Plot Summary: After James Bond (Daniel Craig) gains promotion to 00 status by killing two targets, he is soon on the trail of Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelson), a private banker to the underground world. Le Chiffre uses his clients' money to buy options on an aerospace manufacturer, knowing that the manufacturer would be the target of an arranged terrorist attack. However, the attack is thwarted by Bond, and Le Chiffre must organize a high-stakes poker tournament to raise the money to pay back his clients. Bond is entered into the game aided by Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), a treasury agent watching Bond’s stake, and Rene Mathis (Giancarlo Giannini). Bond soon goes all-in and finds that the stakes to this game aren't just on the table.
Cast:
Daniel Craig as James Bond
Eva Green as Vesper Lynd
Mads Mikkelsen as Le Chiffre
Giancarlo Giannini as René Mathis
Caterina Murino as Solange Dimitrios
Simon Abkarian as Alex Dimitrios
Isaach de Bankolé as Steven Obanno
Jesper Christensen as Mr. White
Ivana Miličević as Valenka
Sébastien Foucan as Mollaka
Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter
Judi Dench as M
*Recognition:
It made a slew of top 10 movies of the year lists for 2006 including: Entertainment Weekly, Salon, Empire, and multiple people at the New York Times, Washington Post, and Chicago Tribune.
In 2008, Entertainment Weekly named Casino Royale the 19th best film of the past 25 years.
Roger Moore wrote, "Daniel Craig impressed me so greatly in his debut outing, Casino Royale, by introducing a more gritty, unrefined edge to the character that I thought Sean [Connery] might just have to move over. Craig's interpretation was like nothing we'd seen on screen before; Jimmy Bond was earning his stripes and making mistakes. It was intriguing to see him being castigated by M, just like a naughty schoolboy would be by his headmaster. The script showed him as a vulnerable, troubled, and flawed character. Quite the opposite to my Bond! Craig was, and is, very much the Bond Ian Fleming had described in the books – a ruthless killing machine. It was a Bond that the public wanted." So impressed was Moore that he chose to buy the DVD. Raymond Benson, the author of nine Bond novels, called Casino Royale "a perfect Bond film."
It has been widely ranked inside the top 5 of Bond films of all-time including by Rotten Tomatoes, Newsweek, Reader's Digest, and Screenrant.
Did You Know:
Daniel Craig said he was shopping for groceries when he got the call from producer Barbara Broccoli that he had won the James Bond role. She apparently told him, "Over to you, kiddo." Craig left the groceries behind and celebrated with martinis (shaken, not stirred).
Daniel Craig initially rejected the part of James Bond, as he felt that the series had settled into a standard formula. He changed his mind when he read the finished script.
In the shower scene, Vesper (Eva Green) was originally scripted to be wearing nothing but her underwear. Daniel Craig argued that Vesper would not have stopped to take her clothes off, and the scene was changed.
The car barrel roll stunt by the Aston Martin DBS broke the world record for the most barrel rolls assisted by a cannon. Originally, the racing specifications of the DBS meant that a standard ramp would not be sufficient to get the car to roll, so the special effects team were called in to install an air-powered cannon behind the driver's seat. This allowed the car to complete seven full rolls. The stunt was officially entered into the Guinness Book of World Records on November 5, 2006.
In one afternoon's shooting, three Aston Martin DB9 cars, valued at $300,000 each, were destroyed for the car roll sequence.
Daniel Craig became the first actor to be nominated for a BAFTA (British Academy) Award for playing James Bond.
Much was made at this movie's release about Daniel Craig's buff body. Being in such prime condition was not new to Craig, as at one point, he had been a semi-professional rugby player.
According to Daniel Craig, the only CGI in this movie was to erase safety wires in a lot of the stunt sequences, and to integrate the models for the sinking palazzo into the real Venetian location.
Producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson didn't secure the rights to Casino Royale until 2000 when Sony exchanged them for MGM's rights to Spider-Man.
Daniel Craig lost his two front teeth while filming a fight scene in Prague (the first action scene to be shot), and his dentist had to fly from London to replace them.
What is this movie is about?/Elevator Pitch: After Bond interrupts a stock manipulation, MI6 tries to bankrupt a criminal syndicate by beating their financier at a high stakes poker game.
Best Performance: Daniel Craig (James Bond)
Best Secondary Performance: Eva Green (Vesper)/Mads Mikkelsen (Le Chiffre)
Most Charismatic Award: Eva Green (Vesper)
Best Scene:
Bond Interrupts Plane Bomb
Construction Site Chase
Bond is Chastised by M in Jamaica
Cold Open
Bond nearly dies
Bond fights African Warlord
Poker Scenes
Torture
Venice
Favorite Scene: Poker Scenes/Construction Site Chase
Most Indelible Moment: Bond wins the game
In Memorium:
N/A
Best Lines/Funniest Lines:
James Bond: Oh I'm sorry, that last hand nearly killed me.
Vesper Lynd: Am I going to have a problem with you, Mr. Bond?
James Bond: Don't worry you're not my type.
Vesper Lynd: Smart?
James Bond: Single.
M: Christ, I miss the Cold War.
James Bond: How about a drink at my place?
Solange: That would really send him over the edge. I'm afraid I'm not that cruel.
James Bond: Or perhaps you're just out of practice.
James Bond: So you want me to be half-monk, half-hitman? M: Any thug can kill. I need you to take your ego out of the equation.
Vesper Lynd: I can't resist waking you. Every time I do, you look at me as if you haven't seen me in years. Makes me feel reborn.
James Bond: If you'd just been born, wouldn't you be naked?
Vesper Lynd: You have me there. You can have me anywhere.
Le Chiffre: Cause even after I slaughtered you and your little girlfriend, your people would still welcome me with open arms because they need what I know.
Vesper Lynd: You know James, I just want you to know that if all that was left of you was your smile and your little finger, you'd still be more of a man than anyone I've ever met.
James Bond: That's because you know what I can do with my little finger.
Vesper Lynd: I have no idea.
James Bond: But you're aching to find out.
James Bond: Vodka-Martini. Bartender: Shaken or Stirred? James Bond: Do I look like I give a damn?
Vesper Lynd: It doesn't bother you? Killing all those people? James Bond: Well I wouldn't be very good at my job if it did.
The Stanley Rubric:
Legacy: 7.5
Impact/Significance: 6.25
Novelty: 8
Classic-ness: 8.5
Rewatchability: 8.25
Audience Score: 9.1 (93% Google, 89% RT)
Total: 47.6
Remaining Questions:
If she loves Bond now, why give Spectre the money and why kill herself?