THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH (1999) - Review

The World Is Not Enough

Action/Adventure/Thriller
2 hours and 8 minutes
Rated: PG-13

Written by: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and Bruce Feirstein
Directed by: Michael Apted
Produced by: Barbara Broccoli & Michael G. Wilson

Cast:
Pierce Brosnan
Sophie Marceau
Robert Carlyle
Denise Richards
Robbie Coltrane
Judi Dench

Danger. Suspense. Excitement. There must be when he's around.

The James Bond franchise has faced many crossroads regarding its fate as a series throughout the years. This should come as a surprise to no one given the franchise's age - over fifty years old and still going. In 1962, with the release of Dr. No, it faced its first crossroads as to whether or not it would be successful enough to form a strong fanbase to ensure its continuation. In 1968, it faced another with the exit of star Sean Connery as to whether or not it could succeed with other performers playing Bond. The 1990s saw the end of the Cold War, and thus speculation arose as to whether or not the James Bond franchise could continue to exist in an era of détente. The release and success of GoldenEye in 1995 proved that it could. With the end of the 20th Century approaching rapidly, and an uncertainty about where Hollywood was heading with the use of new technologies such as CGI, it became uncertain yet again as to where the Bond films would head in the new millennium. The World Is Not Enough, the nineteenth entry in the Eon Productions franchise, tried to answer all questions pertaining to the matter.

The film's story is one that is built around an issue that seemed pertinent by the end of the 1990s, but no doubt seems even more so today: oil. Other Bond films have tried their hand at crafting stories around energy crises (The Man with the Golden Gun and Quantum of Solace come to mind), but in The World Is Not Enough, the writers, director Michael Apted, and producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson (who no doubt had creative control over the film regarding all final say) added yet another element that has outlasted the test of time as well: nuclear terrorism. With the inclusion of a past kidnapping/Stockholm syndrome angle, The World Is Not Enough presents a very competent storyline that has aged rather well, unlike some other previous Bond movies ... Moonraker. If anything, the story is grounded in a particular level of realism that ought to be appreciated, since so many James Bond movies tend to get out of hand with their ludicrous plots to the point that they become dangerously close to being science-fiction films and not spy thrillers. On its story alone, The World Is Not Enough is a strong Bond film. Is it the best or most engaging? No, not by a long shot. But its story certainly lies closer to the better films than it does the poorer ones in regards to its quality.

There are some really engaging action sequences that break apart the film's exposition nicely. The opening, pre-credits sequence, which is still the longest pre-credits sequence in the franchise, feels like a nice one, two punch. We're given an exciting shootout and escape from a Swiss banker's office, followed by an explosion and boat chase along the river Thames. It's particularly exciting to see so much of the action occurring in England, since in most other Bond films, the action doesn't kick in until Bond has traveled to some exotic locale. This adds a nice little surprise for the franchise's fans to see Bond in pursuit of an assassin so close to where he works.

Other thrilling moments of action include a ski chase - although this does feel a bit lackluster compared to the other ski chases in the franchise, particularly the ones in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, The Spy Who Loved Me, and For Your Eyes Only. The inclusion of parahawk pursuers does add a unique bit of flair to the chase, though. Another particularly well choreographed moment involves Bond escaping from a nuclear silo. But it is perhaps the fight sequence at a caviar refinery that stands out as the best, where 007 must avoid dangling saws that hang down from helicopters. Not even Q's famous, gadget-filled car can help Bond out of that one, and it becomes entertaining to see him rely more so on bullets, brains, and braun than on gadgets. All of these sequences are tied together nicely, and the pacing, done by director Apted and editor Jim Clark, flows smoothly. Cinematographer Adrian Biddle should also be commended for keeping the camera steady during the action sequences, although this was pre-Jason Bourne era where every cinematographer thought that handheld, jumbled camerawork was the way to go.

Some of Bond's gadgets in the film contribute to that level of ridiculousness that certain Bond films either flirt with or cross the line entirely. A tiny grappling hook out of Bond's watch, which we're to believe can penetrate steel and hold Bond's weight is one offender. The worst though are a pair of x-ray sunglasses that allow Bond to see that everyone in a casino is packing heat.

Most of The World Is Not Enough's problems though stem from its performances. Pierce Brosnan is suave as ever as agent 007, and his performances in these films always felt like a callback to the slick style of Sean Connery. He's just as competent when it comes to delivering a sly one-liner with sexual undertones as he is killing in cold blood. Sophie Marceau delivers the standout performance of the film, however. As Elektra King, she portrays a woman that has been broken to the point of a conniving insanity which has clearly pushed her into the arms and ideologies of something horrible. Yet, her performance is entirely one fueled by subtleties. The audience has no clue regarding her motives until Bond is able to piece them together himself. The return of Robbie Coltrane is a pleasant surprise, though one feels there is a clear difference to his performance as Valentin Zukovsky from GoldenEye to The World Is Not Enough. In the former film, Zukovsky was a bitter, and angry man, who hated Bond but no doubt felt obligated to help him from the old mantra, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." Zukovsky in The World Is Not Enough feels like a lovable cousin figure to Bond. Sure, years can change a man, but are we to believe Zukovsky would forgive the man who shot him in his knee? Other Bond regulars, Judi Dench, Colin Salmon, Samantha Bond, and Desmond Llewelyn are terrific in their continuous parts. This would be Llewelyn's last turn as Q, since he would die shortly after the film's completion. The movie tries to set up John Cleese as his successor, and while Cleese is a talented comedic actor, the ridiculousness of this should have been a warning flag that the series was heading in a bad direction.

The unimpressive performances come from Denise Richards and Robert Carlyle. As Renard, the film's villain, Carlyle in no way shines. Past Bond villains that have resonated made their marks from their performances. Christopher Lee damn near carried the entire film in The Man with the Golden Gun. Carlyle just seems to fall flat. This is disappointing since so much could have been done to make an anarchist terrorist convincingly terrifying. The added angle that his bullet in the brain only makes him stronger, and unable to feel pain is ludicrous and adds a level of ridiculousness to the final film. And while we're on the topic of the most ridiculous things about The World Is Not Enough, whoever cast Denise Richards as a nuclear physicist named Dr. Christmas Jones should not have a job in Hollywood ever, ever again. Even if Richards was a hot commodity at this time, the sheer stupidity of this casting coup had to have hit someone on the set at some point hard enough to raise several red flags. Her performance is wooden and when it isn't laughable it's entirely cringe inducing. The jokes made with her character's name at the end of the film feel like some of the worst in the franchise, and it's a tragedy they even had to be uttered out of the mouth of an actor as talented as Pierce Brosnan.

With an engaging enough story that has stood the test of time, and if anything only gotten more relevant, competent pacing from director Michael Apted, thrilling action sequences, and great performances from Pierce Brosnan, Sophie Marceau, and returning Bond regulars, make The World Is Not Enough a better than average Bond film, even if it is heavily weighed down by some ridiculous gadgetry, and unforgivably bad casting errors.

6/10

SLEEPLESS (2001) - Review

Sleepless

Horror/Mystery/Thriller
1 hour and 57 minutes
Rated: R

Written by: Dario Argento, Franco Ferrini, and Carlo Lucarelli
Directed by: Dario Argento
Produced by: Claudio Argento & Dario Argento

Cast:
Max von Sydow
Stefano Dionisi
Chiara Caselli
Roberto Zibetti
Gabriele Lavia

Creepier than Jack the Ripper

So much has been said over the years about the films of Dario Argento that it's no surprise at all that several books have been written about this legendary auteur du macabre even though his career has yet to come to an end (and hopefully, for all of us horror junkies it won't be ending any time soon). One of the biggest trends - especially on the internet - when it comes to discussing Argento's career tends to be a general praise for his earlier films and an overall dismissal, if not downright hatred for his later works. Ask any Argento fan and they'll usually pinpoint a moment in Argento's career (mostly sometime in the 1980s) where, according to him or her, the director's filmography went entirely downhill afterwards. This is perhaps too harsh of a collective opinion that has been assigned to Argento's later films. While there can be no doubt that most of his films following Opera lack much in the way of genius that was present in his earlier works, they're still enormously entertaining films. And let's be clear here, an okay Dario Argento movie is still lightyears ahead of most of the mainstream garbage being churned out by the major studios. That being said, to be fair, there are still a few abysmal films I'm sure even Argento wishes he had never done (Giallo and The Phantom of the Opera come to mind). Still, it should also be noted that among Argento's newer, largely dismissed filmography, there are in fact some gems that showcase the director's brilliance. Sleepless is unquestionably one of those movies.

The story itself is incredibly enthralling, and in many ways is classic Argento. While he's always been a filmmaker that's focused heavily on the technical qualities over anything else, Argento has proven with film's like Deep Red and The Bird with the Crystal Plumage that he is more than capable when it comes to constructing an engaging, intelligent, and entertaining story. Sleepless in many ways feels like a callback to those two previously mentioned films. All three are gialli, all three seem to have a storyline that Argento put much time and dedication into, and both Deep Red and Sleepless seem to have the added benefit of the technical wizardry that Argento became known for with movies like Suspiria, Inferno, Tenebre, and Opera. Sleepless's story will have viewers guessing until the very end, and no doubt the classic-Argento twist will come as a surprise to damn near everyone watching it. The kills are bloody and brutal (more on this in a second) and they're paced terrifically throughout the plot adding to the overall levels of dread and suspense.

Cinematographer Ronnie Taylor, who had previously filmed Argento's movies Opera and The Phantom of the Opera, brings his level of expertise to the table in ways that allows for Argento's creativity to really blossom. There are moments throughout Sleepless where the camera movement plays with the viewer's mind. We become unsure if what we're seeing is the killer's, or someone's, POV or if it's purely just movement for the sake of movement. This is pure Argento. Taylor and Argento add a new level of trickery in Sleepless with their camera movement: foreshadowing. The camera flows to spots and locations of violence before they ever occur, alluding to the bloody moments yet to come. The lighting throughout Sleepless feels cold and devoid of color - with one exception - which adds to the overall dread and tension of the film. Taylor captures Turin in ways that make it feel like a small town full of dark secrets. In the one sequence of surprising kaleidoscopic color involving a murder aboard a train, Taylor and Argento bring to mind moments from Suspiria and Inferno of beautiful women being hunted by a black gloved murderer as torrential rain obscures the passing streetlights.

Sleepless also showcases some fantastically brutal death sequences that are on par with some of Argento's previous works. Special effects maestro Sergio Stivaletti accomplishes all of this with the skill and precision of a true master. Stivaletti, to this day, remains one of the great practical effects artists still working in the business - on par with Tom Savini or Greg Nicotero. A murder involving a woman being stabbed to death with a musical instrument is unforgettably brutal and is, despite its brevity, the standout death of the entire film. Despite most of the effects within Sleepless working and working well, there is one moment that unfortunately falls flat. When the murderer decapitates a ballet dancer, the severed head that falls to the floor looks incredibly fake, and surprisingly quite rubbery - as if it were bought in a Halloween shop. This is surprising given Stivaletti's talent, but thankfully editor Anna Napoli didn't allow for the sequence to linger for too long in the final cut.

The film's acting is, for the most part, very good. The film begins with some obviously dubbed performances, but these are easily forgiven since one always has the understanding that dubbing - good or bad - plays a part in most foreign films. Max von Sydow absolutely shines as retired cop Moretti, fighting off the beginnings of dementia. His passion for the case, the one thing that seems to be keeping his mind sharp, is contagious and viewers no doubt will feel just as thrilled to find the next clue as Moretti is. Stefano Dionisi holds his own against Sydow, and the two function well together throughout the film. Gabriele Lavia, who had previously appeared in Argento's films Deep Red and Inferno, is absolutely terrific, but one wishes his character had been given more screen time. The supporting cast of Chiara Caselli, Rosella Falk, and Roberto Zibetti all do a fine job in their respected rolls, and Zibetti does have moments in the film where he too surprises and shines taking his character to unexpected levels.

The film's score, composed by a reunited Goblin, is also worth mentioning. While it is far from the work Goblin did for the soundtracks of Deep Red, Suspiria, or Dawn of the Dead, it is actually a really terrific soundtrack. Its classic prog-rock sound adds nicely to the building tension and overall brutality that is present throughout the film, even if it dates the film in any kind of manner. There seems to be a clear focus - like with the film's story - to the soundtrack that had been missing from Argento's films for quite some time (the soundtrack to Phenomena was all over the place).

While it is far from being his best motion-picture, Sleepless remains an absolutely brilliant, horrifying, brutal, well-acted, and engaging giallo that doesn't deserve the overall dismissal and disapproval that fans have plagued all of Dario Argento's newer films with. Its brilliant story, shocking twist, unique and technically oriented camerawork, prog-rock score by frequent Argento collaborators Goblin, largely impressive special effects by maestro Sergio Stivaletti, and terrific performances by a supremely talented cast led by Max von Sydow, all make Sleepless feel like it's classic Argento.

8.5/10