Handwritten Kin

Writing | Film | Creativity

5 Reasons Quantum of Solace Isn’t Actually Bad

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With Bond 25 right around the corner, I set about the task of re-watching every Daniel Craig Bond movie. I’m eagerly awaiting No Time To Die and thought it appropriate to have this incarnation of Bond’s full arc in context going into Craig’s final installment. Upon rewatch, I confirmed several pre-held feelings about most of these movies. I still really like Casino Royale and Skyfall, and I still wish Spectre hadn’t been made. The movie that surprised me the most, however, was 2008’s Quantum of Solace.
Promotional image for Quantum of Solace

Daniel Craig and Olga Kurylenko star in 2008’s Quantum of Solace.

The cultural perception of the Bond franchise has seen ebbs and flows since Daniel Craig took over. They hit big on their first bet (pun intended) with Casino Royale, which made $606,099,584 worldwide. Coming off the successful heels of “Casino”, Marc Forster’s Quantum of Solace was highly anticipated and opened strong. It made $67,528,882 domestic on its opening weekend, higher even than the opening weekend Casino Royale had. Unfortunately, “Quantum” fell short in its critical reception. As of today, it has a 65% Tomatometer and a mere 58% audience score.

My experience over the last decade has resoundingly cast “Quantum” as the lame bird in the Craig-Bond series. Nearly everyone I’ve asked has said they like the first and third offerings but that Quantum didn’t really work for them. And, in the past, I would typically affirm their apathy toward Quantum. It didn’t stick in my mind upon first watch like the others. There isn’t anything quite as directly memorable in Quantum as there is in the other recent installments. Casino Royale had poker and a brilliant performance from Mads Mikkelsen, Skyfall had a chase sequence on top of a train and perhaps the most electric Bond-villain performance ever in Javier Bardem, and Quantum of Solace simply took a backseat for most people.  (Side note: I have nothing to say about “Spectre”. I think it’s awful and it’s hardly worth comparing to the first three Craig-Bond installments.)

James Bond faces a moral decision

This 2021 rewatch made me suddenly and enthusiastically change faith about Quantum of Solace. I tried my best to watch it with open eyes and an open heart. It proved my assumptions wrong as I found myself enjoying it far more than expected. I had anticipated a serious letdown and was met with a pleasant surprise. Here are my top five reasons why Quantum of Solace isn’t actually bad: 

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My Top 10 Films of the Decade | 2010-2019

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To no one’s surprise, there have been countless year-end and decade-end film lists in the past few weeks. Everybody and their mother has done a Top 10 Films of the Decade list. But so what? I mean, it’s not every day we enter a new decade. Why shouldn’t we take a moment to appreciate and commemorate the best of the best? 

The past ten years of film history have been tumultuous and varied. Films changed as the culture evolved and new technologies such as streaming services moved in. It was the decade of Netflix, but it was also a decade of auteurs and companies like A24. If you’re into labeling eras, I’d say this has been the decade of the superhero film. Box offices were dominated by Marvel and Star Wars, reboots and sequels. Some of them were great and some weren’t. A couple of movies won Best Picture that maybe shouldn’t have (here’s to you, The King’s Speech) but it should not be overlooked how many truly exquisite films we’ve been given since 2010. 

A collage of the top 10 films of the decade.

Remember, art is subjective. 

Bear in mind, I’m a humble autodidact who has only been writing about film seriously for about a year. I’m not an authority so don’t be mad if your favorite movie isn’t on here. These are all great films in one way or another, whether they can definitively be called the top 10 films or not. I’m simply putting them forth as my top 10 films. Each of them has deep and resonant themes that impacted me on a personal level when I first saw them. Not only that, but they have all held up upon multiple viewings. I’ve loved and thought about these films the most. They’re the ones that have inspired and challenged me and made me feel connected to my fellow humans and the art of movie-making.

If you’ve ever tried it, you know it’s insanely difficult to rank what the best movies are. It’s all subjective. Like when you’re asked what your favorite song is, it probably depends on your mood. I’ve compiled this list alphabetically because they’re all amazing and I wanted to avoid the pain of having to rank them. After detailing my top ten, I’ll list out my forty honorable mentions, also in alphabetical order. Thus presenting my unranked top fifty best movies of the decade.

Without any further ado…

My top 10 films from 2010-2019…

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