enjoyable Reality Rating: 9/10

Thanks for reading.

Stranger Than Fiction (2006)

Film: Stranger Than Fiction (2006)

Director: Marc Forster

Starring: Will Ferrell, Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman

So... it's been a while huh? I haven't reviewed a film here at A More Enjoyable Reality for months. And quite frankly I've been absent for far too long. I've certainly watched plenty of films since my last post but you know how it is; life, work and pure laziness get in the way of getting to the keyboard to write something meaningful. However thanks to a free 2 month trial for LOVEFiLM, I've had a resurgence in enthusiasm for this blog and thought to myself, since I'll be watching a lot more movies over the next 2 months why not review some? 

Since activating my LOVEFiLM account last week I've been busy browsing their immense catalogue of films and adding more than a few to my rental list. And the first disc to pop through my letterbox was Marc Forster's Stranger Than Fiction, a film I'd seen a trailer of ages ago but completely forgotten about until a colleague at work mentioned it recently. It came highly recommended so it was quickly added to my LOVEFiLM list and just as quickly dispatched to my house. Stranger Than Fiction stars Will Ferrell as Harold Crick, a man who doesn't live his life to the fullest. That is until one morning, whilst brushing his teeth (obsessively so), he hears a voice narrating his every action and movement. It turns out the voice belongs to acclaimed author Karen Eiffel (Emma Thompson), who is typing up her latest novel. Little does she know that every word she types, poor Harold Crick has to experience. Fortunately for Harold, Karen's plot for her new book changes his life like he'd never thought was possible - he finally begins to live his life. That is until Harold hears Karen reveal that the protagonist of her novel, Mr Crick himself, is set to die...

The plot is pretty simple but executed to perfection. Throughout the whole film I was glued to the edge of my seat in anticipation, endlessly speculating how the film would end. Surely poor Harold wouldn't bite the dust? I won't spoil anything, in fact I've probably revealed too much, but if you have the opportunity watch this wonderful film.

Will Ferrell puts in a superb performance. Straying away from his usual roles in comedies like Anchorman and Old School, this is a serious Ferrell and a side to the actor I enjoy much more. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy his stuff that has made the man the household name he is today, but it was refreshing to see him play a different character for once, and so perfectly suited for him. As Harold Crick, Ferrell shows a side to him you rarely get to see in his comedies and it would benefit his career as a serious actor a lot more if he was featured in more movies like Stranger Than Fiction. The supporting cast must of course take some credit, particularly the excellent Maggie Gyllenhaal. Playing the feisty and rebellious baker Ana Pascal, Gyllenhaal's performance raises the film to a new level, her scenes with Ferrell making you laugh out loud one moment then feel immensely for the characters the next. Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson and Queen Latifah all contribute well to the overall tone of the film and each performer bring a uniqueness to their characters that benefits the film enormously. 

All in all, Stranger Than Fiction was a worthy choice for my first disc from LOVEFiLM, and if the rest of my rentals are of the same quality as this, then I'm in for a very good couple of months.

A More Enjoyable Reality Rating: 8/10

Thanks for reading.