UK Film- Casino Royale Review

Casino Royale is a UK film based on the novel by Ian Fleming. It is directed by Martin Campbell, written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Paul Haggis and produced by Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. It was released on the 14^th November 2006 in the UK at the London Premiere and it has a running time of 144 minutes. Due to scenes involving torture, violence, sexual content and nudity, it has been rated as a PG-13. Casino Royale was mainly shot at the Barrandov Studios in Prague with further shooting in the Bahamas, Italy and the UK. The film had a budget of about $150, 000, 000.

Starring Daniel Craig (James Bond), Eva Green (Vesper Lynd), Mads Mikkelsen (Le Chiffre), Judi Dench (M), Jeffrey Wright (Felix Leiter) and Giancarlo Giannini (Rene Mathis), Casino Royale goes back to the basics with a gripping narrative covering the genres of action, adventure, thriller and mystery. Bond has just been promoted to his double-0 status and he goes about his first mission as a 007 in which he must take part in a poker game in Montenegro at Le Casino Royale, an assignment set by M16, to which the antagonist, Le Chiffre is also participating in the attempt to win back his money. They know that if Le Chiffre loses the game, it will eradicate his World Terrorist Organization so it is absolutely vital that Bond, along with the help of Vesper (who poses as his wife), Felix and Mathis, wins the game. However, as the game proceeds, the tension builds up as the stakes are raised to an extensive amount of money and the cunning acts of Le Chiffre and his accomplices lead to an alarming climax.

The performances are immaculate and flawless as they provide depth and emotion, creating characters that are truly believable. Daniel Craig in particular grants us with a stunning performance and displays a brutal determination throughout. Mikkelsen maintains the deviousness of Le Chiffre exceptionally with very little fault and the attention to detail is exquisite. Every intense action scene was made to look incredibly realistic by the strong performances and each one was riveting and packed with violence, suspense and drama.

Martin Campbell did an excellent job of exploring meaningful themes that pieced together the narrative and created scenes that were unforgettable, gritty and thrilling. Of course Casino Royale would not have been a true classic without the themes of lust, courage and torture but the film goes deeper with themes such as greed and revenge, the sly double-crossing of the characters Bond thought he could trust. There are no typical clichés displayed in the film, it is stripped back and full of originality and intelligence, the successful fresh start that everyone has been waiting for.  Campbell also created an extremely accurate Mise-En-Scene as those who are of a higher power, such as Bond and Le Chiffre, were often seen wearing black, classy tuxedos whereas when Bond is in Madagascar, the men who lived there wore clothing of a much lower quality, showing the strong contrast in class and wealth.

The cinematography went beyond my assumptions; it was beautiful and genuinely stunning. Without a doubt, the opening credits lived up to their expectations, they feature the song ‘You Know My Name’ by Chris Cornell which fits the film perfectly and the animation itself is clever and creative, possibly one of the best ones yet. At the very beginning of the film, before the opening credits, the scene is in black and white creating tension and a secretive atmosphere. Flashbacks are also used in this scene and are the only part of the film that does not follow a linear narrative. The more intense scenes, such as those in the casino, had little background noise and darker lighting to show the seriousness of the game and the sly, mysterious secrets that some of the characters were hiding. The camerawork was outstanding, there are many close up’s of Craig’s mesmerizing blue eyes which hold hope and boldness and then of the dark, calculating eyes of Mikkelsen which emphasize the evil within Le Chiffre. The chase sequences have movement to them, making you feel as if you are there, witnessing the events first hand; you can feel the adrenaline of the characters rushing through you and it is these moments that make up a phenomenal action based film.

Casino Royale is a magnificent film, perfect for anyone who loves action, romance, suspense and unexpected turning points. Do not let the long running time put you off as the film goes by incredibly quickly due to the powerful narrative that will keep your eyes glued to the screen. It is a definite must watch that you are bound to enjoy.