There is this sequence in Stephen Frears‘ The Queen that adds tons of humanity to an otherwise, frigid character. Helen Mirren‘s Queen Elizabeth II gets stranded in her own backwoods with her jeep. The sprawling countryside and the isolation contribute in a rare intimate moment – we forget about the crown jewels and become compassionate towards the character. Known for his biographical screenwriting, after Nixon, Leeds United coach Brian Clough and Idi Amin, Peter Morgan has been handed one more bigger than life figure even though 007 remains a fictitious character.
Kudos go to the producers who have the insight to hire a two time in three years Oscar-nominated screenwriter (The Queen and Frost/Nixon) but the reason why I’m handing the Lemon of the Week to Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli is for their loyalty to the screenwriting pair of Neal Purvis and Robert Wade who will once again work with the incoming scribe that is hired. When Paul Haggis was brought for Casino Royale the franchise took a turn for the better because the dialogue was improved, the character was for one of the first times in its history not uni-dimensional. If I’m guessing right, Purvis and Wade might be pros in establishing the setting, and organizing spy thriller story arcs, but Quantum of Solace was one long goose chase of a film and irrelevant to the work that had transpired before. It’s just a shame that Morgan doesn’t have the sole responsibility for penning Bond 23.
