James Bond in review - The Living Daylights (John Glen, 1987)

"I take it this is not a social call 007?"
"Correct, you should have brought lillies"

Perhaps there is no better quotation to describe Dalton's no-nonsense approach to Fleming's world famous secret agent. Moving sharply away from the humour that became almost a character itself in the later Moore Bond era, it is clear to see that Dalton's careful research of Fleming's Bond of the early novels was time well spent. From the moment you see Dalton on screen in an upper body shot inquisitively and solemnly watching the body of 004 plummet to ground from the rock of Gibraltar, we are instantly aware that this is a very different Bond - a 007 not to be messed with.

Dalton's Bond waiting for Koskov's sniper

The Living Daylights provides Dalton the chance to take Bond in a realistic, thriller-like direction. The dialogue is some of the sharpest in the series, the supporting cast are, on the whole, great, and Dalton's Bond if only for a brief tenure, becomes a one woman man. The film doesn't take itself too seriously. Jeroen Krabbe hams up his role as Georgi Koskov, becoming a theatrical villain who gets his comeuppance in a genuinely amusing scene at the end of the film. Dalton is also on hand to provide some carefully timed one liners that are more zone out and you'll miss them than Moore's unavoidable, extroverted clangers.

Maryam D'Abo in a publicity shot for The Living Daylights as Kara

Bond is characteristically a private man who keeps his emotions to himself and gets the job done efficiently and successfully. Dalton further develops Fleming's Bond by making him fallible. As Dalton himself expressed in a press interview whilst filming The Living Daylights, Bond is "not a super hero", he is a tainted man with a harsh outlook on life. He is relatable in that sense and easy to root for. As characters in the film go, Caroline Bliss' Miss Moneypenny probably provides the biggest disappointment. The younger secretary to flirt with Dalton's younger Bond was a sensible idea but Bliss seems so inappropriate on screen in the short scenes she is in that Bond afficionados can't help wishing Lois Maxwell was still in the role. Maryam D'Abo's portrayal of the cellist Kara Milovy is a better female character in the film, obviously, but still hit and miss. At moments she provides some good comedy, remarking to Bond that they are free for Bond to retort that they are still stranded in a Russian airbase in Afghanistan, and she is the only Bond girl to be able to call Bond a 'horse's arse!' Other times she looks a little uncomfortable and very timid opposite Dalton's hard edged protagonist. She becomes a worthy leading lady when she leads the pursuit after 007 with Kamran's men in the desert, informing them bluntly and powerfully "You owe him your life!" Kara obviously respects Bond and is therefore respected by the audience as a credible love interest for Dalton's 007.

The note attached to 009's body - Smiert Spionam (Russian for 'death to spies')

Essentially this is back to basics Bond. It takes a lot for a director to come into a leviathan of a series like Bond and some gumption to introduce a new actor playing 007 and John Glen succeeds well, giving audiences perhaps the most intriguing Bond film of the five that he helmed as director. There are no hollowed out volcanoes or super tankers, just believable characterisation and an intelligent screenplay. A promising debut for Dalton... Timothy Dalton.

James Bond in review - A View To A Kill (John Glen, 1985)

"Would you be interested primarily in stamina...or speed?"
"Well a little of both would be ideal."

June 27th 1984 – the once proudly erected 007 stage at Pinewood Studios, built to house the massive super tanker interiors for The Spy Who Loved Me is on fire. The Bond crew are preparing pre-production on Bond’s 14th adventure and Roger Moore’s last, A View To A Kill. Couple the devastation and personal loss of the stage with the fact that Moore, coming into his 7th Bond film, looks old enough to play James Bond’s dad, and there is justifiable reason to think that Bond 14 is doomed before the cameras have even begun to roll.

Christopher Walken and Grace Jones as Zorin and May Day

With the building of the new stage and the reliability of a series stalwart like Moore leading the film, the crew optimistically begin working on A View To A Kill and like a number of Moore’s Bonds it has its moments. There are some thrilling sequences like the burning of City Hall and some great characters, particularly Christopher Walken giving one of the most sadistic and wholly memorable villainous performances of Moore’s Bond tenure. For the good points there are the obligatory duff ones: Willoughby Gray as the bumbling Herr Dr Mortner/Hans Glaub; a character whose identity and methods are discovered by Bond but a character that is so underdeveloped and shoddily played it’s almost pantomimic. Then there’s the two main female characters of the piece. Tanya Roberts is whiny and frustrating as Stacey – she is given a theme of her own by John Barry which is far more than the character deserves: it’s no wonder Moore explains in the DVD commentary that there was no chemistry between Roberts and himself. Then there is Grace Jones as May Day who, despite giving a better performance than Roberts comes off as too over the top even for a Moore Bond film. Placing her and Moore in each others arms in bed together is one of the most alarming scenes in Bond history!

Moore joked that bedding Grace Jones was one of the hardest things for him to do

Kudos to Moore for deciding with A View To A Kill that it was finally time to hang his hat on Moneypenny’s stand for good. At nearly 60 he still remarkably brings good humour and an enthusiastic air to proceedings. As Moore expresses to Zorin himself in the film, “I’m almost speechless with admiration”. The one thing you can say for A View To A Kill as with each of the remaining 6 Moore Bonds is that it is entertaining to watch. The plot may be recycled, the one liners may be ludicrously corny but this is the 14th Bond and Moore’s 7th – give the writers a break. It is also still an entertaining film, more so than Octopussy. It is still uncomfortable however having Moore unzip the young Mary Stavin's top before the film’s opening credits in that predatory fashion – he looks old enough to be her grandfather!

A toast - to Roger Moore as James Bond 1973-1985

Ultimately, despite the misfires – Nick Nack, Miss Goodnight, Bond in space, Moore’s contribution to the series cannot be overstated. His films were also responsible for bringing us some series highs – the parachute jump in the pre-credits of The Spy Who Loved Me and kicking Locque’s car off the edge of the cliff in For Your Eyes Only to name two of the best. He is the actor to have played the part the most times of all to date and as former United Artists publicist Jerry Juroe has recognised he has done more publicity for the Bond series than anyone else. While A View To A Kill is most certainly not the best film for Moore to make his final bow it still remains a testament to all that he brought to the world of James Bond on the big screen. As Moneypenny states “Your dedication [...]is most commendable..." James Bond will return, in the guise of Timothy Dalton.

James Bond in review - Octopussy (John Glen, 1983)

"You have a nasty habit of surviving."
"Well you know what they say about the fittest!"

The biggest threat facing the Bond team in 1982 when they began work on Octopussy, apart from the fact that this was to be the 13th official film in the series – unlucky for some – was the fact that Kevin McClory was teaming with Sean Connery for a rival Bond film based on Fleming’s Thunderball to be ironically titled Never Say Never Again. Having secured Moore for his 6th outing as the British secret agent, production began on the film on August 10th 1982 in East Berlin.

Kabir Bedi as Kamal's villainous right hand man Gobinda

Octopussy brings together a fascinating cast of characters for a Bond film. Louis Jourdan is superb as the head villain Kamal Khan and Kabir Bedi is also excellent as Gobinda, the more physical heavy in the same tradition as Jaws or Oddjob. The film also saw the return of Maud Adams as the title character Octopussy. Though not revealed facially in the film until nearly half the way through, Adams makes her presence known and is still one of the best leading ladies to act opposite Moore in any of his films. There is a certain grace to her performance despite the fact that she is involved with jewel smuggling. Having said this, her role as the ill fated Andrea Anders in The Man With The Golden Gun, her first foray into the Bond series, is ultimately more successful.

Maud Adams and Roger Moore on set

Moore seems confident with the material he is given and delivers some excellent dialogue in a straight faced approach, in particular when he is conversing with the maniacal General Orlov aboard the carriage housing the bomb. Moore always manages to inject some great humour and overall fun in his Bond films and Octopussy is no exception. Whilst the costume is a little dubious, it seems perfectly acceptable that Bond would adopt a clown disguise to stop a bomb from exploding in a circus and killing thousands of innocent people. The scene in which he tests Khan’s desperation for the egg at the auction with Fanning is also another example of Moore delivering the comedic goods.

The villain of the film Kamal Khan as portrayed by Cubby Broccoli's friend Louis Jourdan

It is the climax of the film that seems a little lacklustre and over before it has even begun. The fight between Gobinda and Bond atop the plane feels like a recycled version of a Bond scene that has been orchestrated many times beforehand but then this is Bond 13 and there is a lot to live up to. The title song is also a little under par compared to some of the other classics preceding it – gone is the joy of Live and Let Die or the classics like Nobody does it better in favour of a drab ballad. The one good thing is that John Barry rightly tried not to introduce the film’s title into the song. What rhymes with Octopussy? Barry’s score is however another great effort and lends some great tension to some sequences – in particular the 009 assassination sequence after the titles which is one of the best moments in the film.

Ultimately, whilst not Moore’s All Time High, as professed by Pfeiffer and Worrall in their compendium The Essential James Bond, it is a fine entry in the Bond series with exotic locations, beautiful women, a circus, a bomb and so much more. Octopussy out grossed its competitor on release in 1983 and became a top grossing Moore Bond film. No chance of Bond becoming extinct any time soon – even if Moore is starting to look as though he may need a lie down.

James Bond in review - Thunderball (Terence Young, 1965)

"You seem to be unbeatable Mr Bond!"

Over the ensuing years following its 1965 release, Thunderball has been divided amongst Bond fans. Some see it as laboured with underwater sequences and lacking the style and sophistication of the previous three films, others see it the way many saw it on its release – as the biggest Bond of all. The thing that surprised me the most, upon rewatching the film, is that despite a sometimes overly complex plot and some labouring moments, Thunderball is one of the more entertaining of the Bond films, perhaps the most entertaining of the Connery films.

Paula, Domino and Fiona chill out on the Thunderball Bahamas coastline

The elements all gel – the villains are excellent, we get to see one of the only group meetings of SPECTRE agents plotting their schemes in the series, the Bond girls are some of the best in the series – and most beautiful – and Sean Connery actually feels at ease in the role, relishing the humour and the sun of the Bahamas. Add to this mix the return of Terence Young as director and another terrific score from Bond veteran John Barry and Thunderball looks and sounds brilliant. The cynics of Thunderball all latch onto the length of the underwater scenes in the film. It’s surprising therefore to discover that these scenes make up less than 25 minutes of the two hour screen time. The scenes themselves, in particular the climactic underwater battle – Bond versus Largo – is brilliantly filmed and draws the film to a fine conclusion. Domino ultimately defeating her tormenter is a nice touch and the frenetic editing on the Disco Volante adds to the excitement.

Largo, SPECTRE agent number 2

The real treat of the film is undoubtedly Luciana Paluzzi’s Fiona Volpe. She is one of the best villainesses in the series and clearly relishes the role. It seems ridiculous to even try to picture her as Domino, the heroine of the film, the role that she originally auditioned for. She is so perfectly sadistic in the role of Largo’s right hand woman and gets all the best dialogue – “do you like wild things Mr Bond James Bond?” is perhaps one of the most rhetorical questions in the series and one of the best humorous moments.

Bond and Domino

Connery’ s 4th Bond is an entertaining romp. Some great characterisations, one of the most sadistic villains brought to life in a brilliantly sly manner by Adolfo Celi and a narrative that flows well, keeping the audience excited. With Goldfinger and Thunderball, the mid-60s saw the launch of Bond mania. A coffin with the initials JB teasingly opens the film playing on the notion of Bond’s death and two hours later he once again saves the day and gets the girl. It is easy, on reflection, to see how Thunderball is one of the biggest Bond box office successes. His name’s James Bond and for nearly 50 years we’ve been “admiring [his] form.”

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Merry Christmas from Film Fanatic

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wish all followers of this blog
a warm and Merry Christmas 2010 and a prosperous 2011!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 - in review

"You can't fight this war on your own Mr Potter. He's too strong!"

Whether you're a fan of the J K Rowling's bespectacled boy wizard or not, you cannot deny that Harry Potter has become a phenomenon over the last decade. Back in 2000 Radcliffe, Grint and Watson were all pint sized 11 year olds with no idea of how well known they were to become and little comprehension of the giant of a franchise they had sauntered into. Fast forward nine years and not only have all 8 films been completed but the Harry Potter film series is officially the biggest selling film series of all time, an accolade that is justifiably awarded when considering the latest Potter installment.

Deathly Hallows Part 1 picks up directly after the Half Blood Prince wherein the maturity levels of the principal trio are noticeably higher. We are presented with a montage of Harry bidding farewell to the Dursleys, Ron standing outside the Burrow and Hermione wiping her parents' memories, intercut with new Minister of Magic Rufus Scrimegeour (Bill Nighy) directly addressing the audience, intoning that "Our world has faced no greater threat than it does today". Danger is around every corner. Couple this with the anxiety of every character and you have a tense film that stays very true to Rowling's final tome of a Potter novel. The film isn't without its trademark humour, something of which there was an abundance in the Half Blood Prince; once again Ron (Grint) gets his chance to shine as a conflicted Ron must choose to stay with his friends or go it alone. The stakes are much higher in this Potter outing and removing the safety of Dumbledore and of Hogwarts was the best decision Rowling could have made. The film feels more real and incredibly raw because we are following our heroes in the wilderness - lost, directionless and on a mission.

After the cinematographic beauty of many scenes in Half Blood Prince, Deathly Hallows steps up another mark. The scenic camping scenes on cliff tops and in the heart of the English countryside are breathtaking to view and add to the sense of isolation and despair as the trio battle to destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes. There are brilliant set piece showdowns such as the 7 Potters sequence which admittedly would have looked even better in 3D, the break in to the Ministry of Magic, which begins humourously but quickly descends to chaos and destruction, the visit to Bathilda Bagshot's home in Godric's Hollow which is creepier than most modern day horror films (yes really) and the climactic battle at Malfoy Manor, which brings me onto the main trio themselves. The acting has improved enormously for this seventh film.

The stakes are higher, there is so much more to lose and we are coming to the end of a big film franchise so quite rightly Radcliffe, Grint and Watson are acting their socks off. Hermione's tears when Ron leaves and her screams when she is being tortured by Bellatrix exemplify how great a leap Emma Watson has taken in the acting stakes. Grint, consistently the strongest of the three leads, shines once again here, showing a darker side to Ron but also delivering perfect comic timing and some really memorable lines. Dare I say it, Daniel Radcliffe has the whole franchise on his shoulders as the eponymous hero and as such his performance is terrific, at last. Gone is the embarassing feigned sincerity of earlier Potter films and in its place is a nuanced performance. Radcliffe takes you on Harry's journey at long last and the moment where he stands over his parents grave in Godric's Hollow is easily Radcliffe's best work in the series to date.

Alexandre Desplat has come on board to compose the score for Deathly Hallows Part 1 and whilst the score maintains a very understated presence throughout the film there are moments of beauty. The Obliviation which opens the film makes you empathise with Hermione wiping her parents memories and removing herself from family photographs; there are brooding choral tones to reflect the surgence of dark power and the threat of snatchers and death eaters, and then there is the sadness as we bid farewell to Dobby. I am proud to say I shed a tear for the pint sized 'free' elf. If only for a brief time it is fantastic to see Dobby back on screen in the series and his CG is improved.

As for the rest of the ensemble cast of Britain's best actors, Ralph Fiennes triumphs once again as Voldemort, preaching to his followers and personifying evil. Alan Rickman is sublime as always as Snape and readers of the book get the added delight of knowing that we will be seeing a lot more of this character in the final chapter released next summer. Jason Isaacs plays a dejected, downtrodden Lucius Malfoy shamed in his own home brilliantly, Julie Walters shines as always as Molly Weasley and David Thewlis surprises (in a good way) once again as Lupin. There are too many great performances to list and some new faces along the way who are given brief but memorable introductions. It is Helena Bonham Carter who particularly surpasses herself as Bellatrix. She is truly evil and clearly relishing vamping up the role.

Ultimately, even though there is no Hogwarts in site, this is very much a Harry Potter film. All the elements are in place, the action feels far more real, the performances are fantastic, the music is elevating, the cinematography is stunning and that final scene just makes you wish it was July 2011 already. Perhaps I'm biased as a massive Harry Potter fan but admittedly some of the Potter adaptations haven't entirely been up to scratch as a reflection of the quality of Rowling's novels but I'm thrilled to say that where Half Blood Prince upped the stakes, Deathly Hallows Part 1 makes for the best Potter outing to date. Be warned for younger viewers however - this is a genuinely dark entry in the series with some frightening moments. Oh and get your tissues ready for Dobby. As a parting note, watch out for the animated section telling the tale of the three brothers. Absolutely genius! Welcome back Mr Potter. 10/10

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 opens in cinemas nationwide November 19th 2010. Rated 12A in the UK.