"She sent you after me, knowing you're not ready, knowing you would likely die. Mommy was very bad."

        Since I have watched relatively few James Bond movies, I cannot think of some cracking classic James Bond reference as an opener to this review. I am just going to give it to you straight- Skyfall is the best James Bond movie I have ever seen.

         The film starts with a little outburst of the James Bond theme and immediately we are immersed into one of the most thrilling pre-credits sequences I have seen. Bond is chasing a man in Istanbul who has stolen a hard drive containing all the real identities of undercover MI6 agents when his boss M tells another agent, Eve to take a shot at the man, but she misses and hits Bond instead, leading everyone to believe that he has died. Bond has in fact survived and gone in a kind of emotional and physical retreat and only returns when M and MI6 get targeted by whoever has the hard drive. Though not at his topmost form, Bond goes after this man, who he then finds out is someone from M's past.

         This is the vaguest, most non-spoiler-y synopsis I can manage. Although it is very cool to get to watch a movie two weeks before North America (go UAE!), it is very obviously a marketing technique for the place itself (hello The Avengers!)  and I would like to keep the suspense alive for the audience as that makes the experience better.

        I am just going to enumerate all the things that I loved about Skyfall and talk about them. The most striking aspect of Bond 23 was its look. Legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins has helped it to become one of the most stunning looking films of the year and possibly ever in Bond history. From the ultra-modern setting of Shanghai to the dreary wilderness of Scotland, everything is shot so beautifully and expertly. My favourite action sequence of the film took place on a high-rise Shanghai building with the backdrop of a gigantic neon advertising screen and the all the fighting is done in shadows with the occasional light coming only when the gun gets fired. I sat throughout that part literally gaping, marveling at the mastery of how it was shot. I remember thinking this is the best use of lighting and shadows I have seen since my recent viewing of The Third Man, and then I swear there is a little nod to the film later on in Skyfall. I loved all the settings, from the oriental Macau to the busy London Underground, and both Deakins and production designer Dennis Gassner have done a mind-blowing job with the look of this film. I must also say that the focus on the blueness of Daniel Craig's eyes almost feel like a special effect in itself.

          Nowadays I actively avoid reviews of the films I am excited about except the occasional skimming, but in all my um, light research about Skyfall before seeing it, I kept coming across people saying that it is the "best acted Bond film ever". I can believe that. No one truly watches James Bond for its acting talent, and that is fine. As soon as the film started I could not help but wish I was someone like Bond because that would be so cool! But I was pleasantly surprised at how good the performances were. Daniel Craig, our Bond, and Dame Judy Dench as M shine the most, though baddie Javier Bardem is not far behind. Ever since Casino Royale, Craig has shown that his rendition of the famous British spy is more realistically badass and has a silent power about him. His third outing as Bond is definitely his best, when this aspect is maintained but there is also hurt and confusion and just about a hint of actual humanity in him, and he is not just the slick and suave espionage man, though he can be that too. We see him physically and mentally scarred and tired, and though Craig's Bond doesn't say anything, it is evident that he is reflecting back on this life of his. This film is Bond going back to his roots and re-realising his purpose and with that he has finally sort of become the real hero in this very made-up world. And holy moly, can he pull off a suit! Dench, who I have always loved as the snarky yet concerned M, finally got the chance to flesh out this character in the movie. As many are calling her, she is the true Bond girl of the movie and perhaps of James's life so far, the only person left he cares for and vice versa for her. Skyfall explores her relationship with him, her decisions and way of thinking and Dench delivers it all with the same wit and a quiet, emotional touch. Bardem, who plays Silva, someone from M's past and has a lot in common with Bond, though he is nothing like him, is really good as well. I did at first think he was going a bit over the top with the flamboyance, but by the end of it he was a very memorable and in some ways tragic villain. With his weird way of lip-smacking and questionable sexuality, he does make one laugh in a nervous way, but he is also scary, as one would expect from the man who played Anton Chigurh.

         The other actors are quite good too. Ben Whishaw is rather excellent as the new hip and young Q, though he is just as arrogantly brilliant and shut-in as one would imagine a genius of such less years to be. Naomi Harris is very cool as Eve and I love her flirting with Craig's Bond. The other Bond girl, Sévérine is played by the gorgeous Bérénice Marlohe though she sort of fades in comparison to Harris and obviously Dench. Finally there is Ralph Fiennes who does not have a huge part in the film but is great as the "good beaurocrat".

         Now I will come to the directing. When I first heard that Sam Mendes is directing a Bond movie, I snorted and went "That guy? The one who makes all the dramatic films? Him? LOL. This will suck more than Quantum of Solace." It must be noted here that I had a similar reaction to David Fincher directing The Social Network. So yes, the conclusion of all that useless information was that I am a big fat idiot and that great directors can make incredible movies, no matter what genre. Mendes directed both the action scenes and the sentimental ones equally well. This film is both a look back and forward for Bond, and aspects of his past are dealt with very well in the film, and Mendes is to thank for that as well as the acting that I spoke of earlier. I don't think most directors chosen for the job would have focused on the performances so much, but Mendes, being the dramatic director he is, did and that is what makes the film this good. And he takes risks with this film too. Towards the end Bond and M take a certain step and go somewhere, and I have never seen anything like that in a Bond movie ever. The film actually slows down to focus on that part, which though I wasn't a 100% sure of while watching it, am now more and more impressed by it when thinking back. Like yes it is a cool action movie, but there is so much more to it. Writers John Logan (who has written films like Gladiator, The Aviator, Hugo etc), Neal Purvis and Robert Wade (both of whom have worked on previous Bond scripts together) have penned a smart, witty, emotional and thrilling film together. The dialogues between M and Bond or Eve and Bond are especially funny, and Silva's big speeches are eerie and impactful. The ending too, I felt, was quite brilliant in the way it was written, acted and directed and I really appreciate its place in the whole story of Bond.

          Now as many would know, Skyfall marks the 50th anniversary of the Bond films franchise. The first James Bond film, Dr. No was released in 1962. The filmmakers have really tried to showcase this famous icon and his many iconic traits and associations in Skyfall. As I said, I am not that well-versed in Bond-lore, but from whatever I have seen, I found little winks to the many Bond-related things from the previous films of the franchise which I thought were splendid. I loved this whole circle of life thing that the writers tried to show in Skyfall. We go back to Bond's past and we also see a whole new future being set for him. Casino Royale was the beginning of a reintroduction of Bond, and with Skyfall and the fifty years of history behind it, the new Bond has finally been completely formed for our age that I actually think does need more than just a guy chasing a couple of other guys in fancy cars while sleeping with a few girls on the way. And I like this Bond, even though he does sleep with a few/lot of girls on the way.

        I have to talk about Adele's opening credits song, aptly titled "Skyfall". I have been listening to it pretty extensively since it was released and it works really well in this old-new Bond film. The credits are very cool too. But Adele's voice is to die for. Funny thing happened when I was went to watch the movie in a cinema hall. Nearly half-way through the movie the sound went, and the film kept rolling and then the projectionist decided to rewind it back to almost the beginning. Of course the whole audience got pissed etc., but after the credits and Adele's song got over, the film was fast-forwarded back to where we had lost the sound. Coincidence? I think not.

        Daily Mail has gone a bit over the moon (duh) with Skyfall and has started demanding Oscar attention for, I think, everything in it. But seeing as it does have one of the most Oscar-friendly cast and crew in probably ever, I too would like to speculate a bit. Sorry for whoever wants Judy Dench to get nominated- that's a tad too much. I think we can safely rule out the acting and the directing categories. What I do hope happens in awards season is that Deakins's perfect cinematography gets the attention it deserves. It is about time he won actually, and along with Moonrise Kingdom, I do think that Skyfall is the best looking film I have seen this year so far, so fingers crossed! Also Adele's "Skyfall" should be more officially adored, though this is probably just wishful thinking on my part.

       Skyfall was given a 15+ rating where I am, which was rather unfortunate for my twelve-year-old brother who really wanted to watch it. Honestly, he really could have seen it as there was nothing in it that warranted the rating. And I really wish he did. My dad missed it as well as he then had to take my brother home while my mother and I gazed upon some Daniel Craig, and I wish he was there too. Not because I am some strange family-loving girl but because I do believe that both of them would have loved it. My brother who has little to no knowledge of Bond and my dad who is just the opposite, Skyfall is the film for both of them, and for me. Mendes and Craig and the rest of the gang have made something really spectacular here that should be loved and admired by Bond fans and non-Bond fans alike.

         Till now my favourite Bond film was Tomorrow Never Dies because I actually believed that Pierce Brosnan *was* James Bond as a child and I really enjoyed this film. I still do. But maybe it is time to move on... Skyfall is the way.

Valhalla, I am coming.

           It has been more than seven months since the release of that awe-inspiring teaser for David Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which drove me a little insane. I finally saw it this week, and my waiting has been worth it!

              The story revolves around two characters- a disgraced investigative reporter Mikael Blomkvist, and a brilliant yet disturbed computer hacker Lisbeth Salander, and their unlikely partnership that is formed to catch a killer of women. Blomkvist is employed by Henrik Vanger, a retired industrialist, to investigate a case that has ailed him for forty years- the disappearance and apparent murder of his niece Harriet. When he unearths some clues, Blomkvist takes the aide of Lisbeth, who had done the background search on him originally. Together they solve the mystery, which takes the most unexpected turns and changes their lives forever.


           The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the based on the first book of Stieg Larsson's best selling Millennium trilogy of the same name. Contrary to the popular belief, it is an adaptation of the book and not the remake of the Swedish adaptation, which I saw immediately after the teaser was released all those months ago. As almost everyone has read the book or seen the Swedish version or both, I will not give more details. For those who haven't, well I just did you a favour and you will be deeply ingratiated to me forever. I personally feel it's an average book with a few high points and a lot of unnecessary parts. Here is where Fincher's version triumphs because it trims all those uneven edges and gives us a mind-blowing thriller, or as I like to call it- a true Fincher-thriller (Fincher Fangirls Unite!).

          As soon as those incredible opening credits start rolling, we know we are in for a bumpy, dark, violent, and magnificent ride. Set almost entirely in cold and chilly Sweden, the whole film has a very grey look that emanates the iciness of the settings across the screen to us, and just gets under our skin. That is only just the beginning because the film has some truly cringe-worthy moments, especially the infamous rape scene. What is really brilliant though is how instead of focusing on the actual violence, it chooses to show shots of the people who are causing it or to whom it is being caused. It makes it all the more disturbing and uncomfortable, and we just know how wrong it all is.

             In terms of the cast, the film is really driven by the two leads- Daniel Craig as Blomkvist and Rooney Mara as Lisbeth. Many people have not appreciated Craig as much, but I think he is such an improvement from Michael Nyqvist who played the character in the Swedish version. In the first half, when both of them haven't met yet and their characters are being set-up for us, Craig's Blomkvist is someone who is normal and rational and quite charming. He isn't necessarily James Bond (hehe), but we see how he reacts to other people- strangers and family, and even a cat, and we understand why someone like Lisbeth is able to like and trust him. I think he is the perfect yin to her distorted yang. Of course, the film's focal point is Lisbeth and Mara's eerily excellent, and as of two days ago, Oscar-nominated portrayal of her. People are rabid fans of Noomi Rapace's Lisbeth, and she is quite good and well badass-er. I think Mara's Lisbeth is quirkier, but also more dangerous. She is kind of funny; though she speaks a little, I actually laughed at some of things she said, and that bloody awesome t-shirt she is wearing when she first meets Blomkvist. She also has a sensitive side, as deeply buried as it is. But at the same time, she has this terrifying rage, which when it comes out, is so much more scarier. I mean, in spite of Mara's miraculous transformation into the tattooed, pierced, shaved and bleached Lisbeth, she still looked beautiful, but every time this side of her came out, I could only think of the phrase, "face of death". So yes, Mara's Lisbeth was more beautiful, funny and sensitive, and also way more deadlier and deranged. "Nod."

          Both of them had great chemistry together. I really liked the way we are introduced to both characters and the world of difference between them, and how they are brought together. Among the other cast members, I liked that Erika Berger had a more prime role in this adaptation and Robin Wright was just the person for her. Christopher Plummer was Henrik, and again he was very convincing in his slightly amused and aloof old man role. Stellan Skarsgård played Martin Vanger, and he was very good too. Lastly Yorick van Wageningen played Nils Bjurman, Lisbeth's twisted and sexually deviant guardian. He was really evil and disgusting. I liked how his bulging ponch was always in focus because we are supposed to find him revolting.

           Steve Zaillian adapted the book into an excellent screenplay, and as I said above, removed many of the unnecessary details. I think the film was more faithful to the essence of the book, than maybe even the book itself. The cinematography is harrowing and quite deservedly nominated for an Oscar. The incredible score by last year's winners Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, was snubbed by the Oscars but it just does wonders for the mood of this modern thriller. That Immigrant Song cover by Karen O is the cherry on the cake. As always, the editing is immaculate, which is something one expects from a Fincher film. It's all in the pacing, and that is what keeps one glued to such a film. One of my favourite scenes is when she gets robbed in the train station, and how she fights back. It's cool and then sound is muffled down and everything just happens.

         Lastly, and most importantly, comes David Fincher and his expert film-making skills. I remember how over-the-moon I was when this film was announced, because none can do a modern thriller like him. Se7en is easily one of the best thrillers from the last two decades, and Zodiac too is quite superb. But not only those, other films of his like Fight Club and The Social Network also come to mind because of his trend to portray unconventional, rebellious, disturbed and quite brilliant characters in his films. Lisbeth could have easily been his brain-child, and it only seemed natural that he will do justice to her. The film has all of his trademark elements in it- the exact investigation, the painful violence, the very dark humour (that Enya song in the end and again that aaawweeesssoommmeee t-shirt), the unforgettable sequences, even a few epic lines- "If you touch me, I'll more than alarm you." I already spoke about the look and the pacing, which are also quintessentially Fincher. Even with these, the best part of the film for me is what Fincher made Mara do. There were many shots of the back of her head, which is a clever tactic to make us, for lack of a better word, identify with her more. She is the focus, the epicenter, and it's her actions and feelings that we have to understand and we do, somewhat. Her outbursts, her lack of emotion and then the unexpected sliver of sensitivity- everything Lisbeth is expected to be and more, he captures it all. He made her a crazed genius, as maybe he is one himself. And for this, I cannot thank him enough (Fincher Fangirls Unite! x 2).

        A perfect thriller, which has been both rewarded and snubbed by the awards folks, though we don't really care, do we? I had only one problem with the film- it ended too soon, though it was quite the perfect ending. Anyhow there are two more books in the series, and I think the producers will go ahead with the adaptations. Though this film feels like perfection on its own, we want Mara as Lisbeth to fill us up with fear and awe again, we want that excellent chemistry between Mara and  Craig to continue, and we want Fincher back at what he does best. Here's hoping to see more adventures of the girl with the dragon tattoo.

IT'S HERE! IT'S HERE!!

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo has a proper trailer now. And Oh My Dumbledore it is amazing!! Other things about it-


1) I LOVE LOVE LOVE Rooney Mara as Lisbeth. Her hair keeps changing though...
2) Daniel Craig looks faaiiinnee with that stubble.
3) There is a somewhat thick Swedish accent among the people. It was difficult to understand at first, but then it was fine.
4) The music. The bloody awesome music!! Reznor-Ross, I salute you.
5) I know this will be better than the Swedish version.
6) Christopher Plummer still has those Captain Von Trapp blueee eyes.
7) I'm excited to see what Stellan Skarsgård will do with the character of Martin.
8) I liked Erica in the books, and Robin Wright Penn is lovely.
9) I don't know why only one of those Biblical lines were said though, but who cares?!
10) David Fincher is a wonderful, wonderful man.

I think I am going to cry with excitement. Guess what just became the number one candidate of "The Social Network" film of this year?

Thoughts

I might actually have a regular feature with this one. So thoughts:

1) Fincher on my Mind- The first leaked and then official teaser trailers for David Fincher's adaptation of Stieg Larsson's acclaimed thriller The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo came out this week. Needless to say, I went nuts. I saw the "apparently" leaked red band one non-stop, started hyperventilating when it got removed, and am now seeing the green band (?) one in similar fashion. And can you blame me? It's fucking Fincher making a thriller! The first time I saw the first trailer, I sat down and watched the Swedish version of the film. It was good, but Fincher and Fincher alone can make it great. I am already predicting falling in love with Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig within the end of this year. So Freaking Excited!

2) This is a continuation of the previous stream of thought- Fincher is apparently directing Cleopatra with Angelina Jolie as the title character. Um... I just can't... can't imagine what it will be like, look like, anything like. I don't know how long this has been in the works, but I just read the IMDb page for the film, and another internet article about it, and my brain has fuzzed over. I had been predicting that Fincher will be making more female-oriented films and dramatic ones, though he is mostly a guy-director. Yes there was Aliens 3 and Panic Room, and Marla Singer and Daisy...but Fincher seems like a guy's-guy. I think Jolie will be fine, as a cousin of mine pointed out- she is part of the Fincher-Pitt family, but still I cannot fathom what the film will be like. I was a bit skeptical about The Social Network too originally, and see how that turned out. Here's hoping it will be just as great.

3) Hungover...again?- I saw Hangover 2 this week. It was good, but honestly the same thing as the first one with a lot more violence involved. Apparently there might be a third one...in Amsterdam. Lots of questions popped into my head after this- Will Alan get married now? Because that will be weird. What will Stu do with the Red Light District hookers of Amsterdam? What animal will they use? How seriously will Phil get injured? And most importantly..WHY, OH WHY WOULD THEY DO IT AGAIN?? Seriously no one is stupid enough to get fucked over 3 times, no matter how funny or insane! (I'll do a quick review soon, after watching X-Men probably.)

4) Sequels- Peter Jackson-directed The Hobbit, will now be divided into two parts. I'm fine with it, but it does make me think that Deathly Hallows might have started some sort of a trend now. Sad names though- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again. How does one compare something like Fellowship of the Ring to There and Back Again...it sounds like a Backstreet Boys song for crying out loud! Also a sequel that I have personally been waiting for is finally in works...or is it? Paramount has apparently set the release date of Star Trek 2 next year June...despite the fact that there is no script or director or actors. I thought Star Trek was brilliant, and as much as I want to see a sequel, I really don't want it to be crap due to limited time and rushed production.

ALSO-

Okay...personal thoughts over. How about yours?