New Spectre Trailer!!

A new trailer for Spectre dropped yesterday and it is GLORIOUS.



Needless to say I cannot WAIT for my  James Bond/Daniel Craig fix come November. :)

spy stuffs

Happy SKYFALL Release Day!

Just in case someone in the world reading this blog has managed to miss the commercials and advertisements announcing Skyfall's release on Blu-ray/DVD, never fear because I'M HERE to make sure all the bases are covered. :)

(And really, any excuse to post Craig-as-Bond pictures on the blog gets my support.)

Skyfall is my favorite film from 2012, and honestly, one of my favorite films EVER, because really for what it's worth in my opinion it doesn't get better than Daniel Craig as Bond.

I mean, look at that FACE:

I can hardly stand it.

If you'd like to revisit just why I think Skyfall is so friggin' PERFECT, just check out the epic write-up HERE.

After all, you wouldn't want to disappoint sexy Voldemort, would you? *wink*

Happy viewing! :)

Skyfall

Oh my word. Oh. My. WORD. People, I'm not even sure I know where to start talking about why I think Skyfall is basically the best thing ever, Bond at his most brilliant. Fifty years ago James Bond first appeared on movie screens in Dr. No, all Technicolor gloss, 1960's sophistication, and Sean Connery, all hard edges and devil-may-care attitude. Some incarnations of Bond have arguably been more successful than others, but always there are certain elements in place -- beautiful women, exotic locales, thrilling fight scenes, and unimaginable peril. In 2006 the franchise took the opportunity of reinventing itself once again with the introduction of Daniel Craig, the sixth actor to play Bond (in the officially licensed Eon Productions film series) -- and with a new actor, all hard angles, rough edges, and piercing blue eyes, the chance to re-align the film series with the gritty tenor of its source material. And in a post-Cold War world, where danger lurks in the shadows of cross-border ideological factions and cyberspace, it was a move that was not only smart but necessary for the series to survive and thrive in the twenty-first century.

If Casino Royale (and Quantum of Solace -- that movie seems to get a lot of flack for failing to live up to Casino, but from my standpoint anything with Craig is ten times better than a Craig-less Bond alternative) reintroduced Bond, establishing him as the dedicated agent, but one who is damaged and fallible, Skyfall returns the character to his roots -- both in respect to Fleming's text and the early years of the film series. This is Bond deconstructed, cut down, beaten but not bowed -- and reborn. A Bond who acknowledges his history with a wink and a cheeky hint of a smile while walking into a second fifty years of filmic possibilities.

Because I can't help myself, and like have NO filter when it comes to gushing about things like Bond films, this post is going to be VERY spoiler-y. This is also quite possibly going to be the longest movie post of all time, with a ridiculous number of pictures. You've been warned. I can't help myself. *wink*

And here's another one:

Skyfall opens with Bond (Daniel Craig) and fellow MI6 agent Eve (Naomie Harris) in Istanbul on a mission to retrieve a stolen hard drive -- a drive that contains the identities of every NATO agent embedded in deep cover operations with terrorist organizations around the world. The mercenary in possession of the drive, Patrice (Ola Rapace), left a room full of dead or critically injured agents in his wake. But to Bond's chagrin, M (Judi Dench) has no time for sentiment when the bodies are discovered -- the aim of the mission, the retrieval of the list, must be achieved no matter the cost. The ensuing chase through the crowded streets surrounding the Grand Bazaar is absolutely thrilling, one of my favorite moments being Bond's pursuit of Patrice via motorcycle across the roof of the Bazaar. In a suit. All spying shenanigans should involve men in such suits.

Eve and Bond have a deliciously cheeky rapport -- she is the best kind of "Bond girl" -- intelligent, smart, sassy, and more than capable of holding her own in a firefight. When Patrice and Bond take their fight to the top of a train, she stays in close pursuit. Bond's use of the back hoe ON the freight car was positively inspired, and the moment he connects the two cars, walking down the arm and into the passenger car -- and STRAIGHTENS HIS SHIRT CUFFS!! -- is BRILLIANT. Even this Bond, no matter how damaged, how emotionally eviscerated we've seen him, this is a man who is still used to winning. Who thrives on his unflappable, collected, capable image. This veneer comes crashing down when Eve sees the train -- and the fight -- about to disappear from sight through a tunnel, and from the London offices M orders her to take a shot at Patrice. But Bond and Patrice are still viciously engaged, and the shot isn't a clean opportunity. Eve takes the shot and hits Bond -- and in seconds one of M's most valuable agents is plummeting to almost certain death, and the precious list is in the wind. And that is all before the opening credits and Adele's gorgeous theme song.

I just adore Adele's theme, and against a seductive underwater backdrop, where Bond's shed blood mimics branches of coral the filmmakers give us perhaps one of the most introspective opening sequences in the franchise's history. Yes, there's the requisite silhouettes of beautiful women, but sprinkled throughout are startling images of death -- graves, falling daggers mimicking headstones, Bond shooting blindly at shadows, bleeding out all the while. Of course Bond survives the fall, but the result is perhaps a bit unexpected when taken in relative to the franchise's history. This near-death experience has left Bond in the throes of a mid-life crisis -- the once impeccably dressed, unflappable agent has traded in his designer suits for wrinkled shirts and stubble, and heavy (well heavy for him) drinking while dancing, quite literally, with scorpions.

Back in London, M is being called to account for the lost list, the endangered agents, and the death of 007. The new Intelligence and Security Committee Chair, Gareth Malloy (a very dapper Ralph Fiennes) urges M to take the opportunity to "retire with dignity" -- but M, ever the spitfire, refuses to leave until the job is finished, the list made safe. When returning to the office with her Chief of Staff Bill Tanner (Rory Kinnear -- and since I've read two of Fleming's novels, can I just say that he is perfectly cast? Also of interest, you can purchase his reading of the unabridged Live and Let Die, which is SUPERB), they receive word that their computer network has been hacked. The signal is traced to M's own machine, and when the arrive at headquarters they are stopped by a police barricade and are shocked to witness M's office blown sky-high. It's a surgical strike -- a personal attack on M and her power and influence, one that leaves MI6 and its already hard-hit leader reeling.

When news breaks of the attack, Bond returns to London and unceremoniously shows himself into M's home. It is a stroke of genius, making the attack so personal. Of course there are wider ramifications (i.e., the endangered agents), but at fifty if a series is looking to prove its relevance, what better way to do so than to tear down the two most recognizable figures at its center -- M and her favorite "blunt instrument," the ever-faithful, always capable, James Bond. So Bond, broken and bruised, rehabilitates himself for field work. And this is where the script is just genius -- every ache is acknowledged. Craig pushes himself to the brink but keeps going, all with a wink and a groan and a long-suffering sigh. It's perhaps as "real" as this film is going to get -- but given Bond's historic oft-times seeming invincibility, it's a nice touch.

So that's the set-up -- and the balance of the film sees M and Bond proving their relevance and testing their mettle, seeking the mastermind behind the theft of the list and the bombing of MI6 headquarters. Taking a bit of a break from the play-by-play to look at what that does for the characters and storyline -- a veritable treasure trove for long-time Bond fans. MI6's temporary headquarters are in the old tunnels beneath London utilized by Churchill during the Blitz -- very literally taking the service back in time, back in history. Along with the "new digs" comes a new Q (Ben Whishaw), the Quartermaster in charge of equipping Bond for field work. Their first meeting was PRICELESS -- the wary Bond, representing the MI6 "old guard" and the floppy haired, thin as a rail Q who, much like his predecessor, refuses to be over-awed by Bond's brusque manner.

Q was played by Desmond Llewelyn for nineteen of Bond's twenty-three films, first appearing in From Russia with Love. When the film series is at its craziest, Q is responsible for equipping Bond with the most outlandish of gadgetry and weaponry. The rapport between Q and Bond, the former always exasperated by Bond's inability to return equipment unbroken is a long-standing story beat within the film series. Thanks to smart scripting, Whishaw and Craig have some fun with Q's history -- when he's given "only" a pistol (a Walther PPK/S -- I nearly squealed seeing Bond's sidearm of choice restored to him, with the added bonus of a grip coded to recognized only Bond's palm print) and a radio, Bond half-heartedly bemoans the lack of "bells and whistles." But by bringing the Walther PPK back into the spotlight as Bond's firearm, the film acknowledges it's history while maintaining a certain welcome level of street cred. *wink* And I nearly DIED when Q tells Bond to bring everything back in good working order -- of course that goes up in flames when a casino thug in Macau is dragged into an alligator's lair with Bond's pistol. When Bond hops on the alligator's back to escape their pit -- well I'll just say I wasn't expecting a nod to Roger Moore's escape from  Mr. Big's alligators in Live and Let Die.

When Bond's would-be assassin and thief behind the stolen agent list is identified, Bond follows Patrice to Shanghai with orders from M to discover the identity of his employer and then to eliminate him. Their fight, against the neon-lit backdrop of Shanghai's skyline, is just spectacular -- all struggling shadows, punctuated by gunfire and the glitter of broken glass. A gambling chip found among Patrice's belongings lead Bond to a casino in Macau, which of course got me to thinking about The Man with the Golden Gun. The casino is a classic Bond set piece, all rich reds and brilliant gold tones -- and it is there that Bond meets Sévérine (Bérénice Marlohe), the beautiful companion of Silva, the man behind the plot to discredit M and reveal the identities of the undercover agents. Sévérine fits perfectly within the canon of classic "Bond girls" -- as I'm learning from reading the novels, Fleming had a penchant for penning women as damaged -- or worse -- than his master spy. A study in that subject alone could prove very illuminating, to say the least.

With Bond's promise of help, Sévérine arranges to take him to Silva's location, a nearby island that Silva appropriated for his own purposes through fear-mongering and carefully-placed intel. Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem) is in many respects the other side of the coin when it comes to Bond -- the once-favored, capable agent, gone completely off the rails and turned cyber-terrorist. Silva, it turns out, blames M for his capture and torture at the hands of the Chinese years earlier. He's a curious, creepy mix of careful, precise manners masking a completely unhinged interior. Bardem makes Silva a megalomaniacal villain of the first order, in the best tradition of Bond villains -- only better (and by that I mean more disturbing) in that his focus is SO personal vis-a-vis M and Bond and the Service in general. He really reminded me of Christopher Lee's Scaramanga in Golden Gun -- not only the Macau setting, but the precision with which he approaches his work -- even their "duel" over a glass of 1962 Scotch (the year of Dr. No's release) placed atop the bound Sévérine's head for target practice (ending in her death, of course, because it is inevitable that at least one Bond girl dies per film). (Arguably among the most effeminate of Bond villains, some reviewers have pointed out similarities between Silva and other Bond bads such as Louis Jourdan in Octopussy or Wint and Kidd in Diamonds Are Forever, comparisons that likewise have much merit.)

With Silva's capture, all seems well -- and M heads to a public hearing on her leadership in office with the supposed win in her back pocket. But people, that would be all too easy -- for it was Silva's plan all along to be captured and brought within the confines of M's protected domain. With Q's backup (which was a brilliant balance of humor and tension), scenes of Bond chasing Silva through the London Underground and intercut with scenes of M in many respects on trial for her life, her very legacy at stake (interrogated by an Member of Parliament played by Helen McCrory, a.k.a. Mrs. Damian Lewis, the lucky woman). This is how much I get into this film series -- when she quoted the following lines from Tennyson's "Ulysses," I nearly cried:

Though much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

I loved seeing Mallory win Bond's respect during the ensuing firefight when he proves his mettle as a former field agent and takes a bullet in his should saving M's life. That wink of Craig's, oh that killed me. :) They win a temporary reprieve, and Bond takes M on the run, leaving Q and Tanner to spread a virtual trail of breadcrumbs for Silva to follow, culminating in a do-or-die face-off. (Mallory also wins their respect when he gives his stamp of approval to their unsanctioned, unorthodox scheme.) In a surprising and poignant move, Bond takes M to Scotland and Skyfall, which turns out to be the name of his old family home -- in the original Aston Martin DB5, first seen in Goldfinger. I knew that car was coming and STILL when it was revealed I could barely contain myself. 

I cannot begin to articulate how much I LOVED THIS TWIST. The novels hint at James's backstory and life as an orphan following his parents' deaths, but never, ever have we seen the childhood home, met the crotchety caretaker who new James as a child (Kincade, played with aplomb by Albert Finney). This was a storytelling stroke of genius. Not only has this film made multiple nods to Bond's antecedents, forced himself to re-evaluate his life and worth as an agent, but it takes us quite literally to where it all began -- the desolate moors and a home worthy of playing a setting in a Bronte novel. 

The final fight is a spectacular affair, seeing Bond, M, and Kincade face-off against Silva and his thugs, resulting in Bond's childhood home getting torn to PIECES. That hurt. But seeing no other recourse, when Bond chooses to set the fuse that literally blows his past sky-high -- that was a fantastic, layered moment. For while this entire film is in many respects a homage to Bond's past, by his willingness to burn his final tie to his childhood bond becomes a literal phoenix, rising reborn from the ashes, refined by fire. I loved the dichotomy between Silva and Bond's relationships with M here. The wounded M barely has the strength to withstand Silva, who reveals in full his complex emotions toward M, his "mother" -- issues that eerily reminded me of Norman Bates in Psycho. But it is Bond who proves true -- and on the land containing his parents' graves Bond saves M, only to have her die in his arms -- losing another parental figure (though neither would admit to it, I'm sure) on land positively saturated with painful memories. That scene just about killed me -- though Bond was soaked from his previous battle in the lake with one of Silva's henchmen, I have to choose to think those drops hitting M's face were a few hard-won tears. At his childhood home, Bond proves to be M's greatest legacy, the one thing she got right. (The water imagery from the aforementioned lake fight -- the idea of rebirth and renewal through this fight is really powerfully done, especially in light of the scenes immediately following with M.)

The final ten minutes or so of this film is a brilliant, BRILLIANT set-up for the movies to come. Having come through the fire and been reborn multiple times (three in this film alone by my count) Bond and MI6 are renewed and ready for duty. These last ten minutes -- oh it was like CHRISTMAS to my James Bond-loving heart. From the moment atop HQ where Eve gives Bond his bequest from M (a Royal Doulton Bulldog figurine painted with the Union Jack -- a possible nod to Bulldog Drummond as a proto-Bond figure), with the sun shining and the flag in the background -- which would be lovely enough, but IT GETS BETTER. Then Bond follows her below into her new office, where she's agreed to serve as Mallory's executive assistant -- and the moment I saw the coat rack I nearly fell out of my chair, and could barely contain myself from screaming oh no they didn't!! For Eve's last name, you see, is Moneypenny. Best character reveal EVER -- their rapport, their banter is going to be priceless in the coming sequels. And then to have Tanner open that familiar leather-covered door with a "he's ready to see you, sir" and Bond to enter to find Mallory behind the desk and say "reporting for duty, M" -- I am smiling SO HARD typing this as I relive that moment it is ridiculous. But I can't help it. In an uncanny fashion Bond has come full circle, always the same yet entirely made new.

Director Sam Mendes and team have delivered a Bond adventure that skates the delicate balance between embracing tradition and prepping for the next phase in the storied spy's career. After seeing this film, I'm thrilled to learn that screenwriter John Logan has already been contracted to pen the scripts for the next two films that will see Craig through his current Bond commitment. This is a smartly scripted action flick filled with humor, and daredevil thrills -- the bar is set extraordinarily high, for this Bond flick is very nearly perfect. I'm a shameless score junkie, and I was pleasantly surprised by the caliber of Thomas Newman's score for this film. A Bond flick seems a bit out of his norm, but he adroitly incorporates the notes of the original John Barry theme and its David Arnold adaptation while wrapping it in a lush, orchestral score with exotic flourishes reflecting the film's globe-trotting canvas. (I LOVED the moment when Silva destroy's Bond's car, and the look on Bond's face coupled with the notes of his theme was absolutely DIVINE!)

Skyfall is slick, spy-caper storytelling at its finest -- this, can this ever get old? I think not. *wink* If I missed any nods to the Bond canon, please chime in with a comment -- obviously, I can talk about this subject endlessly. :) 

Can. Not. WAIT.

Tomorrow, tomorrow, TOMORROW CANNOT COME SOON ENOUGH!!! :)

James Bond 007: Movie Deathmatch

I should note that it kinda kills me that Daniel Craig's Bond takes out Tracy in this clip... :P



For another take on all six Bonds interacting with each other thanks to some clever editing, check out this Sky Movies advertisement!

best two minutes of your day, guaranteed

A new Skyfall trailer:



I can't stop smiling. :)

He can really wear a suit, no?

Source: 007.com via Ruth on Pinterest

Source: 007.com via Ruth on Pinterest

Bond times six...

This is so awesome. All six Bonds, AT THE SAME TIME?? Well edited, Sky Movies, well edited...

New Skyfall trailer!

This new Skyfall trailer makes me so happy. So very, very happy!! This is gonna be so AMAZING!! Is it November 9th yet? Because I need it to be November 9th already.

Her Majesty and James Bond

This makes me SO RIDICULOUSLY HAPPY.



Seriously, I have no words, except maybe SQUEEEEEE!!! :)

Skyfall teaser trailer

I think it is safe to say this has pretty much made my day, possibly my week. :)

THIS MAKES ME SO HAPPY!

this makes me SO HAPPY...

Some weeks you think "a little Daniel Craig would really make this week better" and BOOM...the internet obliges with new images of Craig as James Bond in the upcoming Skyfall film. Thank you, internet...

The Adventures of Tintin

With no afternoon plans and a movie pass that expires at the end of the month, I opted to go see The Adventures of Tintin which had been on my radar for months (thanks to an extensive ad campaign). I'm really curious how many Americans like myself had little to no knowledge of the film's source material prior to the movie promotional campaign kicking into high gear. I had never even heard of intrepid boy reporter Tintin and his adventures until I started reading about what massive fans director Steven Spielberg and producer Peter Jackson are of the apparently somewhat legendary comic book series by Belgian author and artist Herge (Georges Remi). So that's probably why I came away from this film with somewhat mixed feelings -- it was good, just not the exhilarating, escapist adventure that I was expecting given the enthusiasm and filmic pedigree of the team that brought the story to the screen. I suspect Tintin is a movie made by fans of the source material that will resonate most strongly with fans of the same -- but I am very much open to hearing other views. :)

Tintin (voiced by Jamie Bell) is a boy wonder reporter, somewhat in the mold of Jimmy Olsen or Lois Lane (please, don't throw stones at my comparison -- I work with what I know, people). :) He has a penchant for adventure and is never without the accompaniment of his crazy-smart, faithful dog Snowy (an adorable terrier with a weakness for unguarded sandwiches). In an unspecified but very European 1930s outdoor market, Tintin purchases a model of the lost ship Unicorn. When two individuals promptly attempt to purchase the ship from him, including an unsavory fellow with the delightful name of Sakharine (voiced by the one and only Daniel Craig!), he senses a story -- an opinion that is solidified when his apartment is trashed and the ship is stolen, leaving behind an overlooked scroll with a cryptic clue, referencing at least twin models (and by extension additional clues).

In his quest to uncover the secret of the Unicorn, Tintin joins forces with the alcohol-swigging Captain Haddock (voiced by Andy Serkis), the sole surviving descendant of the original Unicorn's captain and the unwitting target of Sakharine's machinations. The quest to retreive all three clues necessary to discover the location of a treasure missing for centuries takes the unlikely duo (well, trio if you count Snowy, and personally I would) from Europe to Morocco and back again, dodging bullets and danger along the way.

This film took me back to my preteen infatuation with The Young Indiana Jones series, and any comparisons drawn between Tintin and Young Indy are to my thinking quite apt -- both young men hungry for adventure, with conveniently unlimited funds with which to travel the world (ha!), and a penchant for stopping baddies in their tracks. But personally there was a spark missing that made it somewhat difficult for me to "connect" with Tintin, and I think that lies in the medium of performance capture 3D animation. Now the format and style of filmmaking has come a long way since The Polar Express, but despite its realism there is still something that strikes me as soulless about the animation -- the faces and expressions often appear "flat" to me, an effect perhaps exaggerated by the realism of the clothing, hair, etc. Now I'm not trying to throw Bell under the proverbial bus -- I think he is a fantastic actor -- but in comparing his performance as Tintin to 3D performance capture veteran Andy Serkis, Tintin seems a bit flat.

That said, I really enjoyed the world this film created, very evocative of Indiana Jones's globetrotting adventures, and reminscent of movie serial adventures from the 1930s with its spirit of never-say-die adventure and optimism. The detail is incredible, and I found myself more than once distracted by the texture of clothing, the subtle alterations in a character's skin tone, a breeze blowing through hair, or the sheen of perspiration on Haddock's brow as he (unwillingly) weans himself off the bottle midway through the film. I also have to note Doctor Who and Sherlock veteran Steven Moffat's script contributions, which given my history with the man's work I suspect is greatly responsible for much of the film's humor. And John Williams delivers another impeccable score, alternating cues of high adventure with a whimsical, francophile-inspired themes that hearken back to the movie's 1930s serial style and time period.

I'm definitely intrigued see the planned sequel, particularly since it will be penned by Anthony Horowitz (FOYLE'S WAR!!!). For a grey Sunday afternoon's entertainment, The Adventures of Tintin was an enjoyable introduction to a previously unknown hero, a throwback-style adventure, where the hero relies on smarts and ingenuity to save the day and land the story of a lifetime. :)

Cowboys & Aliens

Last night I went to see Cowboys & Aliens, and let me tell you this movie may just be the surprise of my summer. Despite my long-term love affairs with Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford, and my deep appreciation of director Jon Favreau's work with the Iron Man films, I had extremely LOW expectations for this movie. I wasn't sure how the film's high-concept, genre-bending goal would play out on-screen. Amazingly enough - and perhaps because they played to the conventions of the western genre so well - the film manages to work. Cowboys & Aliens plays it straight when it comes to the western - this is a western so western John Ford would recognize it, that just happens to feature hostile aliens (as opposed to any of the western's traditional "big bads").

Craig is the mysterious stranger, who wakes up in the desert with no memory of his past and a mysterious shackle on one wrist. After acquiring the necessary trappings - boots, gun, horse, and the requisite scruffy and loyal dog - he rides into the desolate (and aptly) named Absolution. But Absolution is a town that doesn't welcome strangers, and lives in fear of crossing the wealthy and iron-willed Woodrow Dolarhyde (Ford). The stranger quickly makes powerful enemies when he crosses Dolarhyde's wastrel son Percy (Paul Dano), an idiot with an entitlement complex (Dano played the inventor Simon Feck in Knight and Day). Like some of my favorite westerns, the idea of complex father/son relationships and the search for redemption play large roles in this character-driven drama's storyline.

Daniel Craig was MADE for the trappings of the western. Fifty years ago, he would have been a staple of the western film genre. Not only does he have the look nailed (a fact I greatly appreciated), but he owns the manner and the attitude. He can say more with a look than most actors can say with pages of script. He brings the same intensity and depth to the role of amnesiac outlaw Jake Lonergan that allowed him to reinvent Bond in Casino Royale. What I loved about Jake - besides the fact that Daniel Craig's blue eyes shine all the brighter for the layer of dirt he's covered in for the film - is the way his experience with the aliens, his amnesia, gives him the opportunity to start over. It's emblematic of why so many people journeyed west -the chance for a fresh start, the opportunity to reinvent yourself uninhibited, or perhaps in spite of? - by the shackles of past sins.

I love Harrison Ford (hello Indy and Han!), but he's been so defined by those franchises sometimes it's difficult to see him in a role and not project either of his two most famous personas on the current role. His turn as Dolarhyde really makes me wish he'd had the opportunity to make more westerns in the last ten years or so - Ford fits in the genre so comfortably, one is able to forget for the length of the film that he is best known as adventurer Indiana Jones or roguish space captain Han Solo. I absolutely loved Dolarhyde's troublesome family relationships. It really reminded me of Robert Mitchum's character in the fabulous Home from the Hill, and the conflict that arises between his son and the unacknowledged, illegitimate son who desperately longs for his father's approval and affirmation. In this case, you have Dolarhyde's over-indulged and spoiled son Percy, and Nat Colorado (Adam Beach), the orphaned Indian boy Dolarhyde took in, who views the hard-nosed rancher as a surrogate father. Ford starts out as quite unlikable, and over the course of the film and the experiences his character endures softens, transforming him into a leader worthy of respect.

Ford and Craig play off each other so incredibly well in this movie. There are several occasions where they just look at each other, and don't have to say a word because their expressions say it all, and it is hilarious. The quirk of a mouth, the lift of an eyebrow, and like the best leading men in classic westerns they make know their intentions. How their characters move from distrust and animosity (in Jake's pre-alien encounter life, he robbed a stagecoach carrying Dolarhyde's gold) to mutual respect, and dare I say it - liking each other, is a lot of fun to watch unfold. The alien threat forces them to become allies, and over the course of the film they both gain a fresh start - absolution, if you will, for their pasts.

I suppose I should mention the aliens. Honestly, they were completely incidental to my enjoyment of the film. The whole concept worked because the filmmakers played the fantastical alien incursion so straight. This wasn't like a steampunk or even sci-fi western, this was a straightforward western where the adversary of choice just happened to be really revolting, disgusting, gold-seeking aliens. Ultimately, its the seriousness with which the film takes the conventions of the western genre that allow the high-concept alien-incursion thing to work. The townsmen and their eventual native allies view the aliens and fight them in ways that feel completely authentic to the 1870s setting.

I've never really been a fan of Olivia Wilde, but as the mysterious traveler Ella, who knows a lot more about the aliens than she's willing to divulge, she works really well. She has this angular, slightly hardened look that fits the rigors of the time period in quite an authentic manner. I really loved the way the film introduces Alice (Abigail Spencer), the woman Jake leaves his life of crime for, but only after one last score - one last score that makes them a target, ultimately resulting in Alice's death. As his memory gradually returns, that burden of guilt and the empathy Ella's past allows her to provide, sets the stage for a tenuous relationship that faces certain death in the best "against all odds" convention of the western film.

A few other quick performance notes - Clancy Brown turns in a memorable performance as the gun-toting town preacher Meacham. Keith Carradine is terrific as Absolution's Sheriff Taggart, who owes his job to Dolarhyde but desperately wants to do the right thing for the townspeople, in spite of the pressure of his benefactor's heavy-handed patronage. Sam Rockwell is fantastic and funny as the put-upon Doc, the saloonkeeper who longs for the respect of the town and wants nothing more than to be a hero to his wife. And in a blink-and-you'll miss him role, Brendan Wayne, grandson of John, makes his big-screen western debut as Charlie Lyle, one of Taggart's deputies (look for him in the saloon fight towards the beginning of the film).

Full of glorious western vistas (shot mostly in New Mexico) and packed with slickly-produced action sequences (I loved the creepy, displaced riverboat scenes), Cowboys & Aliens is a thoroughly enjoyable entry in the western film genre. The aliens are revolting, and a stark reminder of why I am never going to be a fan of straight alien flicks, but the western sequences are so wonderfully realized and its that gritty, persevering spirit that pervades the film and leaves a lasting impression. Kudos to Favreau and his co-producers (among them Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard) for making this high-concept genre-mashing idea work (for me, at any rate). Oh, and Harry Gregson-Williams a fantastic score that evokes the spirit of classic westerns of the past.

Filled with a smart sensibility towards the conventions of film westerns and a deliciously funny, self-deprecating sense of humor, Cowboys & Aliens is a surprisingly well-realized, wildly entertaining adventure. If you've seen it, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Comic Relief Favorites - 007 meets Donna

Since the newest Comic Relief skits (Doctor Who, Uptown Downstairs Abbey) broke on the internet last week, I've been inspired to look up some old favorites. First up is the skit from 2007 where James Bond, a.k.a. Daniel Craig, falls in love with Doctor Who's Donna, a.k.a. the hilarious Catherine Tate. Enjoy!

Cowboys & Aliens

Okay, I freely admit that any film called Cowboys & Aliens would generally be automatically dismissed by yours truly. But see, I have a thing for cowboys. And cowboys played by freaking DANIEL CRAIG?! I am SO THERE. (Did I mention that Harrison Ford is in this movie too?)

I was going through my emails and found where I'd emailed myself the trailer to this film a couple of weeks ago, with the intent of sharing it on the blog. So better late than never, right? Here you go:



Here's a story summary from the film's IMDB page, from the studio:

The Old West.. where a lone cowboy leads an uprising against a terror from beyond our world. 1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don't welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Ford). It's a town that lives in fear. But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known. Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he's been...

And just because these pictures are so fabulous, they deserve to be shared too... :)

Cowboys & Aliens is slated to open July 29, 2011.

Archangel

I have to be honest, the initial reason I wanted to watch Archangel was because of this fabulous image on the DVD case. Daniel Craig can be positively mesmerizing, no? *g* But let me tell you, this movie is so much more than just a showcase for Daniel Craig’s fabulousness. Based on the novel of the same name by author Robert Harris (who I've never even heard of till I discovered this film), Archangel is a crackerjack thriller, one where history collides with the present and long-buried secrets surface, threatening the fate of an entire nation.

Here’s a bit about the story from the back of the DVD case:

Archangel tells the story of four eventful days in the life of Fluke Kelso - a dissipated, former Oxford historian attending a conference in Moscow on the newly opened Soviet archives. He is about to leave the city, when a surprise visit from an ex-officer of the Soviet Secret Police changes his mind, revealing a deadly scandal which promises to expose dark secrets from the Russian underworld and the KGB.

When the man is found brutally murdered, Kelso seeks out the victim's estranged daughter to help unravel the mystery, which traces back to the night of Stalin's death.

Teaming up with the stunningly seductive Zinaida, Kelso embarks on a treacherous quest that leads to the remote Russian seaport of Archangel, where the final secret of Josef Stalin has been hidden for almost half a century. Relentlessly pursued by ruthless Russian authorities and immersed in an underground world of violence and intrigue, Kelso and Zinaida must race against time to expose the shocking truth. 

Intrigued yet? *g* This made-for-TV film was released the year before what I consider to be Craig’s breakout role as James Bond in the mind-blowing, amazing Casino Royale. That movie, my friends, rocked my world. The international scope and fast-paced storyline of Archangel give Craig the chance to showcase the screen presence that made his take on Bond such a success. His character has the sort of devil-may-care, offhand charm that he gave James Bond - but always, there's an undercurrent of tension and intrigue. Here Craig plays a British professor in Russia giving a series of lectures – the gist of them being stark reminders that Stalin was an evil madman. He discovers that his message is not one all Russians are willing to hear – in a time of economic upheaval, many are nostalgic for the efficient way things were run under the Communist regime. Then everyone had work, and that equaled pride and fulfillment.

I have to mention that I think Craig’s character’s name is absolutely hilarious – he’s “Fluke” Kelso, the fluke having two possible meanings. 1) His parents had him very late in their lives and 2) the book which won him professional acclaim was published more than five years ago, with no apparent follow-up in sight. When an old Russian man corners Kelso, insisting he has a story worth hearing to share, Kelso is shocked to have a potential find of earth-shattering proportions laid at his feet. His informant, Papu Rapava, was present when Stalin died, and under the direction of Stalin’s chief of security buried a notebook, believed to be Stalin’s diary. Though he spent years in a gulag, Papu never revealed the notebook’s location. Knowing it to be an item of potentially priceless historical and monetary value, Papu came to Kelso with his story, believing his status as a respected academician would authenticate the book, allowing him to leave an inheritance to his estranged daughter.

When Papu disappears before giving Kelso the book’s location, this is where things really start to get interesting. I absolutely loved watching Craig’s character comb the streets of Moscow, sitting at the edge of my seat while he’s followed by police and other, more threatening parties who have a vested interest in securing the book and its secrets. The atmosphere the filmmakers created is just incredible, I felt completely immersed in Kelso’s dangerous world. Craig wears the cloak of devil-may-care, brilliant academic well. If the Indiana Jones films were being made today, this role leaves me convinced that Craig would be an ideal choice for putting a modern-day spin on the role of adventuring professor who isn't afraid to put himself in harm's way in order to secure a find or get the story.

To make a long story short, and without (hopefully) giving away too much, Kelso joins forces with Papu’s estranged daughter (Ekaterina Rednikova) and a story-hungry American newspaperman (Gabriel Macht). The unlikely trio soon finds themselves in way over their heads as it becomes clear that Papu’s notebook, and their association with it, has made them pawns in a political power play designed to see Stalin’s legacy resurrected, no matter the cost. I really liked Zinaida's character arc throughout this film. She's been estranged from her father in large part because she works as a prostitute in order to get supplemental income, and also because her father was, well, cold towards his family. The deeper she and Kelso dig into her father's story, the more she comes to realize that many of the factors that made him the hard man she knew were forced on him by a dictatorial system. Perhaps her father's greatest legacy to her wasn't the notebook, but his legacy of survival, no matter the cost.

This movie is such a treat to watch unfold. I loved the way puzzle pieces dropped into place one by one, revealing a plot so unexpected and mind-blowing in its ramifications that it left my head spinning. This was a story I LOVED getting lost in. Not only did it give me two whole hours of Daniel Craig being amazing on-screen, but it played to my love of history – Russian history in particular – and how the past can condition and inform the present. Russia has such a rich, storied past, and the atmosphere, history, and “what if’s” Archangel makes it, in my view, a highly worthwhile movie experience. This is a fast-paced, fascinating film. I loved the filmmakers' pacing and color palette - the washed-out, often bleak look of the settings added to the film's intensity. I also thought they made very effective use of cutting between the present and historical scenes - very nicely done.

I'm going to end my review here...this is one movie that I enjoyed so much I don't want to delve too much into the particulars (hopefully I've managed to find that balance!).

The back of the DVD case label this an "R" rated film - honestly I'm not sure why. It's violent, but I don't feel it's "R" rated in its level or intensity. There is some language, but again I've heard more in many PG-13 releases. Just some things to keep in mind if you're intrigued by the story but like to watch ratings (I totally get that BTW).

You can purchase the Archangel DVD from Amazon here, currently at the fabulous price of only $6.49! TOTALLY worth that price!!