Daniel Craig's Quantum of Success

01 November 2008

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It is this statement that lies at the crux of 'Quantum of Solace'. How can such a far-reaching, evil and all powerful group have managed to slip under the radar of M16? The high-octane nature of Bond films means there isn't always time to figure out the how, it's more about the when, where, why and who's. True to form, this is what the vast majority of the film is taken up with - who is the elusive leader of the group? How far reaching is the organisation? Who is lining its pockets? And more to the point, is Bond pursuing this one as part of his job, or is he purely settling a personal vendetta?

Bond's motive is pivotal to 'Quantum of Solace'. Even M - who take on a particularly role toward Bond part-way through the movie - begins to suspect her star spy's motives are so personal they may hamper him from doing his job properly. After several attempts to cunningly ascertain how he is feeling about the death of Vesper, M eventually loses patience and snaps: "I think you are so blinded by inconsolable rage that you don't care who you hurt. When you can't tell your friends from your enemies, it's time to go."

Playing a slightly more fragile Bond, one who's teetering on the edge was a challenge Daniel relished.

"They think he's gone off course and that he's a loose cannon and his emotions have taken over, and that is a bit more complicated in the story," he recently said.

It was a statement Mathieu Amalric - who plays the films villain Dominic Greene - wholeheartedly agreed with: he claims it is Bond's somewhat perilous mental state which makes the film so unique.

"Bond has evil and good inside him now," he explained. "The ambiguity is good. I love this film - Bond is like a broken heart in it."

Broken and wretched he may be, but that doesn't stop Bond using his manly wiles in the movie. Most complex is his relationship with Bond girl Camille - played by Olga Kurylenko - a woman who is just as secretive and complex as he is. As well as a desire for revenge, the pair share a steely determination to get exactly what they want and will go to any lengths to ensure their ultimate aim is finally met.

"Finding beautiful girls who can act can be tricky but we narrowed it down and Olga just nailed the audition, she was fantastic," Daniel reveals. "She is a really good actress, plus she is beautiful, so it just fitted. She has this fantastic icy detachment about her, which is really essential for this part because both she and Bond are on this journey of revenge. They become reluctant partners and that makes for a very interesting relationship."

Olga has previously admitted she was drawn to the part of Camille as she "isn't a typical Bond girl" - she may be beautiful, but she is also intelligent, strong and determined.

Packed full of bitterness, revenge and recriminations it may be, but there are also plenty of light-hearted moments in 'Quantum of Solace'. Gemma Arterton's straight-laced character Agent Fields offers plenty of them, not least when she succumbs to Bond's flirting within hours of meeting him.

The British actress has been open about her sex-scene with Daniel, which was actually the first part of the film she shot.

"Kissing Daniel was great - I can't pretend it wasn't. It was my first day on set and I'd only met him once before - and then suddenly we were expected to kiss," Gemma said. "He was very cool and I was a giggling mess. I mumbled something like, 'I just kissed you!' and he just coolly said, 'Yes, you did. And now we have to do it again.' Fortunately, he's an incredible kisser."

Although Gemma's role in the film is somewhat brief, she is blessed with one scene which will go down in Bond history. The actress appears lying on a bed naked and covered in oil, and admits it as only the thought of how good the scene would look in the finished film which got her through shooting it.

"I was naked on the bed and they poured this gunge on me, and I had to lie there for three hours, not moving, while they shot the scene," she remembers. "I couldn't move, I couldn't see, I couldn't breathe or hear because the oil went in my ears. It was unpleasant, but it's something I'll always remember and it will be an iconic part of the film."

The scene is reminiscent of classic Bond film 'Goldfinger', in which the British spy's lover is found dead and covered in gold paint. It is bound to join the likes of Ursula Andress walking out of the sea in her white bikini in 'Dr. No' and Jaws chasing Bond through cable cars in 'Moonraker'.

However, that is not to say 'Quantum of Solace' borrows too heavily from any of the previous Bond films, rather this is a film which delves into the worries of the time and tries to bring them to the fore.

"The violence is abstract and that is to do with today as well, we live in a world where you can do everything by computers," says Mathieu. "Since 'Casino Royale', they have changed something in the texture of the Bond films and they are looking for something else that is really connected to the times of today, to say something about the world we live in."

It's a statement Judi agrees with, adding this is why she loves being involved with the franchise.

She said: "I suspect it will move with the times, which is why I think this one will be good for now - which are rather dark times."

However, Bond fans need not fear, 'Quantum of Solace' may provide an insight into the darker, edgier side of Bond but there are still more than enough witty one-liners, explosions and chase scenes - on land, air and water - to keep even the most die-hard enthusiast happy. Like 'Casino Royale' it tries to show a more realistic side to the secret service agent - there are none of the fancy gadgets seen in earlier Bond films and 007, but that's not to say movie bosses failed to flash the cash when making the movie, rather they splashed it in different areas.

'Quantum of Solace' was shot in more locations than any other Bond film, with parts of filmed in six different countries including Panama, Chile, Mexico and Italy. Over 200,000 rounds of blank ammunition were needed for testing, training and use during the film, and in order to film one full-throttle chase scene across a set of roof tops had to be removed and the roofs reinforced to prevent the actors injuring themselves. The movie's stunning climax saw the special effects team let off 54 explosions in 12 days simply to ensure it was as jaw-droppingly spectacular as possible.

With sexy Bond Girls, chase-scenes galore and a lead actor who seems intent of developing a dark, broody and previously unexplored side to Bond, 'Quantum of Solace' once again proves that far from struggling to make the role his own, Daniel Craig is exactly the right man for the job.

By Hannah Ferrett.

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