Quantum of Solace (2008) - Illustrated Reference
Quantum of Solace was directed by Marc Forster and premiered on 29th October 2008. Starring Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Giancarlo Giannini and Gemma Arterton. Screenplay by Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis & Robert Wade. Music by David Arnold. Theme sung by Jack White & Alicia Keys. 106mins.
After an assassination attempt on M, the organisation which blackmailed Vesper Lynd, is revealed to be far more complex and dangerous than previously imagined. James Bond flies to South America where he discovers a link between an MI6 traitor and Dominic Greene, a ruthless business man, and it turns out, one of the leading members of the mysterious organisation known as Quantum.
The title of the film was taken from the story “Quantum of Solace” by Ian Fleming, which was included in the short story collection “For Your Eyes Only” published in 1960.The film has no connection at all with the story.
Daniel Craig (1968-) / James Bond
Born in Cheshire, England, Daniel Craig's films include - The Power of One (1992), Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), Road to Perdition (2002), Casino Royale (2006), The Invasion (2007), The Golden Compass (2007), Defiance (2008), Cowboys & Aliens (2011), Adventures of Tintin (2011), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) and Skyfall (2012).
Mathieu Amalric (1965-) / Dominic Greene
Born in Huats-de-Seine, France, Mathieu Amalric plays Greene, one of the major players in the criminal organisation Quantum. His appointed task is to secure a piece of land in South America, rich in natural resources.
Olga Kurylenko (1979-) / Camille Montes
Beautiful Bolivian agent Camille's mission is to kill General Medrano, the man who murdered her family. She teams up with Bond to take down Medrano and Dominic Greene.
Born in the Ukraine, Olga Kurylenko's films include - Hitman (2007), Max Payne (2008), Centurion (2010), There Be Dragons (2011) and Oblivion (2013).
Gemma Arterton (1986-) / Strawberry Fields
Fields is an MI6 agent sent by M to arrest Bond in Bolivia and take him back to Britain. After succumbing to Bond’s charms she is found dead, naked on a bed covered in crude oil (in an homage to Shirley Eaton’s fate in Goldfinger).
Born in Kent, England, Gemma Arterton's films include - St. Trinians (2007), RockNRolla (2008), The Boat That Rocked (2009), St. Trinians II (2010), Clash of the Titans (2010), Prince of Persia (2010) and Tamara Drewe (2010).
Giancarlo Giannini (1942-) / Rene Mathis
Born in Liguria, Italy, Giancarlo Giannini films include - New York Stories (1989), A Walk in the Clouds (1995), Mimic (1997),Hannibal (2001), Man on Fire (2004) and Casino Royale (2006)..
Joaquin Cosio (1962-) / General Medrano
Born in Nayarit, Mexico, Joaquin plays an exiled General who makes a deal to give Dominic Greene ownership of a piece of land in Bolivia in return for help to get him back into power.
Returning from Casino Royale are Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter and Jesper Christensen as Mr. White.
M: Who the hell is this organisation Bond? How can they be everywhere and we know nothing about them!
Quantum of Solace is the first Bond sequel, it continues where Casino Royale left off. We learn a bit more of the shadowy organisation behind the scenes on the previous adventure and that it is named Quantum.
Bond drives an Aston Martin DBS V12 in the hectic opening car chase, the second unit director worked on the Bourne movie series. Unfortunately thanks to quick cutting and shaky camera work you can barely make out what is going on.
The famous gun barrel opening appears at the very end of this film.
The third film where Bond defies M and turns rogue agent, the first two were Licence to Kill (1989) and Die Another Day (2002).
While Casino Royale (2006) was the longest Bond film to date at 144mins, Quantum of Solace is the shortest at 106mins.
QoS filmed in three continents, South America, North America and Europe and six countries, UK, Panama, Chile, Mexico, Italy and Austria.
The theme song “Another Way to Die” sung by Jack White and Alica Keys reached #9 in the UK singles chart and peaked at #81 in the Billboard Hot 100.
It is the 4th Bond song with the word “Die” in the title, the others were “Live and Let Die”, “Tomorrow Never Dies” and “Die another Day”.
Quantum of Solace was another huge success for the series, grossing $586m worldwide, the second highest after Casino Royale.
M: Bond, I need you back.
James Bond: I never left.
In this writer’s opinion QoS is not in the same league as its predecessor, the film is cluttered with jerky camera work and rapid fire editing in an attempt to emulate the Bourne movies. The smarmy main villain is one of the weakest in the series, the song is naff and there are no standout action sequences. On the plus side the film moves fast, the girls are sexy, the music score is good and Daniel Craig excellent as the lethal super spy.
Roger Moore in a radio interview seems to agree saying that Craig was “a damn good Bond” but the film “had too much flash cutting it was just like a commercial of the action” he continues “you were wondering what the hell was going on. Casino Royale was better.”
James Bond will return in Skyfall in 2012 the 50th Anniversary of Dr. No.
The Critics Wrote –
"The shortest and certainly the most action-dense Bond ever, "Quantum of Solace" plays like an extended footnote to "Casino Royale" rather than a fully realized stand-alone movie. Stripped of Casino Royale's humor, elegance and reinvented old-school stylishness, Quantum has little left except its plot, which is rudimentary and slightly barmy, in the line of the Roger Moore pics of the '70s and '80s." (Variety)
"If Bond was a cold killer in Casino Royale, here he's a cauldron of boiling rage. M even puts him on MI6's capture-or-kill list while the CIA threaten to take him out. Craig puts in another powerhouse performance. It doesn't disappoint - just don't expect the brilliance of Casino Royale." (Daily Mirror)
"Hugely enjoyable Bond movie, with strong performances, a hard-edged script and terrific action sequences, even if the filmmakers do appear to have a serious case of Bourne Envy." (Matthew Turner, ViewLondon)
"See it for Craig’s fully-formed Bond: angry, icily unsentimental, and fleetingly borderline psychotic at the close. Craig inhabits the character with a ruthless charisma that never lets up. And he, above all, keeps you watching." (Daily Telegraph)
"The movie opens with Bond involved in a reckless car chase on the tollway that leads through mountain tunnels from Nice through Monte Carlo and down to Portofino in Italy.
The chase, with Bond under constant machinegun fire, is so quickly cut and so obviously composed of incomprehensible CGI that we're essentially looking at bright colors bouncing off each other...
OK, I'll say it. Never again. Don't ever let this happen again to James Bond. "Quantum of Solace" is his 22nd film and he will survive it, but for the 23rd it is necessary to go back to the drawing board and redesign from the ground up." (Roger Ebert)
