Bondage Dept.

I just finished reading Casino Royale, the first of the Bond novels and of course the novel that was adapted into the newest of the Bond films.  There's a lot about the book that's dated — Bond's innate sexism as a character, for instance, is presented in such a way that it's not always clear if he's the sexist one or Fleming himself is simply (if unwittingly) recording his own feelings about women.  What's odd is that the struggle that Bond engages in with SMERSH — the Russian counterspy bureau that he makes his sworn enemy by the end of the book — hasn't really dated much at all, and the second half of the film essentially matches the majority of the book in all the significant details.

Another thing that's striking is Le Chiffre, who in the movie is actually a more interesting character.  In the book his desperation is more hinted at than anything else; in the movie, he's clearly in way over his head, and we feel it profoundly, especially in the infamous scene where he gives Bond a beating that makes every man in the room run for the exits.  I liked the fact that he was not some giant, untouchable figure of evil, but a scared, somewhat banal and corrupt person whose corruption would eventually be his undoing.  The movie stays true to that, even if the way it's presented is a lot more jazzed-up (not that I mind!).

Here's hoping the next film — working title Quantum of Solace — is a worthy follow-up.