Skyfall

I daresay Skyfall is the best Bond movie.  Not that I've seen a lot of Bond movies.  But it helps that Daniel Craig is 007, and  Sam Mendes is at the helm.  This is James Bond at his darkest.  Surprisingly, this appears to be his origin story.  But it is also his future.  In keeping with the times, cyber crime and security is the threat in this one.  Can old intelligence techniques counter this new world of cyber-terrorism?  Is he getting too old to still be doing this?

The film begins with a typical action-packed chase scene in Istanbul; at stake is a hard drive carrying highly classified information.  M (Judi Dench) is forced to make a crucial decision for field operative Eve (Naomie Harris), with seemingly deadly consequences for our hero.  He eventually returns as MI6 itself becomes the target and M's job is imperiled.  The lady spymaster's computer gets hacked, and she gets mysterious messages from somebody who knows too much about her and the spy world.  What is the motivation?  "The sins of the father (or in this case, the mother) shall be visited upon the son" seems to fit the bill. 

Bond's mission takes him to Shanghai, where he meets  Severine (Berenice Marlohe), who leads him to our creepy villain.  Most of the action is London-centric, but the film's climax occurs in the beautiful Scottish Highlands.  This has to be one of the most gorgeously photographed 007 film ever.  Fans of the franchise will also recognize and enjoy the little references to other movies.

Other characters include Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes), a bureaucrat who wants M to retire.  Ben Whishaw is the young, minimalistic techie Q, emphasizing the out-with-the-old-in-with-the- new theme.  Without giving too much away, we finally find out what Skyfall means. (Side note: I wonder if his parachute jump with the Queen for the Olympics was a planned promo for the film.) We meet Albert Finney's character. Shades of Bruce Wayne's Alfred.  I know I watch a lot of movies and television shows, and I almost always figure out plot twists and turns now.  I'm happy to tell you that this one kept me guessing. I didn't see it coming.  Like perhaps, the sky falling one day.

The Decay of the American Family

When this movie came out I wondered why director Sam Mendes, who previously won an Oscar for American Beauty, is fascinated with the decay of the American family. As in his previous movie, this is the underlying tone of Revolutionary Road. It's set in the 1950's and focuses on Frank and April Wheeler played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet respectively. They are the typical American working family: young, beautiful, successful, adorable kids, nice house, manicured lawns and friends in the same social class. To an outsider it's the perfect, enviable life.


As the story unravels, the audience sees that Frank Wheeler is stuck in a monotonous desk job while his wife, April is left at home to tend to the kids and the house. They have assimilated themselves into suburbia. In the meantime, you also realize that the couple, see themselves differently. They are unlike their neighbors......that they have a more exciting life.....or at lease deserve a far more exciting life......the movie skirts around this idea and it is only when the realization of the banality of their life sets in that things begin to unravel.

The movie is a delicate study of a family disintegrating before your eyes. Leonardo DiCaprio is extremely moving as a husband and father who wants to provide for his family and at the same time wants something more. He showed great depth as an actor in this role and it actually surprised me that he wasn't nominated for an Academy Award. Kate Winslet is sympathetic as a woman losing her sense of self in suburbia. I should also mention the very good Michael Shannon who plays John Givings, a supporting character who's frank comments made the Wheeler face there banal reality. I really liked the movie but it was really hard to sit through it as an audience member because as the movie approaches it's climax, it was difficult to watch 2 people tear each other apart. It is a movie with no redemption much like Mystic River. I remember having this very heavy feeling when the movie ended. I guess it was very effective because it made me feel that way but nonetheless, it was not a pleasant feeling to have.

(photo from Moviefone.com)