Skyfall

A Bond film made in the series' fiftieth year. It opens in Istanbul. A chase for a stolen list and a fight on top of a train; at the end Bond is shot and falls. He is presumed dead. He disappears for a while and lives drinking on a beach. The service building in London is bombed. Bond comes back but fails his tests; he is put on duty anyway. From there the film is a trail. A tower in Shanghai, a casino in Macau, and an abandoned island. The other side is a former agent. Silva was spent by the service itself and his revenge is personal; his target is not Bond but M. What the narrative is interested in is not espionage but obsolescence: everyone in the film says that Bond and the service are no longer necessary, and the narrative looks for an answer. The last section is unusual. The fight takes place not in a capital but in Scotland, at Bond's childhood house, and a hunting rifle is used instead of a service weapon. The cinematographer is Roger Deakins and the look is exceptional within the series; the fight in the glass building in Shanghai is shot entirely in silhouette. It is Judi Dench's last film as M and the character carries the most weight here. The title song is by Adele and won an Academy Award; the film also won for sound editing. Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw and Naomie Harris are in the cast. Sam Mendes directed. Who it is for: anyone who likes spy films and good cinematography. Who it is not for: anyone looking for logic; the villain's plan requires him to be captured, which is the film's weakest point.