Quantum of Solace - 007

Quantum of Solace with Daniel Craig as Bond was great action, terrific acting and all round a marvellous romp. Almaric as villain Dominic was as truly sleazy as the cynically portrayed CIA characters were believable. Judi Dench as M was most endearing while Olga Kurylenko was a passionate beautiful and intelligent Bond woman. The cute and lively Gemma Arterton (Strawberry Fields) was a delight. The plot however was a bit like the lyrics of a heavy metal song, not particularly important given the explosions and gunshots. Suddenly there was a necklace.

Given that M's mothering seemed to replace the former polysexuality of Bond, one wonders who the producers were marketting too. And where were the gadgets!!! Still it was Bond! My childhood friend Kirk called from Malibu to say we had to see it when he got to town. As grade school kids we'd read the first Ian Flemming paperbacks together. What would adolescence have been like without the unforgettable Bond girls or the extraordinary Bond cars.

We're now older than Daniel Craig, the new Bond and my ponch matches Kirk's thinning hair. Decaf at the Starbucks beside the Scotia theatre was a long way from A&W Root Beers of earliest years or wine and beer of later Bonds. Talk was of family, friends, Obama and Federal Reserves. Were the Parti Quebecois really going to be the next government of Canada?

After the last Bond, Kirk said, "What would anyone expect from boys raised on role models whose government licensed them to kill and let them chase beautiful women and drink on the job. " I'd said it was no wonder that men of our generation by comparison have felt ripped off in their work lives. I laughed when Kirk asked, "Do you think Canada paid a product plug to have our secret service mentioned in Bond?"

Out on the street Kirk showed me all the airbags in his new Mercedes. I told him I was driving my 50 cc Honda rather than the 1200 Harley because "It's safer on the wet winter streets" So thinking of safety we both drove away from another reckless and wild 007. One of the few good things to come out of the Cold War.