Movie review: 'Quantum of Solace'

Bond is deadlier than ever
in 'Quantum of Solace'"Quantum of Solace," the 22nd action film in the James Bond film series, has been getting mixed reviews. I'm probably biased, being a huge Bond fan and all, but I thought QoS was a lot better than some critics would have you believe.

The story is intriguing, with Bond pursuing revenge and revealing himself to be one cold-hearted killer. Daniel Craig is still charming as Bond, but he's harder edged this time out. At times, he reminds me of Popeye Doyle in "The French Connection" He's less the good guy and more the least bad of the bad guys.

This is interesting territory for the Bond franchise. For so long, the lines between good and evil were clearly marked. I think audiences today are more sophisticated and recognize that, as a CIA operative in the film says, you can't "just deal with nice people."

Another thing I loved about QoS is the way the villain's big scheme does not involve world domination or world destruction. Dominic Greene, (expertly played by Mathieu Amalric — who bears a striking resemblance to filmmaker Roman Polanski (!)) is only out to get filthy rich. Being a bad, bad man, he could care less how many people suffer so he can line his pockets.

QoS is not perfect. There are a couple story points that bug me. I won't tell you what they are because I don't want to spoil the plot. My biggest beef is, well ... I never thought I'd be saying this about a Bond film ... but QoS, while well-written, had some weak action sequences. Director Marc Forster and his longtime collaborator, cinematographer Roberto Schaefer, are relatively new to the action genre, and it shows.

The camera framing seems too tight on the action a lot of the time, which makes it hard to actually see what's going on. The editing is fast and frantic, which sometimes works, but sometimes results in an overwhelming flurry of visuals that don't make sense.

Overall, though, I really enjoyed QoS. It's a smart and gritty international tour through the world's seedy underbelly. If you like James Bond flicks, or you love espionage thrillers, QoS is a strong example of both.

(Jorge Sosa is a staff writer for the Hutchinson Leader. He can be reached at sosa@hutchinsonleader.com)