Lewes Cinema - Casino Royale

If you like Bond-type films, don’t read this or any other review – just go and see Casino Royale. I went without preconceptions and enjoyed it, whereas my companion, who had read the rave reviews, ended up being disappointed. The film is a bit too long at over two and a half hours, (well worth queuing for the comfy seats upstairs) but in essence, it is stylish, splendid tosh from start to finish. The rating of 12A is lower than it should be, because there is some pretty nasty violence (in one scene, I got a sense of male legs being crossed in every aisle).

There has been a lot of talk about the sexiness of this film, and with some reason. The sleek designer outfits, the gorgeous, modern apartment. Cool fiddling with high-tech pop-up gadgets by the bed whilst the lover sleeps. Yes indeed. Judi Dench makes one very hot M. Oh all right, Daniel Craig doesn’t look bad either, and is particularly fetching in a pair of swimming trunks. His perfect pecs are glommed upon by the camera, and his whole (frequently semi-naked) torso given lingering and loving attention, which is probably all for the best, because I don’t think he’s that good an actor. The love scenes are stiff as a board, but not in a good way. But he gives a good poker face, does great action scenes, and it’s rather enjoyable that this film takes you back to the birth, as it were, of 007. EC