“Skyfall” the latest James Bond thriller, has to be one of the best and oddest 007 adventures. On the one hand, there’s the kaleidoscopic production design, the dazzle of Shanghai and Macau, the kinetic action, an evocative score by Thomas Newman and a stunning villain played by Javier Bardem, an actor who knows how to make the most of a bad hair day. So far, so faithful to Bond-age. But whereas most heroes’ stories are about the relationship with the father – exonerating daddy, killing daddy – this one is all about mothers and sons, specifically the relationship between M, the incandescent Judy Dench, and 007, with Daniel Craig continuing to excel in the role. He’s the good son to Bardem’s bad one, though the film has enough cheek to suggest that only a razor’s edge separates them – and to throw in a homoerotic flirtation between the two for good measure. I’m sure there are fans who wonder what happened to the chilly Mad Man of the first Bond film, now 50 years old, but I for one love this soulful spy who came in from the cold. – Georgette Gouveia
Mama’s boys
