The recent delay to the forthcoming James Bond movie, No Time To Die, was a colossal blow to the film industry. Audiences will have to wait until at least 2021 for what is set to be actor Daniel Craig’s final appearance in the Bond series.
Once No Time To Die is finally released, Craig will have been playing Bond for 15 years – a fact which is bound to age many readers on the spot. During that time Craig has gone on to establish himself as a versatile actor. So while the wait for more Bond goes on, it’s time to check out some of the actor's best performances across his career.
Some Voices
Some Voices is arguably the biggest outlier in Craig's career so far. Released in 2000, he stars as Ray, a schizophrenic who is released from a psychiatric hospital and goes to live with his brother in London. From there he strikes up a tumultuous friendship with Laura (Kelly MacDonald), a Glaswegian girl who has separated from her abusive partner. While Ray's brother attempts to help him stabilize his life, the film delivers the drama the premise promises.
Ray is a dramatic departure from the suave assuredness associated with Bond, but he’s all the more magnetic for it. He's erratic, hopeful and self-destructive, leaving an impression upon almost everyone he encounters throughout the movie. His chemistry with MacDonald brings their relationship to life; it's simultaneously the biggest source of instability and hope for Ray. Craig is completely convincing as he traverses a broad range of emotional states, encouraging the kind of compassion for a condition that is often bereft in contemporary portrayals of mental illness.
Casino Royale
It’s important to look at the context of Craig’s performance in his Bond debut. It may come as a surprise, but back in 2005 there was vitriolic resistance to his casting in the iconic role. There were internet campaigns and threats of boycotts as Dads across the world whined at the notion of a, *checks notes*, well spoken and handsome white British man playing James Bond. Fans were critical of the actor’s physicality, blonde hair and lack of height. It’s interesting to draw similarities between the reaction to this and Robert Pattinson’s casting in The Batman. Craig was under pressure to convince, with this being the beginning of a multi-film arc.
Thankfully, he delivered a performance which was full of the renowned Bond wit with an additional edge that isn’t traditionally associated with the character. One particular highlight comes during his sparring with villain Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) during a Texas Hold 'em tournament, in which Bond is poisoned. Craig's convincing performance is typified by a tension filled fight to deploy a defibrillator.
Having previously spoken of his desire to add emotional depth to the role, his performance in Casino Royale established a vulnerability that made his Bond more than just an unattainable ideal to be revered. Though, the complaints about his stature were rightfully washed away by the now iconic image of him wading out of the sea in a skimpy pair of shorts.
Logan Lucky
In 2017 Steven Soderbergh came out of retirement to direct the comedy heist film Logan Lucky. Craig starred as Joe Bang, a tattooed prisoner with a blond buzzcut and a sterling reputation for robbing banks. He teams up with two brothers (Adam Driver and Channing Tatum) to rob a North Carolina Speedway during a NASCAR Race.
In a clever nod to Soderbergh's Ocean's trilogy, the heist is dubbed the "Ocean's 7-11" during the movie. It's also an appropriate description of the type of heist the group carries out. While the plan is no less intricate or sophisticated, the surroundings lack the kind of glamor that is often afforded to the typical heist movie. More often than not, those involved are well dressed and give the impression of an amassed wealth, whereas these characters have few resources - relying instead on their ingenuity. Following rumors No Time To Die's delay is costing MGM a fortune, they may need to consider a similar plot to recoup their losses.
Soderbergh offered Craig free rein to do whatever he wanted with the role. What followed was an off-beat performance, completely out of sync with the cultural perception of Craig - more peroxide-blond than James Bond. While he appears in a supporting role, he steals every scene he appears in. Perhaps then, Soderbergh should take some credit for allowing Craig the opportunity to remind audiences of his versatility.
Knives Out
2019’s Oscar nominated Knives Out was a breath of fresh air for the murder-mystery genre. Craig played a starring role as Benoit Blanc, the private detective with a penchant for a doughnut metaphor.
Breaking out of the more rigid confines of the Bond role, Craig walks the precarious tightrope between believability and absurdist humor in what is perhaps the most enjoyable performance of his career so far. It brings the wit of Bond, the vulnerability of Some Faces and the mixture of off-beat humor and southern dialect of Logan Lucky.
Craig appears at ease in the role as Blanc is hired to solve the murder of Harlan Thrombey, while building enough intrigue to keep the audience suspicious of his own motivations - the role balances on a knife edge. It's no surprise that, having stood out amongst such an esteemed ensemble cast featuring the likes of Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette, Michael Shannon and Chris Evans, Craig will reprise his role in the upcoming sequel.
The theory goes that Craig’s Bond movies follow a pattern: one great movie, followed by a disappointing one. If that holds true, we’re bound to see Craig go out on a high note in 2021 when No Time to Die finally releases.
Some Voices is available on Amazon Prime and DVD
Casino Royale is available on DVD, Bluray and VOD
Logan Lucky is available on DVD, Bluray and VOD
Knives Out is available on Amazon Prime, Bluray and DVD