Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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20 UCW DECEMBER 16-22, 2015 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Ringing the cash register for a cool $245 million, Spectre (148 minutes) is one of the most expensive films ever made, and worth every penny. Some film snobs might call it derivative, and, for that matter, it may well be. In many ways, watching the film reminded me of several other Bond movies — Live and Let Die and Her Majesty's Secret Service, and, oddly enough, Austin Powers. Generally speaking, I am not watching a James Bond movie for originality. I am watching it because I enjoy films that celebrate sociopaths. Understand, I'm not expressing support for rapists and serial killers. I just like a film that manages to turn someone who should be the villain into someone the audience will sympathize with and root for. Think about it. When a television show like Breaking Bad is popular and people are cheering for Walter White to earn millions from his meth empire, what does that say about the viewing public? James Bond is a killer who treats women as disposable commodities and displays a casual disregard for those who get in between him and his target — why is he the hero? Depending on what you get out of a film like this the answer might vary. Do you enjoy someone who is forced to make impossible decisions so often that the lesser evil becomes a choice to celebrate? Are you hoping that somehow, against all odds, that Bond will finally realize that the life of an international man of mystery with a license to kill is devoid of meaning? Or is it pure, unadulterated wish fulfillment? After all, women want him and men want to be him. Personally, I will never understand that last one. Most of the Bond Babes end up dead. The pre-title sequence takes place in Mexico City during the Day of the Dead. Bond (Daniel Craig), immediately distinctive even in a facemask, manages to blow up a few buildings and crash a helicopter before fading into a Sam Smith song, illustrated with lots of tentacles and nudity. Back in London, M (Ralph Fiennes), unmoved by his big blue eyes and proclamations of innocence, immediately suspends him. Which is probably what James wanted anyway, because now he is free to bully Q (Ben Whishaw) into giving him all kids of toys and wander the globe in search of his next Dexter cosplay partner. Now in Rome, Bond finds a babe to bed (Monica Belluci) in the most offensively unrealistic scene of all the Craig Bond films. While it is nice to see a woman over 25 as a Bond love interest, Belluci's character is one-note and disposable, falling into bed with the man who killed her husband without blinking an eye. Dr. Madeline Swann (Lea Seydoux) is a far more interesting character, even if she falls just short of her potential in several key scenes. Overall, I love the long-awaited reintroduction of Blofeld (Christoph Waltz), even if I wish Director Mendes had chosen an actor who didn't play the character as verging on caricature. I kept expecting him to start shouting about how he didn't go to seven years of evil medical school to be a called "Mister." Now playing at Patriot 14 + IMAX. Best. Bond. Ever. Spectre (Rated PG-13) by HEATHER GRIFFITHS HEATHER GRIFFITHS, Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? Editor@ upandcomingweekly.com. 910.484.6200. We can help you learn what is happening in and around Fayetteville! In print and online! Look for it online now at www.upandcomingweekly.com. 208 Rowan St. 910.484.6200 Connecting a Community What's going on in our community?