What have I been doing this week? I’m glad you asked! Here’s what’s been on my watchlist this week:
*Note: My reviews usually contain spoilers. You have been warned. Proceed at your own risk.*
Movies
No Time To Die (2021)
In Daniel Craig’s final contribution to the series, he reprises his role as James Bond. The film starts off with a look at Madeline Swann (Léa Seydoux) and her childhood as well as introducing us to the villain, Safin (Rami Malek). From there we see Bond and Swann leading their idyllic lives before we see their separation and the events that finally lead to Bond’s retirement. While life in Jamaica might suit Bond, it doesn’t take much to pull him back into the world of espionage once he realizes SPECTRE is still a threat, and that there is a biological weapon in the hands of the wrong people.
As fitting as the film seem to the current times, and as ripe as it is for both action and emotionally packed scenes, something about the pacing felt slow in the film. At a nearly 3-hour runtime, there were a fair few scenes that felt gratuitous, and could have done with some trimming. I also found Bond and Swann’s reconciliation far too easy and forced. Ultimately, I didn’t understand his willingness to sacrifice his life for the sake of two people who he could very easily avoid.
I was very happy with the cameos from Jeffery Wright, Ana de Armas, Billy Magnussen and Christoph Waltz – although it was rather disappointing that 3 out of 4 of those ended in deaths. De Armas’s Paloma in particular was a breath of fresh air, and she played well against Craig as the rookie agent.
While the film did have it’s good moments, I didn’t find the film to be very cohesive. It felt like several elements were just thrown together, and while they might have worked individually, the sum felt lesser than its parts. In a way, it was fitting for Bond to die to make room for a reset to the universe, at the same time, Craig deserved a better send-off to his 15-year long tenure as the iconic character.
Colourful Granny 