Sam Mendes
Skyfall

A few days ago, I was struck by a phrase from my friend Jargon (to whom I dedicate this review):

("Proud Mary" by Creedence N.D.R.) "is like Juve, Christianity, the old DC, Monti, Forza Italia, the Sanremo Festival, Amici and Laura Pausini ... things that with little effort can appeal to a large mass of people, the world has always been filled with them."

This made me think of distant times and of a friend, in particular, who, endowed with "dichotomically" bizarre tastes, usually listened to Cage, Stockhausen (etc.) but did not disdain dragging friends to decidedly more "pop" events like Spice Girls concerts and the like. Besides his famous sayings like "after a certain hour on the roads, it's Ceres guiding and not people" one that I've made mine inwardly recalled that the world is so varied and possibilities so wide that sooner or later everyone ends up being someone else's burba, so it's worth not being ashamed of flaunting intellectually reprehensible passions. 

Having said that, I've never been ashamed to share (some) popular delights but, on the contrary, I've always thought it was a reason for pride and distinction in a world where most "strive" to proclaim their uniqueness and/or being against everything and everyone: paradoxically a (my) attitude quite snobby, I know (obviously I'm not arguing with Jargon, whom I thank for the idea, nor with anyone else: I just like to seize provocations).

Among the low-class passions I live with is the one for the saga (both in print and celluloid) of the most famous secret agent in the Pop universe.

Fascinated since childhood (at the end of the review my personal Top Five) by 007, I've always recognized that, on average, the overall artistic level of the film series has rarely surpassed (except in a few cases) the level of good craftsmanship in producing enjoyable and fast "fantasy-action" films rich, however, in irony (even self), British humor, beautiful women (and charming men, of course) and able over the years (this year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the debut) to capture the changes in customs and society, especially western habits, and to attract in a transversal manner the presence of many "showbiz" personalities who often competed to have at least once in their lifetime a role (even small) in the circus. What I love most, however, is the fact that, regardless of quality, when I watch a film from the series at the end of the viewing, I always find myself in a good mood.

Starting from these premises, I don't hide that in tackling this last film (which ideally concludes a, never officially declared, trilogy, inaugurated with "Casino Royale", which, without too many "spoilers," at the end restarts everything from the beginning) there were several doubts that bothered me and all revolved around the fact that I read or listened to too many positive comments from people who generally competed to smear nastiness (often for free) on "my" Bond... (I feared an excessive denaturalization of the character to please a more "high" target audience: fear intensified by the choice of the director, among my favorites but certainly not among those I would have indicated.... Waiting for Tarantino)

Having seen the film (of which I will not mention the plot), I must say that I find it positive that the character has continued to have a "bastard" characterization that had been somewhat lost between the late '90s and the "0" years (ideally so James Bond reclaims the ground that had been snatched, in many ways, by the "Bourne" series), that the film has chosen to "flood" itself with (self) citations and homages (at a certain point I stopped counting them) on the occasion of the important (mentioned) anniversary, that the role of the villain has been entrusted to a formidable Bardem (a "villain" that will remain engraved over the centuries thanks to a chameleon-like performance), that Craig has been renewed confidence (a solid and unexpectedly ironic actor despite being blonde), that the supporting characters have been more "investigated" from a psychological point of view (something that also occurred in the previous two, including the overly reviled "Quantum of Solace") and that light has been (finally) shed on our hero's past. I also find Adele's song very nice as she decides to sing something suited to her range for once...

Superior to the standards is, of course, the direction with a couple of scenes (in the finale) with decidedly fascinating technical ideas.

Speaking of the negatives, I find that the only truly entertaining action scene (which often, from my point of view in this genre, goes hand-in-hand with "boisterous") is at the beginning and that the others rehash too many "choreographies" that are all the rage but are starting to be repetitive, that there are too many dilated moments that slow down the pace (usually a strong point of the series) and that what was supposed to be the twist is a bit "predictable."

A good movie that overall does not traumatize too much the "History" but was evidently enough for a certain type of "unfaithful" to shout miracle (I get the impression that many saga critics have seen too few films to give an objective judgment) and that managed (as tradition dictates) to put me in a good mood despite everything but which I certainly won't place in my personal Top Five (I believe few "faithful" will: they are not so unworldly as to immediately succumb to the flattery of the "refined palates"). But if a new beginning had to be given, perhaps this was the right way to proceed.

Mo.

1)      "Diamonds are Forever" (1971) by Guy Hamilton with Sean Connery

2)      "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (1969) by Peter R. Hunt with George Lanzeby

3)      "Casino Royale" (2006) by Martin Campbell with Daniel Craig

4)      "For Your Eyes Only" (1981) by John Glen with Roger Moore

5)      "Tomorrow Never Dies" (1997) by Roger Spottiswoode with Pierce Brosnan