Oliver revels in QUANTUM OF SOLACE

Our second review of QUANTUM OF SOLACE, the first was from Mark Clark. Not since DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER have we had a direct sequel to a Bond film that hinges on personal vengeance for plot motivation. After the plight of losing his newly wed in ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE Bond went on a personal hunt in the opening of DIAMONDS to track down the man who murdered his love Tracey Di Vicenzo. QUANTUM OF SOLACE similarly picks up the pieces from the last film (merely an hour after CASINO ROYALE) to continue Bond's mission to locate the mastermind behind the mysterious corporation (the titular QUANTUM) that resulted in the death of his former love Vesper (Eva Green). After a below par opening car chase sequence - which sees some hopelessly frenetic editing take the charge out of a potentially exciting scene involving Bond's trademark Astin Martin motor along edgy perilous locations - and an even more disappointing credits sequence (clearly lacking that Maurice Binder touch) the new adventure finally picks up some dignity with an edgy interrogation scene. The captured killer from CASINO (Mr White - Jesper Christensen) is interrogated by M (Judi Dench), Bond and others until it is revealed that we are only brushing against the tip of the tentacle as far as QUANTUM is concerned. Cue astonishing running sequences, boat, car and airplane chases and more kinetic mayhem for kinetic mayhem sake - a necessity we have come to expect from the series since the vintage Connery days. The ultimate trouble with QUANTUM OF SOLACE is following the convoluted plot details hung-over from the previous film, while keeping your wondering eye on the movements of characters during the distractingly edited fight sequences. Following a forensic lead, Bond (weather-worn Daniel Craig) goes in search of self-pegged (anti)environmentalist Dominic Green (Mathieu Amalric - wonderfully dead eyed) to stop the man from vanquishing power of a country's water supply by negotiating a deal with exiled General Medrano (Joaquin Cosio - mean and ugly). Along the way Bond teams up with Camille (Olga Kurylenko - worthy), a girl with a similar personal vendetta who happens to want the same two men dead for murdering her parents. Bond must use his skills and contacts within the CIA (welcome back Jeffrey Wright) and old friends (welcome back Giancarlo Giannini) to overwhelm the mysterious organisation and get behind the secret of the QUANTUM OF SOLACE. I must admit I had to glance on IMDB to recall some of these plot details because retrieving them from memory after viewing the film once is beyond all comprehension. Sufficed to say amongst all the distracting action sequences and talky mambo jumbo there is a half-decent bond movie trying to crawl out. And indeed QUANTUM is a very worthy effort, with committed performances from both Daniel Craig, who now fits the role like a well-worn glove and Judi Dench, who is now a dignified co-star rather than a cameo scene-stealer, who walks away with some of the best lines: "I don't give a shit about the CIA!". It also boasts a strong enough Bond girl in Kurylenko, (brain and bod: a bonus!) a broodingly believable and vicious villain in Green and flamboyant enough quirks, mocks and exotic locations to keep the Bond fans happy. Also they should be impressed by a better David Arnold score that breaks away from the late Brosnan techno formalities and nicely harks back to vintage John Barry spy themes. The problem is ultimately what the producers thought the last film lacked: high-stakes action sequences. Trouble is, while we welcome action kudos with Bond why on earth do the second unit directors feel that they must throw the camera around to evoke the realism? Instead all it does is distract you and distance you from the impact (something that ROYALE didn't suffer from). Part of the blame must be placed on the hiring of Bourne stunt coordinator Dan Bradley, and indeed when Bond takes part in an elaborate chase across the rooftops of Sienna its hard not to recall a similar scene in THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM. On the plus side and contrary to some critics' opinions QUANTUM does feel like a Bond movie. You only really need Craig in a tux to make that intricate connection, but it helps that you have the references. Whether these be in a characters' ultimate staged fate in an iconic image straight out of GOLDFINGER or a taster of Bond's continued preference for strong liquor in one heart-rendering scene with Mathis, these are all appropriate and don't overstretch the mark in any DIE ANOTHER DIE proportions. The deliciously exotic art direction also helps to paint the familiar Bond overtones: A classically staged scene set in and during an Opera is the piece-de-resistance. Also the climatic struggle is pure dramatic Bond with one uncomfortable and unnecessary addition: which I won't divulge here. It also helps that the film doesn't tie up the loose ends at the close, leaving room for more maneuvers and thus more Bond. VERDICT QUANTUM OF SOLCE probably won't be considered anyone's favourite Bond film but it does contain all the essential ingredients that should make it good by any Bond measure. The problem lies in its overly distracting action sequences which attempt to compensate for the lack in CASINO ROYALE. Luckily there's still substance here for the film to improve upon repeat viewing but at this stage in the game it will leave you begging for more...