Since I first read the 1960s paperback edition of Casino Royale, when I was 10 or 11, I have wanted them to make a serious adaptation of the novel.
The film that I saw last night was the movie that I’ve been dreaming of for the past 26 years.
I’ve heard a lot of people say that the reason that the Star Wars prequel trilogy didn’t work is that nobody could have made a film good enough to meet the dreams and expectations that fans had held for 20 years. Bullshit. They didn’t work because Lucas is crap when left to his own devices.
Casino Royale is nasty, gritty, violent, unflinching and as much of a direct adaptation of Fleming’s novel as could be done in a modern setting. I was continually amazed by how much of the novel was up on the screen.
Plus — the title sequence is amazing. Computer generated, yes, but it manages to be shamelessly retro at the same time….and is far more effective than the ones from the recent Brosnan films.
Go see this. Now.