Casino Royale (2006) – Nostalgia Central

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James Bond is not yet a double-O agent in this semi-origins story and is largely unassisted by gadgetry or quips.

This suits the rugged Daniel Craig (in his first appearance as a younger, less-experienced Bond), who spends much of the film pitted against the villainous terrorist financier Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) in a poker tournament while managing his feelings for Treasury agent Vesper Lynd (Eva Green).

The film opens with Bond earning his license to kill after two successful assassinations in Prague.

His first assignment as 007 takes him to Madagascar and the Bahamas, where he tracks Alex Dimitrios (Simon Abkarian), an associate of Le Chiffre.

Bond discovers Le Chiffre’s plan to “short” the stock of aerospace giant Skyfleet and then destroy their new prototype airliner at Miami International Airport to make a fortune from the company’s bankruptcy.

Bond successfully foils the bombing in Miami, causing Le Chiffre to lose over $100 million of his clients’ money.

To recoup the lost funds before his dangerous clients kill him, Le Chiffre organises a high-stakes Texas Hold ’em tournament at the Casino Royale in Montenegro. MI6 enters Bond into the game, hoping that bankrupting Le Chiffre will force him to turn to the British government for protection in exchange for information.

Bond is joined by Vesper, who is overseeing the $10 million buy-in; René Mathis (Giancarlo Giannini), Bond’s local MI6 contact and Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright), a CIA agent who later stakes Bond back into the game after a major loss.

During the tournament, Bond survives an assassination attempt by Ugandan warlord Steven Obanno (Isaach De Bankolé) and a poisoning attempt by Le Chiffre’s mistress, Valenka (Ivana Milicevic).

Bond ultimately wins the final $115 million pot with a straight flush.

Immediately after the game, Le Chiffre kidnaps Vesper and Bond. He subjects Bond to brutal torture to obtain the bank account password for the winnings.

The torture is interrupted when the mysterious Mr White (Jesper Christensen), a representative of the organisation Le Chiffre works for, arrives and kills Le Chiffre for being untrustworthy.

Bond recovers and falls deeply in love with Vesper. He resigns from MI6 to start a new life with her in Venice.

However, he soon discovers she has betrayed him by stealing the winnings and tracks her to a meeting with gunmen in a sinking Venetian palace.

After a violent confrontation, Vesper locks herself in a submerging elevator and drowns, despite Bond’s desperate attempts to save her.

M later reveals that Vesper was being blackmailed – she traded the poker winnings to save Bond’s life.

The film ends with Bond returning to service and tracking down Mr White at a villa on Lake Como. He shoots White in the leg and famously introduces himself: “The name’s Bond, James Bond”.

In the director’s chair is Martin Campbell, who had steered Pierce Brosnan to glory in GoldenEye (1995), working from a script by Robert Wade and Neal Purvis, who were to become indispensable to the series.

The result is a hugely convincing rebirth for the franchise. Craig would return as 007 in Quantum of Solace (2008).

James Bond
Daniel Craig
Vesper Lynd
Eva Green
Le Chiffre
Mads Mikkelsen
M
Judi Dench
Felix Leiter
Jeffrey Wright
René Mathis
Giancarlo Giannini
Solange
Caterina Murino
Alex Dimitrios
Simon Abkarian
Steven Obanno
Isaach De Bankolé
Mr White
Jesper Christensen
Valenka
Ivana Milicevic
Villiers
Tobias Menzies
Carlos
Claudio Santamaria
Mollaka
Sébastien Foucan
Dryden
Malcolm Sinclair
Adolph Gettler
Richard Sammel
Mendel
Ludger Pistor
Carter
Joseph Millson
Fisher
Darwin Shaw
Kratt
Clemens Schick
Leo
Emmanuel Avena
Infante
Ade
Tomelli
Urbano Barberini
Madame Wu
Tsai Chin
Gallardo
Charlie Levi Leroy
Kaminofsky
Lazar Ristovski
Fukutu
Tom So
Gräfin von Wallenstein
Veruschka
Schultz
Jürgen Tarrach