Casino Royale (2006)

Introduced to 007 at a young age, I harbor a special love for Bond films, even the cheesy ones. Casino Royale is far from cheesy, with amazing set pieces and a breath of fresh air from its predecessors. This movie is essentially a reboot of the franchise and Bond's origin story as it dives into his first real mission. Bond, just promoted to 007, finds a link to Le Chiffre, a man who finances terrorist organizations. Upon finding out that Le Chiffre intends to host a high stakes poker game in order to raise money, MI6 sends Bond to play against him, hoping that their newest double o will topple Le Chiffre's organization. 

Casino Royale grabs onto the viewer and never let's go. To start with, this movie has phenomenal set pieces and locations. From Madagascar to the Czech Republic, this movie thrives in creating environments that are equally beautiful as they are intriguing. The opening scene is gritty and entirely in black and white. Bond fights for his life against an informant before getting the upper-hand with the iconic gun barrel shot following directly after. The next scene in Madagascar is riveting as the viewer has no idea what will happen next. I'll set the scene; Bond is chasing after a target in order to interrogate him and the man happens to be a parkour expert, leaping from platform to platform. It is fascinating to see the man expertly go through gaps as Bond finds easier ways around obstacles.

The movie also thrives in scenes that aren't filled with action, like the poker scene. As Le Chiffre and Bond standoff, the tension is at a high and few words are uttered. There is no need for explosions or gunfire as the stakes are high enough. 

Speaking of Le Chiffre, he is a slightly above average antagonist. He is incredibly cool with a scar on his right eye that tears blood. Yet, I find his motive slightly dull as it is purely for money and lacks complexity.

The best thing about this movie might just be the chemistry between Eva Green and Daniel Craig. The two actors perform amazingly off one another which is helped with good writing. Green's character, Vesper Lynd, might be the Bond girl I've ever seen. Her character is charismatic and smart, while also complex. Green is able to say things with solely her eyes communicating her thoughts. Craig also plays a younger, more inexperienced Bond very well, offering charm with danger. When we ultimately see the death of Vesper and her betrayal, it shocks the viewer. We realize why Bond is so untrusting and cautious of people. Lynd and Bond's relationship feels authentic and genuinely pains the audience to witness her death.   

Good writing should be able to utilize dialogue to add character development while developing the plot. It is entirely possible to combine implicit subtext underneath exposition. Casino Royale does just this as scenes generally have multiple purposes. As I watched this film, I couldn't help but compare it to Spectre. Places where Spectre struggles are where Casino Royale thrives. One has fantastic pacing, and the other is a complete mess. An example of this is when Bond is being tortured by Le Chiffre in order to find the passkey to the money he lost. The scene is horrifying as a naked Bond is strapped to a bottomless chair as Le Chiffre whips the underneath with a knotted rope. As Bond screams he laughs about how Le Chiffre is itching his balls, revealing character traits while also providing extreme tension. 

Casino Royale is a must watch for all Bond fans, acting as a fantastic reboot while revealing why Bond is the way he is. With fantastic acting, writing and set pieces, time to rewatch Skyfall and possibly Live and Let Die. 
- GL


8 / 10


 (Above) Favourite shot:


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