The title of this film really bothers me. Past Bond titles are all fantastic action titles: Live and Let Die, License to Kill, Thunderball. So what the heck is Quantum of Solace? Well, according to dictionary.com, "quantum of solace" means "a particular amount of comfort in sorrow." That's no Bond title.
The movie was good. Full of action, a few funny parts, very little swearing, and even the obligatory Bond bed scene was short and fairly innocuous. One thing I enjoy about the Bond movies is that they don't use actors that you've seen anywhere else, so you're free to focus on the plot rather than the actors. The one exception, of course, is Judy Dench as "M," -- but I don't mind having her in the movies because it makes me feel like I'm stimulating my intellect by watching an episode of Masterpiece Theater. Until someone gets shot in the sternum -- then I remember that this is a Bond film and not a Jane Austen adaptation.
One complaint that Lauralee and I shared is the "shaky camera" technique used for car chases and fight scenes. For us anyway, it is impossible to tell who in the world is driving which car, or who just broke whose arm with a 2x4. I actually found myself silently cheering when a car would drive off a cliff or a bad guy would get shot, because that was just one less car or person I had to keep track of in these confusing scenes.
I should also mention that Daniel Craig's pouty lips didn't bother me nearly as much this time as they did in Casino Royale. I'm sure they're not any less poutier -- perhaps I'm just getting used to their pouty quotient.
Anyway, we both enjoyed the movie, but as I watched it, I couldn't help but think that movies teach us so, so much. For example, in watching Quantum of Solace and its predecessor, Casino Royale, I learned a few things about how to chase someone:
1) It's not a real foot pursuit unless you're chasing someone on a rooftop.
2) Regardless of how many obstacles the chaser encounters (garbage cans, fruit carts, panes of glass, injuries) the chasee never gains any substantial lead.
3) Policemen all around the world shoot at anybody that runs away from them -- even if there is no immediate threat to their life.
4) If the chasee is a real pro, he will push and knock over as many innocent people as possible as he runs through a crowd. But as a chaser, you are expected to polite as you dart past people.
5) Any injuries you obtain while chasing will last only a scene or two. And by the time you're done with the chase, they will be virtually non-existent.
6) When the chase is over, and you've successfully killed the chasee, and you're all sweaty and your clothes are all ripped up and you've got blood all down the front of you, and you're walking back to your hotel, nobody will even give you a second look.
7) Girlfriends are never hotter for you than when your clothes are all ripped up and you've got blood all down the front of you. They're way more likely to kiss you, and would never dream of saying, "Look at you, you're disgusting right now! Don't touch me! Go take a shower! Yuck!"
With that in mind, here are some other things that the movies have taught me:
Rocky taught me that you can get punched in the face and stomach any number of times without losing consciousness, or even falling down.
Rambo (and, to some extent, Nintendo) taught me that machine guns contain an unknowable amount of ammunition.
The Godfather taught us that murder can be beautiful when it is set against classical music.
Friday the 13th taught us that good guys die the first time, but sometimes it takes 4, 5, 6, 7 deaths before bad guys are really dead. It also taught us to never fool around with a girl in a cabin in the middle of the woods. You might as well just paint a bullseye on your back.
The Bourne movies have taught us that it's really easy to knock someone unconscious with just one punch. Wait...doesn't this conflict with what Rocky taught us???
What Lies Beneath (et. al) taught us to never walk backwards when you think there may be someone -- or something -- in your house.
What have the movies taught you? Leave a comment.
Quinn
2 comments:
Hahaha, You are so funny. Ok I just took the twins to see Bride Wars and I have to say it taught me that two life-long friends cannot stay mad at each other... and that is comforting when you have twins who sometimes don't act like life-long friends. Great blog post.
Well Disney movies have taught me that if you just start singing and dancing around a large group of people everyone else will join in and know all the words and dance moves!(but only if Zac Efron is there.) And that Vampires do exist!
Anne
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