Quantum of Solace Appreciation Thread- We Found a Better Place to Meet

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  • SirHilaryBraySirHilaryBray Scotland
    Posts: 2,138
    I always sit and watch CR and QOS back to back and it never dissappoints. True QOS ending of course was to be Bond arriving at the stately home of Guy Haines he finds Haines and white inside and assisnates them both.
  • Posts: 15,125
    DrGorner wrote: »
    I too usually go many, many times to see a new Bond in the cinema
    But with QOS, I disliked it so much I only watched it once, but watched
    It hundreds of times on DVD and bluray.

    That is one change of heart.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    I agree about it being more comprehensible on blu ray (particularly the car chase that has also grown in stature for me). There's something about the smaller screen and higher blu ray resolution that makes everything much easier to see - repeated viewings (so you basicaly know what's going to happen and are just picking up all the new stuff that you didn't catch in the past) also help.

    I too found the plot a little difficult to get the first time due to incredible fast pace. Especially when Bond goes to Haiti and meets Camille for the first time in the little Ford - then stops her trying to kill him after she sees her photo in the folder - then beats up the guy following them on the bike. The first time I saw it in the theatre, I remember thinking, what the heck is going on?

    CR was so much of an old school Bond (in terms of its pacing) that QoS just caught everyone off guard as the immediate follow-up (so short vs. so long, so fast vs. slower, less dialogue vs more dialogue, fast edits vs sweeping slower edits etc. etc.).

    The differences were so obvious that I'm sure this is what they were going for. That makes it all the more impressive (in terms of the risk they took with this film).
  • Everyone knows I don't consider this a "misunderstood gem" (an extremely pretentious statement, I might add, especially since I've seen it upwards of 10 times.) but I've written enough about that for now. And this is an appreciation thread so it's time to show a little:

    - David Arnold's best score. I read somewhere that Forster made him score from the script instead of scenes of the film and I think that helped Arnold develop a more atmospheric and thematic soundtrack overall.

    - The cinematography, when it isn't in close up, extreme close up, or being edited to within an inch of its life, is gorgeous. One of the best looking Bond films (which is really surprising since the film takes place in numerous locations that are aesthetically unpleasant)

    - Giancarlo Giannini, Gemma Arterton, and Daniel Craig. I personally think Craig regresses in the role, but it's of no fault of his own, he gives it 110% even with a (very) weak script. Gemma Arterton is one of the most memorable Bond girls in the series, quite a feat when considering her screen time. Fantastic performance. And Giancarlo Giannini has been written about a lot but I"ll just reiterate how excellent he is in his two films. They should not have killed him off.

    - Bond v Slate: It's surprising this fight actually works, but it does. It features the same editing that plagues the rest of the film's action but the difference lies in the concreteness of the shots and the small scale aspect of the fight scene.

    That's about it.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
    I think QOS is the best Bond score, D Arnold has done, some great action
    Pieces but also some fine atmospheric sequences too.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    Absolutely. QoS was a very good score from Arnold (and I'm not a fan of his generally).
  • TripAcesTripAces Universal Exports
    Posts: 4,585
    The film has grown on me.

    -Forster uses water as a strong metaphor throughout. It starts with the very opening shot, right over Lake Garda. The chase scene between Bond and Mitchell includes splashes of water; Bond has a boat chase in Haiti; the Bregenz opera house features a "floating stage" right on the water; Bond travels by boat to get to Mathis; and then--in the film's denouement, it SNOWS.
    -As mentioned before, Forster's editing and camera angles for the action sequences are good--perhaps TOO cutting edge and artsy. But I sure did love the intercutting of the Tosca scene and the shootout, and the woman's "gasp" in the middle of it. It's terrific film making.
    -The score. Two standout tracks: A Night at the Opera and the second part of Camille's Story. The latter is a terrific use of flamenco in one of the more surreal scenes in the bond series: Bond and Camille walking through the desert and catching...a school bus!? I'm reminded of Michael Douglas's similar fate in David Fincher's The Game.

    many have mentioned the writer's strike as having an effect on the script, and so the film deserves to be put into that context. Regardless, the one misstep, script or not, is the missed opportunity in the plane, when Bond looks to appear to confide in Camille. But then WHAM....here comes the plane chase. It was too quick, way too quick.
  • I recently rewatched the Craig films and my thoughts haven't changed. SF is the best, CR is a close second, and QoS is the weak link.

    I don't think QoS is as bad as it's biggest detractors say but it's nowhere near as good as it's biggest fans say imo.

    People have said that appreciation for it will grow like it did with OHMSS and (to a lesser extent) LTK but I'm not sure that's true, simply because I don't think QoS is anywhere near as good as those.

    To me it's a rushed pretentious film with bad editing and a shit theme song and a bunch of pointless irritating characters that tries to cram way too much into it's short runtime and as a result none of these elements really reach their full potential because they're not given enough attention. It's really inchorenent and messy because it tries to do so much, there's a lot going on and not enough time to do it all well, especially since half the run time is taken up by crap badly edited action (which is mostly just chase scene after fucking chase scene). Oh, and the title is awful as well imo. And the gunbarrel is the worst of the series. And the title sequence is crap.

    But this is an appreciation thread so I'll end this post on a positive note.

    -Daniel Craig is brilliant as Bond.
    -The script has some funny lines.
    -While he's not on the same level as Silva or even Le Chiffre, I've come to appreciate Greene, he's a nice hateable villain, a really slimy nasty piece of work.
    -The opening of the film with the roar of the Aston Martin cut with the gorgeous panning shot of the lake, is fantastic.
    -The score is really good. It's memorable but unintrusive and it sounds Bondanian without coming across as a pastiche like say, TND. I really hope Arnold returns at some point.
    -The car chase is pretty good, really intense, although the editing does drag it down.
    -The cinematography is gorgeous and the whole film is really nice to look at. It's really colourful and stylish.
    -Mathis.
    -Gemma and Olga are fit and Olga gives a pretty good performance.
    -While most of the action is below par, I think the fist fights are, for the most part, very well done. The hotel room fight is great, short but brutal.
  • DrGorner wrote: »
    I think QOS is the best Bond score..

    Let's not get carried away now.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,802
    DrGorner wrote: »
    I think QOS is the best Bond score..
    Let's not get carried away now.
    "Arnold has done" qualifies it.
    ;)
  • Posts: 11,425
    Yes, CR and QoS were really good efforts by Arnold. A shame Mendes ditched him IMO. It would have been really interesting to see how Arnold worked with someone like Mendes. Could have been a real classic score IMO, especially if Arnold had been able to work with Adele and incorporate her song into the score - he excels at collaboration, like Barry.
  • ThomasCrown76ThomasCrown76 Augusta, ks
    Posts: 757
    Waiting on a proper DVD release of the film. Irks me it hasn't happened yet
  • Posts: 15,125
    I thought I would write it here, no point making another thread on that, but am I the only one who liked the old lady dropping her tomatoes?
  • edited March 2015 Posts: 7,507
    Ludovico wrote: »
    I thought I would write it here, no point making another thread on that, but am I the only one who liked the old lady dropping her tomatoes?


    I liked the old lady! I'd love to taste her homemade tagliatelle with tomato sauce, possibly with some wild boar in it and a glass of Brunello di Montalcino. Yum! I am not sure she belonged in that particular scene though... ;)
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,802
    Ludovico wrote: »
    I thought I would write it here, no point making another thread on that, but am I the only one who liked the old lady dropping her tomatoes?
    I liked it; it was the next best thing to a Glen animal scare.
    =D>
  • OnlyManWhoCanOnlyManWhoCan Greater London
    Posts: 202
    Ludovico wrote:
    I thought I would write it here, no point making another thread on that, but am I the only one who liked the old lady dropping her tomatoes?

    It feels like a very old-school Bond moment (like when Roger Moore nicks the car in A View to a Kill and it's owner says in a very Monty Python-esque French accent: "My car! Oh, my car!")

    And for that I love it.
  • Posts: 15,125
    I watched some review online, I think it was Haphazard Stuff or whatever his internet name is, really rip apart that bit. People complained that the movie is too dark, too grim, there is a light moment, some people complain about it. Get a grip and try to be consistent with your criticism.
  • edited March 2015 Posts: 7,507
    I am usually a fan of Hapahazards reviews, but his QoS one was a disappointment... I do agree that the chase scene has too many "throwaway shots" though. But I don't think the old woman represented the cardinal sin in that regard.
  • Posts: 11,189
    I agreed with him on quite a lot of it. His comment about it not being the worst but the most disappointing (after CR) was fairly accurate.
  • Posts: 15,125
    BAIN123 wrote: »
    I agreed with him on quite a lot of it. His comment about it not being the worst but the most disappointing (after CR) was fairly accurate.

    Yes but he was unfair on so many points. Like the old woman bit, which didn't take anything away from the movie or detract from the quality of the chase (which I was not a fan on to begin with). What he said about Greene was mostly wrong too, especially when he complained about the introduction of the character. Was it any different than Goldfinger's, or Kristatos's? Villain walks in, or character walks in on villain.
  • edited March 2015 Posts: 11,189
    I suppose the thing with the likes of GF is that their scheme/personality is developed well throughout the film. Even if they don't have a great visual intro, they still have enough of a personality and presence to make them memorable.

    Goldfinger's intro I'd argue was quite memorable anyway as he was exposed as a cheat.
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    BAIN123 wrote: »
    His comment about it not being the worst but the most disappointing (after CR) was fairly accurate.

    This is my feeling completely.
  • Posts: 11,189
    It might also be relevant to note that Greene and Bond don't come face-to-face or even communicate with one another until much later in the film.

    At least in FYEO Bond and Kristatos interact fairly early on.
  • Posts: 11,189
    I suppose what I mean is that there's a fairly clear relationship between the two that's set out.
  • Posts: 1,394
    Funny thing about QOS is that i think it deserves all the criticism it gets and Skyfall gets nowhere near as much criticism it deserves.
  • Posts: 15,125
    BAIN123 wrote: »
    I suppose the thing with the likes of GF is that their scheme/personality is developed well throughout the film. Even if they don't have a great visual intro, they still have enough of a personality and presence to make them memorable.

    Goldfinger's intro I'd argue was quite memorable anyway as he was exposed as a cheat.

    And Greene was introduced as a sociopath.
  • Posts: 15,125
    BAIN123 wrote: »
    It might also be relevant to note that Greene and Bond don't come face-to-face or even communicate with one another until much later in the film.

    At least in FYEO Bond and Kristatos interact fairly early on.

    I actually don't mind that. No and Bond got to interact very late in the movie, and before the final showdown it was basically one conversation. Then that was it. QOS has flaws regarding the villain(s), I think it can be sum up by not making the movie about a committee of villains the way FRWL was (and to a lesser extend TLD and FYEO), nevertheless Greene is introduced fairly early on and is depicted as a snake from very early on. Slippery, devious and sometimes quick to destructive outbursts of anger.
  • Posts: 1,596
    I think I've mentioned this before, but just so I don't sound like I'm constantly bashing the film, there is much to like, particularly the cinematography. When it isn't edited to within an inch of its life (typically non-action sequences) and doesn't get too close to the actors' faces, it's absolutely lush and gorgeous.
  • Posts: 11,189
    I was wrong, they do come face-to-face at Tosca if I remember, nonetheless there still isn't that personal dialogue until sometime later on.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,802
    QOS; the Best Bond of the 21st Century.
    So far.
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