Daniel Craig’s last outing as James Bond, No Time to Die, has enough momentum topped with some heavy-duty emotions

Nonika Singh

As we bid farewell to Daniel Craig’s last outing as James Bond, our hearts are already heavy. And the makers intend to rub it in even further and up the emotional quotient, as well as throw in a teaser of who the next Bond could possibly be.

For starters, there is another 007 giving further wind to speculation that next Bond could well be black and a woman! Since James has fallen off the radar, has gone into retirement, Nomi (Lashana Lynch) has stepped in, is even called 007. Before you think 007 is just a number as we are reminded in the film, well, let us repeat what Lynch said off-screen. James Bond is James Bond: an opinion with which we agree wholeheartedly. So here Craig is with his customary coolness intact. His martini is still shaken and not stirred, as he is busy chasing and being chased giving his bête noire, the army of Spectre assassins, and death a close miss. What is different this time around is he has a huge thumping heart, beating only for one woman, Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux.) Now this James Bond film may not be as Seydoux has shared in interviews exactly a love story, but it sure has a heavy-duty emotional core. Emotions are writ on the narrative and on Craig and Seydoux’s face.

While a long prologue involving Swann’s past sets up things to take an emotional and dramatic turn, soon (five years down the line in the film’s timeline), the centre of action shifts to a scientific facility. Bio-weapons are not new to Hollywood or Bond films. But here the intrigue attached to these is far greater. Weapons that can be configured to kill people with specific DNA might sound too much of a flight of imagination. But implausible, we all know is not a word in Bond films. Even when the narrative (story by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Cary Joji Fukunaga) gets rather complex even opaque, we are led easily down the path of garden of poison, drawn into the vortex of espionage that has more than one villain. Enemy of an enemy brings us face to face with Academy Award winning Rami Malek (of Bohemian Rhapsody— fame). Though his part as the deranged bad-man Lyutsifer Safin is not particularly big, he impresses especially in his verbal face-off with Bond. He not only gets under Bond’s skin, but into the skin of his part out to exterminate millions. His menace is suitably under control yet, as deadly as poisons whose science he has mastered.

Can Bond save the world as he always does, well, no prizes for guessing the right answer! But at what cost… Once again you can take a calculated guess. Suffice it is to say, the finale does touch an emotional chord and it’s not only because we are saying goodbye Craig.

No Time To Die is a befitting adieu to the charismatic actor with crinkling eyes, whose wry humour has forever made us smile. Can the new Bond, man or woman, match up, is a question for future debates. For now, find time to check how Craig, easily and consummately, fits into the part of a former MI6 agent. Craig, however, is not the only USP of this Bond franchise. Women, not just the new 007, but particularly Ana De Armas, scintillating and swashbuckling (in a deep-cut black gown), match his extravagant action. Whistle-worthy action, stupendous locales, wondrous cinematography (Linus Sandgren), musical score (Hans Zimmer) and an award-winning theme song by Billie Eilish add up to take your precious time, if not your breath away.

No Time to Die

Cast: Daniel Craig, Léa Seydoux, Rami Malek, Lashana Lynch, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Christoph Waltz, Rory Kinnear and Ralph Fiennes

Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga

Stars: ***