Movie Review: Quantum of Solace
An interesting footnote to "Quantum's" automotive themes is a cameo appearance by Aston Martin's CEO, Dr. Ulrich Bez (sounds like a good name for a future Bond villain, no?). Not long after assuming his role as the company's top exec, Bez vowed to get Bond out of BMWs and back in the seat of an Aston Martin. He accomplished that with "Die Another Day" (using a Vanquish) and remains an enthusiastic supporter of the marque's involvement in the Bond franchise.
There's a scene in "Quantum" where 1000 or so people are attending an opera performance. Several of the bad guys and gals are spread through the audience, plotting their next takeover during the show via wireless ear buds. Bond compromises their virtual meeting, and as they are bugging out, you'll see a tuxedoed Bez sitting just to the left of the main villain, Dominic Greene, played by Mathieu Amalric. I guess if you cough up as many Aston Martins as it takes to make a Bond movie, you deserve a few seconds in the spotlight. Good on you, Dr. B.
Quantum's vehicle product placement deal was obviously done with Ford prior to the company's sale of Aston Martin and Land Rover, as these previously Ford-owned brands are all over the film. Olga Kurylenko, the primary "Bond Girl," drives a new Ford Ka. There are numerous Land Rovers and Range Rovers to be seen, and Bond wheels a Ford Mondeo rental car in one brief scene. This is all good and well, although the appearance of a pair of black, tinted-out Edge crossovers in the middle of Bolivia is a stretch.
There was a rumor floating around that Daniel Craig wasn't much of a car guy and can't drive a car with a manual transmission. "Nonsense" said the steely eyed actor in a recent Playboy interview. He grew up a working-class Brit, noting that "we all learn to drive stick at a very young age."
What about the rest of the film? We'll leave that to the movie critics -- and you -- to decide. It is the shortest Bond films to date, and I'd trade a few explosions for a better script. But the human interplay and interpersonal conflict between the characters is well done, and first-time Bond director Marc Forster's work is first-rate. Daniel Craig raises the bar from his maiden 007 performance, showing a wider range of emotions and superb physicality. Besides shooting to kill, Craig's Bond hurts, forgives, grieves, and delivers crisp humor. But like most Bond's before him, he is awfully tough on cars.
Photos courtesy Columbia Pictures/United Artists/EON Productions/Danjaq LLC