I had the immense pleasure of seeing "No Time to Die" in its first Austrian screening, this morning at 00:07.
The first thing that hit me as I walked home was that it would be skewered by American critics (professional and amateur) as being too "woke". Rotten Tomatoes, IMDb, and the New York Times review from its least dependable critic (A. O. Scott) back me up.
I loved experiencing Bond's human side. I loved the performances by the women down the line, especially Ana de Armas. I loved Ben Whishaw's openly-gay "Q". While their contributions are limited, I loved the evilness of Rami Malek and our hometown boy Christoph Waltz. I loved the cinematography. I loved Hans Zimmer's score, one of his best. The direction moved at a pace that never had me checking my watch (I still wear one!).
I think enough "warnings" will have been posted by the time the film comes to American screens so that it will not offend those who find the Bond of 2021 too weepy. I can only say that waiting to see it on a small screen would substantially cut-down the reason why franchises like this exist.
Showing my proof of vaccination and collecting my reserved ticket took no time, and I loved being in a cinema for the first time in more than a year with a crowd who wanted the same thing as I: a little escapism (albeit masked) and a visit with an old friend.
By the way, the first Bond of my lifetime was Connery, and I have enjoyed watching his successors change with the times. It was also heartening to see the arrival of an entire row of young gentlemen who donned their tuxedos for the event. Sadly, Martinis were not available at the snack bar.
The first thing that hit me as I walked home was that it would be skewered by American critics (professional and amateur) as being too "woke". Rotten Tomatoes, IMDb, and the New York Times review from its least dependable critic (A. O. Scott) back me up.
I loved experiencing Bond's human side. I loved the performances by the women down the line, especially Ana de Armas. I loved Ben Whishaw's openly-gay "Q". While their contributions are limited, I loved the evilness of Rami Malek and our hometown boy Christoph Waltz. I loved the cinematography. I loved Hans Zimmer's score, one of his best. The direction moved at a pace that never had me checking my watch (I still wear one!).
I think enough "warnings" will have been posted by the time the film comes to American screens so that it will not offend those who find the Bond of 2021 too weepy. I can only say that waiting to see it on a small screen would substantially cut-down the reason why franchises like this exist.
Showing my proof of vaccination and collecting my reserved ticket took no time, and I loved being in a cinema for the first time in more than a year with a crowd who wanted the same thing as I: a little escapism (albeit masked) and a visit with an old friend.
By the way, the first Bond of my lifetime was Connery, and I have enjoyed watching his successors change with the times. It was also heartening to see the arrival of an entire row of young gentlemen who donned their tuxedos for the event. Sadly, Martinis were not available at the snack bar.