Vesper Lynd: All right... by the cut of your suit, you went to Oxford or wherever. Naturally you think human beings dress like that. But you wear it with such disdain, my guess is you didn't come from money, and your school friends never let you forget it. Which means you were at that school by the grace of someone else's charity: hence that chip on your shoulder. And since your first thought about me ran to "orphan," that's what I'd say you are.
[he smiles but says nothing]
Vesper Lynd: Oh, you are? I like this poker thing. And that makes perfect sense! Since MI6 looks for maladjusted young men, who give little thought to sacrificing others in order to protect Queen and country. You know... former SAS types with easy smiles and expensive watches.
[Glances at his wrist]
Vesper Lynd: Rolex?
James Bond: Omega.
Vesper Lynd: Even accountants have imagination. How was your lamb?
James Bond: Skewered! One sympathizes.
A stunning entrance for Daniel Craig as James Bond. Craig brought back a lot of the classic feel by going for a more vulnerable and icy Bond than Dalton. My only critique is the lack of chest hair. (I am sure that others will disagree but...)
I think often there is misalignment between a directors and producers vision and the decisions of an actor. I think of Thor 1 when I write this. It was clear that Chris Hemsworth wanted to be bombastic, but the director wanted to play it straight like a shakespearean court drama, it works but only kinda. In the case of Casino Royale (CS), the opposite is true. Daniel Craig wanted to be blunt, efficient, and cold. I imagine his director working with him on if he could actually be colder. Then they went through and wrote in every metaphor they could for brute strength/club. It's basically too much. But, then again there's no such thing.
Now that I am going through all the Bonds, I like the call outs to the villain from Thunderball and the Dr. No on the beach entrance in the Bahamas.
Unexpected high point on this viewing was how creepy and unrelenting Claudio Santamaria is as the silent airport bomber. I wish him luck in his career and want to see him in more productions.
Expected low point , as with every time I see CS, the movie completely drags after the death of Le Chiffre. The betrayal of Vesper Lynd is important, but it might have made a better opener than a closer. The timing just makes CS seem so slow.
On a scale of High Card winner to Aces over 6's losing, I give Casino Royale 3.67 out of 5 stars.
oh yeah the parkour seems so silly a decade on. It looks good, but all it does is make me say "Parkour!"
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