Friday, November 14, 2008

Bond with a Social Conscience

Quantum of Solace was an excellent movie—but not because it was another James Bond movie. Oh, the acting was good, the chase scenes exciting, the fight scenes believable, and the sex not quite so obviously a part of the ‘mystique’ of our favorite action hero. This time we saw no dazzling displays of future tech spy gadgets. The space-age hotel that blew up made me wonder why it managed to be so highly explosive, but the scenes from that part of the movie were particularly gripping. No, explosions, gun and knife fights while hanging from a rope and crashing through layers of glass and the usual cast of bad guys were all present and accounted for; but this was definitely not just another Bond movie.

The plot made sense without being grandiose—no moonrakers were going to colonize outer space this time. Instead, the eco-green movement became a force which contrasted poorer countries against the riches of their greatest natural resource—their—no, not oil. I won’t spoil the plot for anyone, but if I were to see this movie again, I would note who it was that stated: If we don’t do business with the bad guys, we won’t be able to do business at all.

Somehow we are never too sure who ARE the bad guys. If one nation can manipulate the political regimes of other countries, then are the manipulators as guilty as the leaders of those countries when people are made to suffer? As for the ‘silent consortium’ of schemers who work behind the scenes to control resources, one is made to think that this is more than a possibility.

Quantum of Solace is worth seeing. It leaves room for reflection.

2 comments:

Carla said...

I might have to check this Bond movie out, after all. Thanks for the review!

Anonymous said...

It's hard to believe I know, but the wife did not want to go see this for her birthday. I am going to go see it. I think Daniel Craig has been the best Bond by far. But, one thing puzzles me, What the heck does the title mean?