Quantum of Solace Cast
Bond 22, Quantum of Solace was released in 2008 and is a direct follow on from Casino Royale, and included some of the same cast, and some new intriguing characters.
Directed by Marc Forster, the film features Daniel Craig as Bond for the second time, and sees him investigate the mysterious organization known as Quantum, which is responsible for a number of crimes and acts of terrorism.
Along the way, Bond teams up with some new and old allies, and encounters a number of villains, corrupt MI6 and CIA agents in his quest to disrupt Quantum member Dominic Greene’s plans to impoverish Bolivian communities and ultimately control their water supplies.
Craig masterfully portrays Bond’s emotional journey as he grapples with loss, betrayal, and the pursuit of justice. At the same time, Craig’s impressive physicality is on full display as he performs daring stunts, engages in thrilling chases, and engages in explosive combat.
One of his best scenes is a rooftop chase in Siena, Italy, where he pursues the corrupt MI6 agent, Mitchell. Craig’s action scenes are among the best in the Bond franchise, and he certainly gets into more scrapes and is battle hardened than previous Bonds.
Mathieu Amalric as Dominic Greene is a suave and sinister villain, delivering a nuanced performance that makes him a notable adversary for Bond. He’s not a big and powerful looking man, but danger exudes from him whenever he speaks, making him a very believable villain.
He manipulates anyone he comes across and has people in all the right places, making him a very dangerous man. He meets his ending when Bond is onto him, but 007 is smart and doesn’t kill him. Instead, he leaves Greene in the middle of the desert with only a tin of motor oil.
We later learn that Greene was found shot dead with two bullet wounds and traces of motor oil in his system. Dehydration really does get to you, after a while!
Olga Kurylenko as the stunning Camille Montes is a standout, bringing depth and complexity to her character. She teams up with Bond and her character has many similarities to Bond: they’re both agents, orphans, and are fighting against their own demons.
She’s Dominic Greene’s girlfriend, but she is playing him to get to enact revenge General Medrano, showing how fearless she is. She gets her revenge and kills the general, helping her rid her inner demons, but she’s unable to help Bond beat his.
Watch a compilation of Behind the Scenes Quantum of Solace
Giancarlo Giannini as René Mathis returns from Bond 21 Casino Royale, where Bond thought he had double crossed him. Bond visited him at his home asking for help as he has no money after M had cut off all his cards.
Mathis goes to South America with Bond to help him, but he’s killed by corrupt officers who are trying to set Bond up. Giannini always plays a good part no matter what he’s cast as and he made appositive impact to the 2 Bond movies he’d starred in.
Gemma Arterton as MI6 agent Strawberry Fields is a brief but memorable addition to the Quantum of Solace cast. We first see her at the airport, all confident and cocky, telling Bond he’s to go back to London.
She comes across as very professional, and has organized everything until Bond has to leave the next day. Bond overrides her and checks in to a plush hotel, and shows her a bit of the high life. She really falls for it quickly and is soon in bed with Bond.
Strawberry Fields is not simply a Bond girl included in Bond 22 to fill up screen time. She plays an important role in the plot when she accompanies Bond to Greene’s fundraiser and becomes envious when he leaves with Camille Montes without explaining what’s happening.
Sensing danger as Bond and Camille are being followed, Strawberry must make a difficult decision: either let Bond go with the beautiful woman or help him evade danger. She chooses to help by tripping a henchman named Elvis, which gives Bond enough time to escape the event.
Unfortunately, her bravery ultimately leads to her demise, as we next see her killed and left naked on Bond’s bed, covered in motor oil – a scene is reminiscent of Jill Masterson’s fate in Bond 3, Goldfinger, where her naked body was painted gold.
Anatole Taubman plays henchman, Elvis, a not-so-menacing presence as Greene’s second-in-command. There’s something about Elvis that doesn’t put him up there in the Rosa Klebb or Jaws league when it comes to henchmen. His haircut doesn’t strike fear, so it could be that.
That said, Elvis is a fun character, and his best scene is when he’s sent to stop Bond and Camille leaving the fundraiser. Strawberry Fields trips him down the stairs and it’s just so typical of Elvis, and how he comes across. We next see him in a neck brace.
Jesper Christensen returns as Mr. White, and although he’s only in small parts of the movie, he’s a significant character. Christensen brings a quiet menace to his character, and early in the movie when he’s being interrogated, he’s arguably at his most menacing.
That could have something to do with knowing one of the interrogators, Mitchell, played by Glenn Foster, is about and about to help him escape. That said, Mr. White is a great character and integral to the plot.
David Harbour delivers a compelling performance as Gregg Beam, a deceitful CIA agent who collaborates with the villainous Greene. Harbour’s portrayal of Beam exudes an air of smugness and sleaziness that makes him a convincingly detestable antagonist.
Meanwhile, Jeffrey Wright reprises his role as Felix Leiter, a fresh recruit at the CIA who is confronted with the corruption within the agency. Despite the pressure from Beam, Leiter chooses to remain virtuous and refuses to be complicit in his misconduct. In the end, Leiter becomes instrumental in exposing Beam’s wrongdoing, saving Bond’s life and earning a well-deserved promotion.
Judi Dench as M is given a larger role in this film, and her best scene is a confrontation with Bond about his reckless behaviour. Dench brings a steely and commanding presence to her character, and is the perfect female foil for a known womaniser.
Overall, the Quantum of Solace cast delivers strong performances to a much-maligned film, something I can never understand. The plot is a bit convoluted, but the acting and the action is fantastic, making Bond 22 a very watch-again-able film.
Quantum of Solace Official Trailer
The rest of the Quantum of Solace Cast and Crew
Paul Ritter as Guy Haines
Tim Pigott-Smith as the British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Fernando Guillén Cuervo as Carlos, the Colonel of Bolivian Police
Neil Jackson as Edmund Slate
Simon Kassianides as Yusef Kabira
Stana Katic as Corrine Veneau
Glenn Foster as Craig Mitchell
Oona Chaplin as Perla de las Dunas’s receptionist
Lucrezia Lante della Rovere as Gemma
Jesús Ochoa as Lieutenant Orso
Directed by Marc Forster
Produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli
Written by Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade
Based on James Bond by Ian Fleming
Cinematography by Roberto Schaefer
Edited by Matt Chesse and Richard Pearson
Music by David Arnold
Quantum of Solace Theme Song by Jack White and Alicia Keys
Production companies: Eon Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Columbia Pictures
Distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing
Release dates: 29 October 2008 (World Premiere), 31 October 2008 (UK), 14 November 2008 (US)
Budget $200–230 million
Box office $589.6 million
Quantum of Solace FAQs
Quantum of Solace is a phrase taken from a 1960 Ian Fleming short story. In the context of the movie, it refers to the degree of comfort or consolation one receives in a time of grief or despair.
It’s one of the shortest movies, and has a runtime of approximately 106 minutes.
The movie was filmed in various locations around the world, including Italy, Austria, Panama, Chile, and the United Kingdom. Notable filming locations include Siena, Lake Garda, Panama City, and the Atacama Desert.
The movie was directed by Marc Forster.
The world premiere in London was 29 October 2008. Then on 31 October 2008 it was released in the UK, and on 14 November 2008 in the US.
Yes, it’s a direct sequel to Bond 21, Casino Royale. In fact, the start of the movie takes off straight after the events of Casino Royale.
Quantum of Solace received mixed reviews from critics and audiences. While some people enjoyed the film’s action sequences and visual style, others found it to be confusing and lacking in substance.
Some of the main critiques include:
Complex plot: Some viewers found the plot to be overly complicated and difficult to follow, with multiple storylines and characters that were not well-developed.
Lack of character development: The movie was criticized for not giving enough attention to character development, especially when compared to its predecessor, Casino Royale.
Weak villain: The main villain, Dominic Greene, was not seen as a compelling threat to James Bond, and his motivations were not fully explained. And while we agree that his motivations were a bit convoluted, Dominic Greene is an excellent villain.
Action over substance: Some critics felt that the movie relied too heavily on action sequences and special effects, at the expense of a strong story and well-drawn characters.
Editing and pacing issues: The fast-paced editing and frenetic action scenes were seen by some as being too chaotic and difficult to follow.
It’s worth noting that opinions on the film are subjective, and some viewers (us included) may enjoy the movie despite these criticisms.
