Quantum of Solace and a New Kind of James Bond
Daniel Craig's Latest 007 Movie Hits Movie Theaters for Fall 2008
Oct 7, 2008
Quantum of Solace, Craig's second Bond movie is the much-awaited action flick, which hits UK movie theaters at the end of the month (October 31st), and North America 2-weeks later.
The first blonde-haired actor to play the secret agent proved the skeptics wrong with the success of Casino Royale and his appeal as a rougher-edged, more down-to-earth Bond. He is also the first actor to play 007 who is under 6'ft tall. This meant he had to wear stacked-heels for some scenes in this latest Bond movie, otherwise Bond Girl Gemma Arterton (Agent Field) would have towered above him in her sky-high heels.
Quantum of Solace – the Movie
The 22nd film in the 007 franchise is breaking with tradition. In this latest Bond blockbuster, writer Ian Fleming’s fictional British agent 007 does not ask for his martini “shaken not stirred” and no longer announces himself in the time-honored fashion of “Bond, James Bond.”
According to USA Today, in their April 4th, 2008 article “James Bond Series Takes a Quantum Leap”, “the last time the James Bond producers gambled on major alterations to the long-running formula, there was a huge outcry — and a huge payoff when Casino Royale finally came out.”
Daniel’ Craig’s portrayal of James Bond in Casino Royale in 2006 broke all box office records, making a cool $600+ million and becoming the highest grossing 007 movie in history.
Daniel Craig as Bond
Initially, die-hard Bond fans were skeptical about the choice of the rougher, blond, blue-eyed Craig for the traditionally suave and sophisticated British agent, however, the success of Casino Royale proved them wrong.
Daniel Craig’s second-helping of Bond has given him a $26 million lucrative movie contract for acting in a Quantum of Solace and a following film. The UK's Daily Mail says Craig is now “Britain’s highest paid actor,” in their 24 July, 2007 article of the same name.” However, Craig may feel he earnt every cent as he took a considerable number of personal risks in the making of the movie. Under the supervision of stunt master Gary Powell, he performs many of his own stunts and sustained a number of injuries during filming, including chopping off the tip of his finger and fracturing an arm. The November 2008 issues of Elle magazine also revealed that Craig underwent plastic surgery after being accidently kicked in the face by an un-named co-star.
The film features Craig taking quantum leaps over Chilean rooftops and dashing through the underground cisterns of Siena. There is also the usual Bond dose of high-speed, edge-of-the-seat car chases and speedboat pursuits.
An Eco-friendly Bond Movie?
The flick also gives an eco-friendly nod to the environment with the inclusion of an eco-hotel, a subterranean structure in the Chilean desert. Bond villain Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric, the French star of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), is portrayed as a tycoon pretending to be “green”, who is actually using a "Save the Earth" façade to hide his plan to seize control of South America's water supply.
A New Kind of Bond
The movie is directed by Marc Forster, who proves an unusual choice for a big-budget Bond action film. Forster’s previous films, like Finding Neverland, Monster's Ball and The Kite Runner were intimate dramas, and as a consequence Quantum of Solace explores deeper into Bond “the man.” The film follows immediately on from the death of Bond’s lover, Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale, and Quantum of Solace no longer portrays Bond as cool and in control. It reveals a weaker, more vulnerable side to 007, battling with his inner demons and allowing his emotions and judgment to be clouded by revenge.
In The Press Association's "Plastic Surgery for Bond Star Craig, October 9, 2008, the 007 actor talks about his portrayal of the special agent, saying that he hoped he had brought something new to the role."I wanted some fallibility. It's no good if Bond is a cocktail-swigging sexist pig with no interior struggle. Bond is often pissed off or upset, and I wanted to bring that out."
Quantum of Solace Release Dates
This much-anticipated Bond movie is released in the U.S. and Canada on November 14th, 2008. British fans get their dose of 007 earlier than North America as the movie is set for general release on October 31st, after its world premier at the 52nd London Film Festival.
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