Bond 22: Quantum of Solace

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A press conference was held in Pinewood Studios yesterday to announce the title of the new Bond film, the 22nd in the series and the second starring Daniel Craig (after Casino Royale). The title is... Quantum of Solace.

Yup, if you thought Tomorrow Never Dies was the most nonsensical, stupid Bond title to date, it's just lost that "honour."

For the record, the title Quantum of Solace stems from a book of short stories written by James Bond creator Ian Fleming... so it isn't just a random title created late on Wedneday night by an overtired (or drugged up) marketing team.

Apparently Quantum of Solace also has to do with James Bond's emotionally desolate state at the end of Casino Royale, which motivates him to take revenge in this next series installment. From the BBC News article:

Craig said the cryptic title referenced how Bond's heart had been broken at the end of Casino Royale.

"Ian Fleming had written about relationships," he explained. "When they go wrong, when there's nothing left, when the spark has gone, when the fire's gone out, there's no quantum of solace. And at the end of the last movie, Bond has the love of his life taken away from him and he never got that quantum of solace."

Anyway, here's what we can expect in Bond 22, according to announcements and interviews at the press conference:

- Quantum of Solace will kick off directly after the ending of Casino Royale, as Bond tracks down the sinister terrorist-funding organisation who murdered his love.

- Quantum of Solace will feature double the action of Casino Royale.


The villain, the hero and the Bond babes: Mathieu Amalric, Olga Kurylenko, Daniel Craig, Gemma Arterton

- Olga Kurylenko and Gemma Arterton play the 2 new Bond girls: a vengeful beauty and fresh-faced MI6 agent, respectively.

- Dame Judi Dench will play a more prominent role as MI6 head M.

- French actor Mathieu Amalric plays the villainous Dominic Greene.

This time Marc Forster is in the director's chair. Now given he's the man behind Finding Neverland, Monster's Ball, The Kite Runner, Stranger Than Fiction and Stay, I think it's safe to say he'll handle the relationship/emotional material perfectly. What will happen with the promised balls-to-the-wall action and its related pacing, I don't know.

You can see some press conference photos, and first few pics from Quantum of Solace by clicking here and heading to Movieweb.com. The film is set for release in November this year.

However, I think I'll take this moment to think fondly back to Casino Royale, one of my top movies of 2006, and a fantastic, gritty reboot of the Bond franchise.


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