‘Spectre’ doesn’t shake old formulas – Bond producers hope to ‘hang on’ to Craig as 007

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Where to go when 53 years of action-scene set pieces have exhausted seemingly every exotic corner of the Earth? How much globe can a globe-trotter trot?

The answer kicking off the latest James Bond film, “Spectre,” is a doozy. Beginning with the words “the dead are alive” across the screen, director Sam Mendes opens on a long shot through the Day of the Dead in Mexico City, tracking Bond (Daniel Craig), masked but unmissable in a skeleton costume, through the festive throngs. He ushers a woman (Stephanie Sigman) out of the masses, only to disrobe into a suit, step out the window and stride down the ledge. Finally spying his real prey, explosions follow, walls collapse and the resulting chase spins into a helicopter careening over a mobbed Zocalo Square.

It’s a sequence of such startling audacity (some 1,500 extra were used) and gorgeous black-on-sepia tones that a nagging desire to hit “rewind” persists through the rest of “Spectre.” Handsome and riveting as it often is, the film never again reaches such heights.

It’s not for lack of effort. Mendes, who helmed the last entry, the smash “Skyfall,” has raised the bar on 007, pushing the budgets and the grandiosity in a bid to not just reinvent the franchise but overwhelm it with eye-popping craft.

Tenure

“Spectre” is Craig’s fourth Bond movie and his muscular tenure has been defined not just by his full embodiment of the character, but his overall stewardship. His ability to attract top-notch talent, in front and behind the camera, and to imbue the spy series with a seriousness of purpose reads in every frame. His Bond may still sip drinks, but he’s stone-cold sober.

Having ushered 007 through the Eva Green highs of “Casino Royale,” the overwrought lows of “Quantum of Solace” and the climactic extravagance of “Skyfall,” “Spectre” finds Craig’s Bond pursuing the videotaped orders of Judi Dench’s late M in a more traditional 007 plot. Her instructions lead him to a shadowy international criminal organization led by a longtime Bond villain, Franz Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz).

The pursuit skirts the snowy peaks of Austria, the cloak-and-danger cobblestones of Rome and the Mediterranean maze of Tangier, with enough corresponding outfit changes to stock a runway show. Bond is operating outside of MI5, where new head Max Denbigh (Andrew Scott) is overhauling the intelligence services with digital surveillance that he says will render the old-fashioned 00 program obsolete.

The surveillance reference is a mostly shallow attempt at political depth. But such self-aware conflicts between new and old now constantly bounce throughout Bond films. The mythology, fearful of showing its age, is perpetually torn down and built back up again like an ever-rebooting superhero. Every gesture (and drink order) is a winking comment on 007 traditions; even the opening recalls the New Orleans funeral march of “Live and Let Die.” When it works, it’s refreshing; when it doesn’t, it’s merely repackaging.

“Spectre,” scripted by John Logan, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, feels more like the latter. For the first time, all of Craig’s reinvention hasn’t carried Bond all that much further than where the spy always was — especially when it comes to the women that adorn “Spectre.”

First there’s Monica Belluci as the widow of the man Bond kills in Mexico City. He sleeps with her after picking her up at the funeral. She’s quickly dispatched for Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux), whose family connections bring Bond closer to the elusive Oberhauser.

Seydoux, the French actress of “Blue is the Warmest Color,” gives the film a jolt, but the romance between Swann and Bond is slight and the character is little more than Bond’s usual love interest. That said, the seductive Seydoux and the sinewy Craig make an attractive pair. When they eventually arrive at a remote Sahara outpost, they could really just stay there, handsomely smoldering in the dry heat like a Hemingway couple.

Spine

What’s missing most is the steely spine of Dench. The off-kilter menace of Waltz would seem perfectly suited for “Spectre,” but his scenes pale in comparison with Javier Bardem’s Raoul Silva in “Skyfall.”

Also with big shoes to fill is cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, stepping in for Roger Deakins. He surrounds the film with shadows and reflective mirrors, ably capturing Craig’s slinky stride in any locale.

“Spectre,” a Sony Pictures release, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for “intense sequences of action and violence, some disturbing images, sensuality and language.” Running time: 148 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

Before James Bond could even get himself into his first pickle, a shadowy international threat loomed.

About a week into shooting “Spectre,” James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson got some bad news. Not only had a draft of the highly secretive script been leaked in the infamous Sony hack, but it came along with a slew of private communications about the film, highlighting its third act problems, multiple rewrites, ballooning budget and one very significant spoiler.

Broccoli and Wilson didn’t find this out from the Internet or even Sony — the distributor and co-financier on “Spectre.” They read about it in a newspaper. With phone lines and email servers down, they couldn’t even get in touch with their partners in the immediate aftermath.

“It was a bit tricky for us,” Broccoli acknowledged. But beyond making sure the copyrighted script was taken offline, she said they essentially just proceeded with making the film.

“You know what they say, you shouldn’t see how a sausage is made,” Wilson said in a recent phone interview from Mexico City. He and his step-sister Broccoli were in the capital to attend a premiere of “Spectre,” the 24th in the 53-year-old film series, which bows in North America on Friday.

The purported drama that the hacked emails exposed is no more or less than they’ve experienced on any other film in the franchise, noted Broccoli in the phone interview.

“They’re challenging films to make because of the size of what we do,” she said. “I always say, if you don’t like problems, don’t become a film producer.”

“Spectre” certainly doesn’t skimp on size. The film, which finds the spy on a multi-continent quest, opens with a complicated tracking shot in the streets of Mexico City for the Day of the Dead parade, featuring over 1,500 extras dressed and painted to perfection. It required 1,500 unique costumes, 75 costumers, five months of preparation, two helicopters and police escorts for the busses used to transport the extras.

And that’s only one of the film’s exotic set pieces. There’s also the 400 tons of man-made snow that they had to use in Austria, the 18 nights they spent shooting a car chase in Rome, and the sand storms and 113-degree temperatures they found in Erfoud, Morocco. The film’s budget is reported to be near $250 million.

Big

But Bond is big business and the series has been on an upswing. The last film, “Skyfall,” was produced for a reported $150-$200 million and became the highest grossing Bond film ever with over $1.1 billion in ticket sales worldwide. “Spectre” sees the return of “Skyfall” director Sam Mendes and star Daniel Craig in his fourth film as 007.

Broccoli and Wilson have been around the franchise for most of their lives (Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli, Barbara Broccoli’s father, is largely responsible for bringing Ian Fleming’s character to the big screen). To them, success isn’t necessarily money, it’s just pleasing audiences.

As they roll out “Spectre” in theaters, though, the future is more in flux than usual. For one, the contract between MGM and Sony is up and the franchise is in the market for a new distributor. (They may still end up renewing with Sony, their partners for 10 years).

There’s also the issue of Craig, who early in his press appearances for the film said he’d rather “slit his wrists” than return for another, despite being contracted for one more 007 appearance.

“We had an 8-month shoot and he was tired,” Broccoli said regarding Craig’s coarse comments. “I think we all feel at the end of a movie that the thought of doing another one right away is always a little bit too much to contemplate. It’s like childbirth. You don’t ask a woman who’s just given birth, ‘oh when are you going to do it again?’”

Craig later stated that he’ll keep going as long as he’s “physically able.” The 47-year-old actor injured his knee while shooting “Spectre.”

Entertain

Neither Broccoli nor Wilson will even entertain the question of which actor, or actress, might take up the mantle if Craig decides not to continue, and they definitely won’t comment on the Internet’s favorite dream Bond: Idris Elba.

“Daniel Craig is our James Bond and until that’s no longer the case we’re not going to speculate,” said Broccoli. “We love him and we want to hang on to him. Let’s hope we can.”

These days, more and more franchises are playing the long game — announcing film titles, release dates directors and even casts up to five years in advance. The Bond films are a different beast. While there are deals in place for how many films a particular studio might distribute, they’re not staking claim to release dates or even committing to a particular year for No. 25.

“Good for them if they can do it,” said Wilson, of the strategies of Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm and others making grand promises and outlines for fans (and shareholders).

“We just set about trying to make a good movie and we do it the best we can. And in our time,” added Broccoli. “I don’t think we can comment on other people’s process, but that’s our process. We’ll just stick to that.” As Bond would probably attest, why mess with the formula? Shaken, not stirred, works just fine.

Also:

LOS ANGELES: Director Peter Landesman is in talks to make “Felt” his follow-up project to “Concussion,” with Liam Neeson attached to star, sources tell Variety. Neeson has not closed a deal on the film yet. Pic based on a script by Landesman, who will also produce. MadRiver Pictures will finance and produce, alongside Scott Free Productions, Playtone and Cara Films. Ridley Scott, Gary Goetzman, Tom Hanks, Giannina Scott, Marc Butan, Christopher Woodrow and Jay Roach will produce. Steven Shareshian and Michael Schaefer will executive produce alongside Michael Bassick and Steven Marshall.

Principal photography is set to begin in March 2016; the filmmakers are in discussion with additional cast. The pic is a spy thriller, centering on “Deep Throat,” the pseudonym given to the notorious whistleblower for one of the greatest scandals of all time, Watergate. The true identity of the secret informant remained a mystery and source of much public curiosity and speculation for more than 30 years. That is until, in 2005, special agent Mark Felt revealed himself as the tipster.

This will be the second collaboration for writer/director Landesman, Giannina Scott and Ridley Scott, following their “Concussion” starring Will Smith, which Sony will release wide on Christmas Day.

CAA arranged the financing and will introduce the project to domestic distributors at AFM. Sierra/Affinity will handle the foreign rights. Neeson and Landesman are both represented by CAA.

Landesman’s “Concussion” will premiere at the AFI film festival next week and opens in theaters in December. The film stars Will Smith and is based on the true story of the doctor who found a connection between CTE disease and the amount of head trauma brought on by NFL players and how he tries bringing these findings to light.

By Jake Coyle

This news has been read 7218 times!