Quantum of Solace
There's no solace in Quantum of Solace, but dude, that worked for me. It may have helped that I had really, really, really low expectations. I adored Casino Royale (um, obvs;)) -- it had that origin story magic, the kind that's extremely difficult to recapture in future installments.
I read some bits of reviews about Quantum of Solace, the consensus seeming to be that it's bleak and joyless, though full of plenty of typically stylish Bond action. None of that is untrue, and maybe that will make it too bitter a pill to swallow for a lot of moviegoers. But Quantum of Solace is very much a continuation of Casino Royale, picking up only moments from the ending on Mr. White's front steps, and therefore it was fitting to me that the whole movie felt like an expression of grief (repressed, 007-style), of revenge, of (as M puts it) Bond's inconsolable rage. He has perfected manpain by insisting that he has none.
Even the locations were largely uncomfortable extremes...sand, snow, cold rain, dusty stone quarry...no solace to be found there, either.
And leave it to me to find the bleakness heartbreaking. Strip away all emotion and I will project it for you, no problem! So! Let me break it down: it's all about Vesper, it's all about the shrapnel left from true love gone massively, drowndedly (what? I made it up!) tragic and the more he can't even bear to talk about it, the more emo I become on his behalf. IT'S A SERVICE I PROVIDE. Bond cracks the tiniest bit around the edges, swilling back half a dozen martinis (Vespers, of course) on a plane, slurring a little as he talks to Mathis and tucks her picture back away inside his jacket...strains of Vesper's theme from Casino Royale play in the background...and I'm sitting there with huge tears welling up, wondering if I'm going to have to break out the tissues during a fucking BOND MOVIE. I probably need to get out more.
ETA: Am now drinking Vespers (am not a martini drinker AT ALL because -- and you can go ahead and call me a girl for it, whatever, let's see who is standing at the end of the night -- I like some sort of mixer with my frickin' alcohol, but Vespers are the most palatable martini I've found) and rewatching Casino Royale. *sniffle*
I read some bits of reviews about Quantum of Solace, the consensus seeming to be that it's bleak and joyless, though full of plenty of typically stylish Bond action. None of that is untrue, and maybe that will make it too bitter a pill to swallow for a lot of moviegoers. But Quantum of Solace is very much a continuation of Casino Royale, picking up only moments from the ending on Mr. White's front steps, and therefore it was fitting to me that the whole movie felt like an expression of grief (repressed, 007-style), of revenge, of (as M puts it) Bond's inconsolable rage. He has perfected manpain by insisting that he has none.
Even the locations were largely uncomfortable extremes...sand, snow, cold rain, dusty stone quarry...no solace to be found there, either.
And leave it to me to find the bleakness heartbreaking. Strip away all emotion and I will project it for you, no problem! So! Let me break it down: it's all about Vesper, it's all about the shrapnel left from true love gone massively, drowndedly (what? I made it up!) tragic and the more he can't even bear to talk about it, the more emo I become on his behalf. IT'S A SERVICE I PROVIDE. Bond cracks the tiniest bit around the edges, swilling back half a dozen martinis (Vespers, of course) on a plane, slurring a little as he talks to Mathis and tucks her picture back away inside his jacket...strains of Vesper's theme from Casino Royale play in the background...and I'm sitting there with huge tears welling up, wondering if I'm going to have to break out the tissues during a fucking BOND MOVIE. I probably need to get out more.
ETA: Am now drinking Vespers (am not a martini drinker AT ALL because -- and you can go ahead and call me a girl for it, whatever, let's see who is standing at the end of the night -- I like some sort of mixer with my frickin' alcohol, but Vespers are the most palatable martini I've found) and rewatching Casino Royale. *sniffle*