Skyfall

Daniel Craig for Skyfall 

A frustrated Bond movie-goer here: hope this suffices as a good disclaimer. I know little about the James Bond series, aside from the obvious facts. I didn't know exactly what it is that just didn't click with me with the Bond series. Growing up I've seen the music videos of Garbage and Madonna for the theme songs of the films, but I just didn't want to watch the films. Now some years older and having embraced the love for all things dramatic, super cool and sophisticated (spy movies, the Oscars, F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Raid: Redemption, etc.) I understand all the fuss over Bond. Still, I just didn't see a good enough reason for me to actually watch. Maybe it was Pierce Brosnan that didn't sit with me well. My mom loves him and I couldn't blame her, he's handsome, very suave and British (all the qualifications of an ideal mister, he's probably got).

But when Daniel Craig came on screen as  James Bond, seeing him on the trailer I knew it was the time to be a real fan. Daniel Craig is 100% man. He carries a suit well, like suits were exclusively made for him.  And you can't blame or frown at British Esquire for having him on the cover plenty of times (GQ, what's up? No love for Craig?). He may not be classically handsome the way Pierce Brosnan is, but he looks dead serious, tough and brooding in a new, not-so-James-Dean kind of way. Whatever role Craig plays, it's as if you'd never want to get on his bad side, cause he just looks capable and will-the hell, kill you (until you see this). Imagine Daniel Craig and Liam Neeson as best friends...Anyway, Skyfall I will watch. Definitely.

The title alone already excites and hints at some cosmic catastrophe of sorts, or at least a big scale crisis that only movies and stories like this could easily get away with. It definitely helped that they enlisted Adele for the theme song. And if you know me, you know I went crazy over yesterday's release of Adele's Skyfall. Months back I've read somewhere, probably on Flipboard, that Adele is rumored to be singing the theme song for the movie. So imagine my joy when they confirmed it...and then released it yesterday. From my recollection of vintage Bond movies, the themes usually carry the same chords or variations of these chords (if that's the right term for it), that always sound very Bond-ish. Like Diamonds Are Forever and Tina Turner's Goldeneye. And I think the last Bond song that I actually liked was Garbage's The World is Not Enough. Even for a "warm" fan of the Bond series, I know a Bond song when I hear one. Skyfall sounds truly Bond-ish. When I heard it I knew it was a Bond song. And I'm extremely happy that it's Adele's lightly raspy and warm voice that sings it. Sounds dark and it reminds you somehow of silk. 

I've abused the loop on YouTube for this one and I'm thinking of buying it on iTunes. But really, if you haven't heard of Skyfall yet, make sure you give time for this. Lyrics is well written, song is awfully memorable, like most Adele songs. And what's amazing is that you could easily slip in any of Adele's 21 songs in it, like Turning Tables, and that's not even a joke! But yes, I am a fan of Adele and I am happy. For me, Skyfall will be a pleasure to watch. Theme song's already a hit for me. The trailer is everything a trailer should be: inviting, intriguing, telling but not a give-away. Story too seems most promising (people "coming back to life" is an added point for me), especially with a pretty white Javier Bardem playing villain. And of course, Mr. Bond himself, Daniel Craig... 

I suggest you give the song a try and I swear you'll imagine yourself scaling buildings in Russia, snow's falling and you're probably wearing Tom Ford or a Burberry coat with those towering collars. You might not look like Daniel Craig, but you'll surely feel like you're chasing after someone, falling off something, impeccably dressed and the world resting on your shoulders.

I am obviously not excited for this.

Gerard