I was quite leery at the thought of a James Bond film where we dove deeply into the character's past. Bond always struck me as a character that worked best in the present tense. Any attempt to explain his "origin" would be superfluous and reductive. Imagine my amazement when Sam Mendes' Skyfall proved that a film could be about his past and be a fantastic piece of filmmaking. I honestly think Skyfall is the best Bond film in decades--certainly the best Daniel Craig film. Imaginative, metaphorical (I love how it all ended at Skyfall ranch with Bond and M's pasts literally coming back to hurt them), and above all else BEAUTIFUL, Skyfall proves that established series can still be fresh and innovative. Wait, did I mention how good this film looks? I can't remember the last time a film made me pause due to its beauty. Scenes of Bond fighting the assassin in the glass skyscraper in front of a giant jellyfish...Bond going to a Chinese gambling den that looks like a temple...Bond fleeing from the fires of Skyfall...here is a film of light and silence, shimmering in splendor, harrowing in intensity.
9/10
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