Who gets the credit?
darenhat
The Old PuebloPosts: 2,029Quartermasters
I'll preface this with the fact that I have not yet seen CR (waiting with drooling anticipation for Saturday) but from the initial press, it seems to have the makings of a 'good' Bond film...whether it performs well financially is another matter.
That being said, my question is "To whom can we credit the exceptional applause for CR?" Wilson and Broccoli? They've been at the helm of less than exceptional films, but they called the shots on this one? Martin Campbell? GE was a strong effort, but did it garner the accolades that CR is currently getting? Daniel Craig? He's certainly a new element to consider. Paul Haggis? Another fresh element to the franchise...a talented screenwriter. Did his script shine so well that it bears no resemblance to the Purvis and Wade efforts that came before?
I know that a film is a collaborative effort. But it would appear that something about this CR is different. Has EON managed to break free from the Broccoli/Saltzmann template and forge a new Bond of their own? Could this be the key in helping Craig form a new type of Bond?
I don't know the answers, but I'm curious what everyone thinks in regards to CR's success. And what EON can do to maintain it.
That being said, my question is "To whom can we credit the exceptional applause for CR?" Wilson and Broccoli? They've been at the helm of less than exceptional films, but they called the shots on this one? Martin Campbell? GE was a strong effort, but did it garner the accolades that CR is currently getting? Daniel Craig? He's certainly a new element to consider. Paul Haggis? Another fresh element to the franchise...a talented screenwriter. Did his script shine so well that it bears no resemblance to the Purvis and Wade efforts that came before?
I know that a film is a collaborative effort. But it would appear that something about this CR is different. Has EON managed to break free from the Broccoli/Saltzmann template and forge a new Bond of their own? Could this be the key in helping Craig form a new type of Bond?
I don't know the answers, but I'm curious what everyone thinks in regards to CR's success. And what EON can do to maintain it.
Comments
I haven't seen the film yet, either, but it seems to me that Broccoli and Wilson deserve the lion's share of the credit. Without their willingness to cast aside the old conventional thinking -- and that took some guts given that Bond was still a cash cow -- the creative elements that make the movie what it is wouldn't have come together. While most Bonds, I think, have tended to look to the past, this one looks to the future. That's what you call vision. I hope the film is a big success, or at least big enough for them to continue mining this new Bond and new Bond sensibility. I'm as cynical as the next guy about Hollywood motives, but I think that every now and then a successful actor, producer, director will allow themselves to be motivated by something other than money -- art, if you will -- and many times it will pay off. The numbing sameness of so many films is not, I don't think, a function of audiences'tastes so much, but a gutless industry. And this has been proven time and again. Nobody thought a swashbuckler in outer space would make a dime -- but look at "Star Wars." How about a low-budget flick about a has-been club fighter -- "Rocky." Human dramas and love stories were supposedly dead at the box-office. Wrong demographics because they don't appeal to teen-age boys. Then along comes "Titanic," and teen-age girls are seeing it again and again --and of course dragging their boyfriends along. This timidity is Hollywood's worst enemy. If you do something well, audience will recognize it. And one other thing: it's the story that matters. not the star or the director or the special effects. No story, no movie. Period.
to everybody, of course. Collaborative effort is the key. And yet...
Yes, It´s the first time that Wilson and Broccoli have the guts to step out of every shadow imaginable that the past could cast, so big credit to them. The franchise badly needed it.
Mr. Daniel Craig. Haven´t seen the film, but from what I can gather his performance is groundbreaking in every aspect. Also credit to Babs and Michael for casting him.
Credit to Ian Flemming for writing the novel, and again to EON for being faithful to it.
But, anyway, a few examples of the perils and the glories of collorabtion...IMO:
Great director/script/cast with a studio BEHIND them:
Jaws, The Exorcist, From Russia With Love, The Godfather, etc., OHMSS, Goldfinger
Great director/script/cast...with a studio AGAINST them:
Once Upon a Time in America (Sergio Leone's masterful 3-plus hour epic was cut in half for commercial release and completely re-edited)
Great director and cast with studio backing...but with a so-so script:
GoldenEye
Great cast with studio backing...but with a so-so script again...and the wrong director:
TND, TWINE
Studio backing...but everything wrong:
DAD
The idea of Bond being rebooted as a deeper, darker character is realised by Daniel Craig and then some.
The idea of a serious, grittier film with no clunky one liners is realised by Paul Haggis and then some.
To go back to the days of "real stunts" again is more than realised by Gary Powell, Chris Corbould and their respective teams.
Glamourous, exotic locations and set pieces courtesy of Peter Lamont...
That's just the tip of the iceberg - and I've just realised I've not even mentioned Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson for having the idea in the first place.
Casino Royale is team effort, a team that's worked exceptionally well together, and it shows.
I tend to agree with you, M5. I suppose the big step is what happens next. It doesn't sound like Martin Campbell intends to direct Bond 22 (or did I hear wring?). If they lose part of such a strong team, does the vision start to slip away? Granted, there are never any guarantees of success, even with a perfect group of artists. My hope is (and, again, I haven't seen CR yet but am using the reviews as a barometer) that Bond 22 maintains that level of excellence.