Favourite Movie Scenes #1

I've long had the idea of posting about my favourite movie scenes. So I'm going to start now, with a scene from Casino Royale (2006).

(God Almighty, that was twenty years ago! I remember seeing it in the cinema.)

I've never been a big James Bond fan, though I like the idea of James Bond a lot. I like the thought of Bond as a British Institution, with all its attendant tradition-- the Bond song, the Bond girl, the opening credits sequence, the gadgets, etc.

When I love a movie scene, it's often because of its use of understatement. I love how we see the new Q and James Bond warm to each other after an opening gambit of insults-- it's very English, like Robin Hood and Little John fighting on the bridge. (Even the moment Q says "007", just as Bond is walking away, is brilliant. I also really like: "Were you expecting an exploding pen? We don't really do that kind of thing anymore.")

Calling this one of my favourite movie scenes is a bit of a stretch, but I've found myself watching it a lot recently.

And after that, you can watch this fairly good sketch of a woke James Bond. "Extra decaf" is a brilliant line.