Soviet Russia is history; the Eastern Bloc is practically non-existent; the Red Devils of Cuba and Venezuela are under control; religious fundamentalist terrorism is the new cliche… most important, the newly-appointed director of the latest edition of the franchise, Sam Mendes, is a bit of an art-house Left-winger himself! So where does “the finest example of British fortitude”, and the protector of democracy (as defined by America), James Bond, turn to find his new enemies?

The answer is simple… inwards, inside the very system he fights for. And that becomes only easier a job with a director like Mendes at the helm, who weaves very subtle yet significant personal touches into the film.

I’m no Bond addict, neither have I followed the franchise with the keenness of one, but from whatever I’ve seen of the Bond films over the years, I feel this is the most personal James Bond film ever. So much so that the climax of the film has to take place in Bond’s ancestral home in Scotland. And what a climax it is!

This is also easily my favourite Bond flick in the last 10 years. From the very premise to the performances, it excels in almost all departments. There’s no point in elaborating on the plot here, in fact it might work like a spoiler for many who haven’t seen the film yet. So I’m going to try and talk about the areas, the aspects that I’ve found mention-worthy.

Daniel Craig, for many like the author of this article, is the best Bond in years. But the man who grabs most adulation despite a relatively short screen stay is Javier Bardem. Arguably the biggest superstar of European cinema at this point in time, he pulls off the villainous Silva to perfection. The subtle effeminacy only adds to the sinister nature and as an actor it made me wonder how difficult it must have been for a robust and quintessentially ‘male’ man like him to have brought out the pansy side in Silva. The character Silva, created by writers Neil Purves and Robert Wade, embodies the traits of a man who is undoubtedly bad, but albeit with a past which has led him into the wrong ways. He was none other than Tiago Rodriguez, a prized special agent working for the British intelligence under M’s command. Things went wrong, M had to pull the plug, resulting in the creation of a Frankenstein of sorts. It’s through him that Bond looks within his own world in search of a new demon. M’s (Judi Dench) significant contribution towards Silva becoming what he is today also points to the brutal, inhuman nature of the espionage job, which Ian Fleming otherwise had made to look only sexy and charismatic.

But before we move on to the next context, let’s put in a word for the legacy of Bond films in terms of political incorrectness… to me, it’s still in continuum, even in an otherwise moderate Skyfall. The bad guy here is still not a Briton, neither an American, but a South European (either Spanish or Portuguese), Tiago Rodriguez, who rechristens himself Silva.

Continuing with the performances, Ben Whishaw’s revamped, young, geeky, coffee-sipping Q is a refreshing change, one must say. Judi Dench is as usual precise and effective in what probably is her last outing as M. Berenice Marlohe, as Severine, leaves us craving a bit more of her screenspace — if not for her histrionics, certainly for her looks. The other day I read in t2 that our man Craig was feeling shy getting naked while shooting with her for the shower scene. Got to admit, this leaves me a trifle doubtful of his normalcy as a human being, as I feel the French-Cambodian actress can even topple (read pollute) the chastised determination of some of my morally-rigid colleagues here in Tollywood!

There’s not much point in discussing the technical departments like cinematography or editing, as it’s only normal that they will be state-of-the-art in a film of this stature, and they are. Thomas Newman’s background score is befitting, while the title track rendered by Adele is one of the better Bond film songs in recent years.

Coming to Mendes, well, I personally have been his fan since his American Beauty days. But honestly, I was a little apprehensive about the outcome of his tryst with American mainstream. But after watching Skyfall, I will not hesitate to admit that he has brought something to the table which was absent in the last few Bond films, and that is a certain degree of individualistic auteurship. Be it the silhouetted action sequence on the highrise in Shanghai, the very presentation of Silva, the choice of the beautiful yet melancholic Scottish highlands for the finale, the quirky housekeeper Kincade in Albert Finney, or the teary-eyed Bond in the end… Mendes does try to imbibe a certain sensibility which is uncharacteristic of regular American blockbusters and does succeed to a large extent in making a Bond film which is not only thoroughly enjoyable but also uncommonly sensitive.

Do you agree with Parambrata that Skyfall is the most personal Bond film? Tell t2@abp.in