Ooh that 007

For some reason I've always been a fan of the James Bond movies. Like with Indiana Jones I love the excitement and charisma and the larger-than-life persona. Like with Batman I love to see the new bad guys and the new audaciously-dressed Bond girls. The only problem - the last several Bond movies were SO pathetic. Oh they were awful! Pierce Brosnan was about as charismatic as a toenail clipping. The movies deteriorated into bad action film sludge.

But oooohhhh now comes Casino Royale. This is the most satisfying movie I've seen in ages. Marco and I saw it on opening night (didn't really mean to but it happened that way) and it was everything going to the cinema was supposed to be. We went to the small local old charming movie theater on Grand Avenue that only has 2 screens and creaky velvet chairs and all. The room was packed and there was that great buzz when people are excited for a movie (and in this case a classic series that everyone young and old knows all the cues to: the gadget car, M, the martini shaken etc.) It was the type of excitement where the crowd all cheers or laughs or ohhhs all in unison and it is accompanied by a ripple of thrill of being in that shared cinematic moment. That worked well in this movie because there actually ARE some dynamite lines and sizzling exchanges and great visual surprises, such as the very last shot of the movie. It's so satisfying.

And how's the new Bond? I had been rooting for dark and swarthy Clive Owen as James Bond (he swears with such elegent violence it's almost an art.) I thought he had IT to be 007. But now I'm convinced that this odd unlikely actor, Daniel Craig, is probably the next man to become a legend in the role.

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Since we're on the topic of movies here are some of the other movies I have enjoyed so far this year:

A Mighty Wind (a spoof documentary about folk musicians of the 1970s - very funny!)

Swimming Pool (strange French movie with more than a spark of eroticism - ooh that twisted french mind)

Brokeback Mountain (yeah I did actually like this movie)

The Agatha Christie PBS series of Inspector Poirot and Miss Marple (if you're wondering where on earth did this come from we recently discovered that the whole series are available at the local library for free so we've been watching them all, and with quite a bit of pleasure. Inspector Poirot because is such a suave and goofy man!)

The Prarie Home Companion Movie (well maybe you have to be Minnesotan to really enjoy this one)