Quantum of Solace (2008) review

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Be advised: this review contains some SPOILERS.) Quantum of Solace is no Casino Royale, but then it never could be that. What made Casino Royale not only the best James Bond film to date but also a great film in its own right was its emphasis on Bond the man, its retelling of how he became 007, and his tragic relationship with the treacherous Vesper Lynd. Those are all unique to that particular story and can never be duplicated. Instead, QoS is content with being an extended but action-packed epilogue to its more thoughtful and romantic predecessor.

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The first direct sequel in the Bond series, QoS picks up shortly after Casino Royale and finds 007 (Daniel Craig) investigating the shadowy network that recruited Vesper to serve as its double agent. M (Dame Judi Dench) fears that Bond is merely on a personal vendetta, but the secret agent insists that he is only concerned with doing his duty. During his globe-hopping quest -- which takes him to Italy, Haiti, Austria and, finally, Bolivia -- Bond identifies several leading members of the mysterious Quantum organization, including eco-friendly tycoon Dominic Greene (Matthieu Amalric).

Greene, who publicly touts his environmentalist agenda even as he cuts secret deals in order to gain control over various natural resources, has his designs set on Bolivia and is in cahoots with would-be dictator General Medrano (Joaqu?n Cosio). As one of the richest and most powerful men in the world, Greene has connections to both the CIA and MI6 so Bond finds himself wanted by his own people once he gets too close to the truth. But Bond is not alone in his battle to take down Greene. The beautiful and mysterious Camille (Olga Kurylenko) is, like Bond, a damaged soul out to right a wrong from her past. Together, they will take the fight to Greene's doorstep.



As complicated as that synopsis may sound, the truth is that Quantum of Solace offers one of the skimpiest stories yet in a Bond film. That's not to say it's bad; there just isn't much "there" there in terms of plotting or character development. The impact of last fall's Writers Strike can clearly be felt. There might have been some more meat on the bone had the filmmakers and screenwriters Paul Haggis and Neal Purvis & Robert Wade had more time to hone the story rather than rushing to beat a strike deadline. While there are several crackling dramatic scenes between Bond and various supporting characters that give QoS much needed dramatic heft, the story falters when it comes to the villain's diabolical plot. It's a fascinating and topical notion that deserved further development.
Thankfully, Bond -- as played once more by Daniel Craig -- is the best thing in this Bond movie, which couldn't be said of many of his predecessors' outings. With his wolf-like eyes and menacing presence, Craig's Bond is a hunter who methodically and ruthlessly stalks his prey. Bond's wounded pride and shattered spirit is the heart of this story, but he is ultimately still a good man despite his vicious occupation. Interestingly, many critics have made the same mistake as M does in this story: they assume that Bond is out for revenge. It's not quite that simple. Bond has learned from the mistakes he made in Casino Royale, and analyzes things first rather than always letting his ego get the better of him. That's not to say he is no longer brash, just that he is now savvier and smarter. Bond isn't out for vengeance so much as he is looking for answers, closure, a measure of comfort. A quantum of solace.

Judi Dench continues to make M a fascinating character in her own right, part boss and part surrogate mother. We also get a better sense of Jeffrey Wright's Felix Leiter and of how he fits in with the CIA. Giancarlo Giannini's Mathis, another holdover from Casino Royale, enjoys several John le Carr?-like scenes with 007 that achieve a level of genuine pathos seldom seen in a Bond film. Olga Kurylenko is solid as Camille, but her character is more along the lines of Melina Havelock in For Your Eyes Only than a true love interest like Vesper or an ass-kicking counterpart such as Wai Lin in Tomorrow Never Dies. Camille isn't a terribly complex character, but Olga does a good job of delivering the role's more dramatic moments so that Camille doesn't seem so one-note. The other Bond girl, Gemma Arterton, has a small but spicy turn as Agent Fields, a trench coat-wearing redhead who might not be as all business as she'd like to think. Unfortunately, while Matthieu Amalric certainly has the countenance of a Bond baddie, he could have used more screen time in order to become a truly memorable Bond villain. As it is he is a better "big bad businessman" than Elliot Carver or Max Zorin but lacks the presence of Goldfinger or the cunning of Le Chiffre