Casino Royale (2006) at 10 Years

Major_Boothroyd

I was always excited for this film. Fleming's first novel finally getting the official treatment. When I heard Craig's casting it was just after I had seen him in Munich and I thought he would be perfect. Layer Cake offered the superficial elements but that determined, fierce killer in Munich was the eye opening performance. The PTS, title sequence and song and parkour sequence followed by embassy destruction left me breathless unlike any Bond film before or since.

Casino Royale may be the best Bond film. I prefer FRWL - the fact that my two favourite Bond films are 43 apart is comforting because it means my favourite film series can still surprise and excite me. FRWL will always be my favourite, but CR is the one I'd always put on for a Bond neophyte to attempt conversion to join Mi6. It is the most emotionally satisfying and like the best bond films leaves me with a smile on my face at the end of it which is all I could ask for. Regardless of whether it's GF, SP or DAD, if your favourite bond film does the same for you then I'm genuinely glad it does.

suavejmf

When I heard Craig's casting I wasn't happy. I watched film and I was totally wrong. FRWL is the best Bond film but CR is a close second. I can't see it being topped in my lifetime.....the best Bond film since the 60's.

bondjames

Here's an excellent article I just came across on CR's 10th anniversary:

http://www.gq.com/story/casino-royale-10-years

I'm afraid I must agree with this section from the article:

"So what happened next? At the risk of damning with a compliment, my biggest problem with Casino Royale is that it might have been too good to spawn a follow-up that could equal it. The next film, Quantum of Solace, was a valiant attempt at a direct sequel that ended up being inferior in every conceivable way. The movie after that, Skyfall, is a crowd-pleaser with a truly memorable villain and the clever reintroductions of Moneypenny and Q—but it's still a step away from Casino Royale's smaller, darker Bond and toward the excesses of the Roger Moore era. And last year's Spectre—which featured Bond's arch-nemesis Blofeld for the first time in more than thirty years—was a flat-out disaster, saddling Bond with a love interest who was so unconvincing, in part, because Casino Royale had done such a remarkable job of selling Vesper as the one love of Bond's life."

Mendes4Lyfe

"Truly memorable villain" not sure I can agree with that. Maybe memorable in the sense that toothache is memorable.

OHMSS69

This film, Craig's first just gets better with time. Regardless of how good SF is the first Craig film is an instant classic.

suavejmf

bondjames wrote: »

Here's an excellent article I just came across on CR's 10th anniversary:

http://www.gq.com/story/casino-royale-10-years

I'm afraid I must agree with this section from the article:

"So what happened next? At the risk of damning with a compliment, my biggest problem with Casino Royale is that it might have been too good to spawn a follow-up that could equal it. The next film, Quantum of Solace, was a valiant attempt at a direct sequel that ended up being inferior in every conceivable way. The movie after that, Skyfall, is a crowd-pleaser with a truly memorable villain and the clever reintroductions of Moneypenny and Q—but it's still a step away from Casino Royale's smaller, darker Bond and toward the excesses of the Roger Moore era. And last year's Spectre—which featured Bond's arch-nemesis Blofeld for the first time in more than thirty years—was a flat-out disaster, saddling Bond with a love interest who was so unconvincing, in part, because Casino Royale had done such a remarkable job of selling Vesper as the one love of Bond's life."

Great CR article. Pile of crap Elba article.