Skyfall

If there's one gripe about Bond films, it is the lack of characters. Most films feel like action sequences interwoven with the barest minimum of a story involving international intrigue. This is a formula that's served the franchise well for over 50 years now. However, in recent times with Casino Royale and now, Skyfall, character development is suddenly quite important to the cannon.

After the disappointing Quantum Of Solace, EON went back to Sam Mendes and gave him the reigns to helm the next one. Rocked by cash flow problems, the production was quite troubled and took it's fair time to get started. Daniel Craig reprised his role as Bond while a host of the Bond cannon regulars returned such as Q (Ben Whishaw) and Moneypenny (Naomie Harris).

The story begins with Bond and Eve (Naomie Harris) chasing a mercenary, Patrice who has stolen a hard drive containing details of all undercover agents inserted by NATO in terrorist organisations around the world. This doesn't end well as Bond is mistakenly shot and presumed dead, while the names of the agents are revealed on YouTube. Bond however, returns and follows his usual around the world in 2 hours routine by dropping off to Shanghai and Macau in search of Patrice. He learns that the main player behind all this is Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem), an old Mi-6 man who has his own personal axe to grind with M (Judi Dench).The film oscillates from London and then on to Skyfall estate, the place where Bond grew up.

The direction is assured and thankfully doesn't have the jerkiness that plagued Quantum of Solace. The theme of cyber terrorism is well chosen and fantastically dealt with. Javier Bardem is stunning and the most memorable Bond villain for quite, quite some time. The suave brutality he brings to the table is a welcome change and one we are thankful for as Bond would be nothing if it weren't for his villains.

M (Judi Dench) has her biggest role of the series yet and she pulls it off with nonchalance. There is this world weary look in her lined face as the realities of the decisions she has had to make have made immune to what we would call human sensibilities. Moments abound that make you marvel at her command of her character, be it her quoting Tennyson at a public hearing or ruthless decision making that could see one of her agents killed.

Daniel Craig is again fantastic and brings that vastly human factor despite being ruthless when he must. Having seen all the Bond films, I am well placed to make a judgement and frankly, Craig deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Connery and when he is done, that might yet be elevated.

Above all, there is a distinctly different aura at work in the film that sets it apart from the 22 before it. Sam Mendes must be given credit but so must Neal Purvis, John Logan and Robert Wade who pull off a miracle of sorts by coming up with an action packed story that allows for an emotional undercurrent. In what could be truly regarded as a rarity in the Bond cannon, the characters are afforded time and space for development which works like a charm.

There are also small nods to Bond's history with his origins being explored and ironic humour such as Q's "Were you expecting an exploding pen? We don't really go in for that anymore" and Bond driving M around in a Aston Martin DB 5 from well, Goldfinger. The shot of the tombstone of his parents is also immensely poignant to anyone who's bothered to read the books.

While being a huge, huge fan of James Bond and having religiously followed all his adventures, I will admit that it had started to feel a bit old and grossly irrelevant. But, Casino Royale and more so, Skyfall has made Bond relevant again. 

So much so, that this isn't just a good film, it’s a bloody good film

                                                                      Trailer : Skyfall

                                            

Good Will Hunting

Nearer the end of the film, Will Hunting talks about childhood domestic abuse. He talks dispassionately about how his foster father would keep a wrench, a belt and a stick and ask him to choose. His psychiatrist says he’d choose the belt. Will replies he’d rather take the wrench. When asked why, he says “Cause F*** him, that’s why”. It sums up his resentment and desire to not care for authority and more importantly indicates the damage that a disjointed childhood can do, even to geniuses and savants.

Genius is well, genius. There's a reason they call it that. It's because us common folk can't make head or tail of it. However, despite knowing or being able to figure it all out, genius could do with a hard look at reality for once. Good Will Hunting attempts to cut past the trappings of extraordinary intelligence and come up with a story that is refreshingly relevant, even 15 years down the line. Written by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, directed by the enigmatic Gus Van Sant, the film won two Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor for Robin Williams and Best Original Screenplay for Affleck and Damon.

The story kicks off with Professor Lambeau(Stellan Skarsgard) at MIT,scribbling down a difficult problem for his students to solve on a blackboard in the hallway. The question is solved by an unknown student, leading Lambeau to put up an even harder one. This time, the solver Will Hunting(Matt Damon) is caught and the professor takes note of Will's gift of mathematics.

Will, however has numerous problems of his own. Orphaned and disciplined cruelly by his foster parents, there is the classic mental block that causes him not to trust in anything for fear of abandonment. His only solace are his friends Chuckie(Ben Affleck),Morgan(Casey Affleck),Billy McBride(Cole Hauser) who are as close he any one can be to him. His excitable character gets him into trouble with the law; Lambeau saves him recognising his immense potential with the only stipulation being that he must see a shrink regularly. Will plays with the official shrink and thus the professor brings in one of his old classmates, Dr. Sean Maguire(Robin Williams) to deal with this troublesome yet incredibly gifted young man.

Along the way, Will finds time for a relationship with Skylar(Minnie Driver),a British student at Harvard. Being the reticent genius that he is, Will finds it hard to accept his feelings for her and pushes her away so that she cannot do it to him, a fear born of his orphan childhood. This makes for a scene so intense; you can feel it gnawing at you. It is said that they fell in love during the making of the film and it is almost visible in their scene. Either that, or it's some of the best acting I’ve ever seen.

Robin Williams is brilliant as the neighbourhood kid who grew up amidst violence and strife, working to remove the demons of his patients. His concern for Will is in stark contrast to Lambeau's attitude of forcing him to make the best of his abilities, rather than resolve the issues that prevent him from doing so. There is a particular scene when he tells Will that "It's not your fault", backing him into a corner from where acceptance is forthcoming .In a way, it is a scene that is so ironic it is almost funny and we'd be laughing if well, we weren't crying already. The man with a high IQ and incredible talent needs a broken down shrink to see sense, there’s irony in that.And while we're at the irony part,I might as well remark on how a janitor at MIT is better at mathematics then well,the students at probably the finest technical institute in the world.

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are fantastic and do more than just justice to their roles. Initially when the film was being floated, studio executives wanted Brad Pitt and Di Caprio in the lead roles. While that may still have been a formidable cast, this one feels just right and in making Damon and Affleck’s careers in Hollywood, it’s  given us two great actors who despite all their excellent work since ,have probably never made a film this good. Matt Damon in particular is incredible as the savant kid who is smarter than everyone else, but yet can’t be bothered to prove it

On a personal note, I saw this film with a friend of mine who despite being more of a film buff than even me, opted to put it this way. She said "Any director worth his salt can make his audience shed tears of sorrow, but a director that can make you cry at redemption has truly transcended his art"

I simply couldn't agree more.