IR Film Review: NO TIME TO DIE [MGM]
Daniel Craig's final entry into the Bond series "No Time To Die" begins and ends with a finality to it. It harks back while looking forward. It does everything it likely should but in elevating Bond and making him more modern, at times, it loses a bit of what he is, sans societal norms. But even that psychology rings true in how it functions though it leaves little up to inference (as say compared to "Spectre"). This Bond, especially in this entry, is not frivolous (we only get that playful side actually in one sequence -- which ultimately is not necessary in terms of overt plot importance) --- but that sequence does give us Ana De Armas playing up in Cuba with a character that is interesting, a Bond girl at a point and yet not. It plays with the expectations but Armas gives the performance a little kick and a little wink (since obviously her interaction in "Knives Out" made an impression on Craig. The rest of the film is alright but (like many of Craig's Bonds) it does meander a bit.
"Casino Royale" was the cleanest of the films in many respects but this is because director Martin Campbell understood this approach in the intro. "Skyfall" was his best simply because the weight and tension of it matched the level of sequence. "No Time" in many ways is much more subdued. The players are all there but it is adjusted to be "right" which sometimes, of course, is not as dangerous and fun...yet can be more character suited. There is, of course, a basis ode in at least metaphor and psyche to "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" which is one of the best Bond films simply because of its one/off status and yet also because of the way it was structures (in almost 2 two part acts of the movie and a coda) and then the ending just had that element of loss (which this film has to a point but in a lesser way). It is hard to say what it is missing here. Maybe it was because Eva Green's Vespa was so broken that Bond's heart invested was to save her (despite her issues) but Lea Seydoux's Madeline functions in a much different way.
The only sequence that really brings this to bear correctly is before the credits roll in the beginning and it works because of the way Craig's Bond shifts into darkness mode which is a defense mechanism. What is interesting and the irony in that moment is that he is not afraid or cares if he dies...and that is the what is needed....but there is a waning throughout after that. Certain occurrences don't have as much impact. And the villain in Rami Malek, though diabolical and creepy at the same time, pales in certain ways to Blofeld. Waltz as Blofeld is a different approach but ultimately the reasoning of Malek's villain (though he gives an explanation) isn't felt.
It might be Malek because it comes down to certain choices because even Javier Bardem found a lyricism in his villain. So as a matter of course, "No Time To Die" fires correctly but not as often or at the right moments as it should. It is just ironic that the use of another music cue from another film has so much more power when it is played since you know what it means. Add to the fact with an Hans Zimmer score and a Billie Elish theme song there is no overt cues to signal just how the functionality moves because those tonal cues are important. James Bond will return the ending credits says...but we'll see what form it takes next. B-
By Tim Wassberg
