After much anticipation (plus, many COVID delays), No Time To Die is finally hitting cinemas here in Australia.
Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, an American filmmaker whose previous projects include Jane Eyre and Stephen King’s It (2017). This Bond film feels extra special. Not only is it the 25th film in this iconic long-running series, but because it marks Daniel Craig’s last hurrah as everybody’s favourite MI6 agent. Combine that with the fact that we waited so darn long to see this film, naturally, our expectations were sky-high.
Those expectations were certainly met.
The tone of Bond 25 is almost immediately established in the film’s first few moments taking place in the rugged and icy outskirts of Nittedal, Norway. It is dark, gritty and perhaps a little bit isolating. This is something that has helped separate Craig’s Bond from the other portrayals of 007 since the very beginning. While the previous Bonds’ and their respective films were somewhat fluffy and often a little light-hearted, these Bond films are a whole different breed. Craig’s Bond is different. He may share the same charm, charisma and crime-fighting toughness as the others, but at the same time he is flawed, he suffers and he comes with a lot of baggage.
This is something that is emphasised by Linus Sandgren’s gritty yet vibrant cinematography. Without even seeing Craig onscreen, you can assimilate that it is one of his Bond films, just by the way it is lit and how it often seems as though there is a dark cloud lingering over it. We know almost immediately that they are not like the others.
This new era of Bond has been supported heavily by Craig’s performance in his 15-year tenure as the British agent. Craig portrays Bond in a way that is less superhero and more well, human. Sure, he is as wise-cracking and suave as the others, but he suffers from heartbreak, he is very vulnerable at times and is constantly battling his demons. It has never been more evident than in this film. Craig’s performance in No Time To Die helps highlight how Bond hasn’t just matured physically in the last 15 or so years, but emotionally as well.
No Time to Die tries its best to create its own legacy. However, saying that, it wouldn’t be a Bond film without subtle tributes to all its predecessors and we’re not just talking about the iconic gun barrel sequence or the inclusion of Monty Norman’s unmistakable theme-tune.
Bond 25 is littered with creative references to all the other great Bond films that came before it. There are no exploding pens or Aston Martin cars that become invisible, but the influence of the previous films on Han Zimmer’s hypnotic score is evident, the same goes for the ballad that singer Billie Eilish penned for the film. But perhaps the most notable tribute is Oscar winner Rami Malek’s (Bohemian Rhapsody) performance as Bond’s new nemesis, Lyutsifer Safin. As a strong character actor, Malek shines as Safin. His raspy voice and hardened stare with those piercing blue eyes are incredibly unnerving. In this film, he gets under your skin as much as he gets under Bond’s. It is akin to all the iconic Bond villains that came before him like Dr No, Ernst Stavro Blofield and Jaws. You won’t leave the cinema without thinking about Malek’s performance.
While the No Time To Die’s 2-hour and 45 minutes running time may put a lot of people off, the film’s fast-paced action and gravity-defying stunts will leave you on the edge of the theatre seat. With talented screenwriters like Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and the highly-acclaimed Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag and Killing Eve) at the helm, Bond 25 is a thoughtful action flick with engaging dialogue and clever storytelling. And with a strong emphasis on family, trust and the effects of power when placed into the wrong hands, the film makes for Craig’s perfect Bond swan song.
Nail-biting 4.5 stars
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