In the latest 007 thriller Skyfall, the head of an intelligence agency is brought down by past personal relationships. Coming on the eve of the stunning resignation of David Petraeus, Skyfall is an action-packed and unusually timely thriller about the continuing importance of the human element in our digital world.

James Bond (Daniel Craig) is betrayed by MI6 in the opening moments of Skyfall, leading to a lot of pain, soul-searching, and near-literal resurrection (this is a gritty reboot, after all). Bond comes back into the fold to figure out who is revealing the real identities of covert agents all over the world and trying to kill spy boss M (Judi Dench). This leads him to Silva (Javier Bardem) and perhaps the first blatantly homoerotic interrogation scene in Bond history (notice I said “blatantly”). Bond’s efforts to protect M also lead him to confront his own past.

The plot is convoluted and the dialogue is pun-heavy, but it’s all bolstered by solid acting and the mesmerizing camera work of legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins. He must have had a blast chasing motorcycles over Turkish rooftoops, and immersing characters in mazes of mirrors, glass, and neon lights.

Craig and Dench are supported by Bardem’s turn as a gleeful sociopath, Albert Finney as a charming, gruff Scotsman, and Berenice Marlohe as a surprisingly deep Bond girl.

Having spent much of this film delving into Bond’s past and justifying his existence, I’m eager to see the producers move past that and focus on the missions. But I have a feeling we’ll be hearing more about Bond’s deceased parents, and whoever is responsible for their untimely demise.

Did you see Skyfall? What did you think?

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