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feature, opinion

No Time to Die: Bond movie reaches Thrilling Conclusion

by Caleb Curry/Staff Writer

James Bond (Daniel Craig) and Paloma (Ana de Armas) share a drink in Cuba in No Time to Die.

The 2021 film No Time to Die is the 25th James Bond movie to hit the big screens. Daniel Craig plays the British spy James Bond once again. Craig is seen as one of the series’ best Bond actors, and has acted out Bond for the new age.

No Time to Die is Daniel Craig’s fifth James Bond movie. The film takes place five years after the end of 2015’s Spectre. The film’s main cast include: Daniel Craig as James Bond, Lashana Lynch as Nomi, Léa Seydoux as Madeleine, Rami Malek as Safin, and Ana de Armas as Paloma. The director, Cary Joji Fukunaga, was tasked with the job of closing out the Craig Bond series in an epic way. The movie was filmed all over the world with locations such as Cuba, Jamaica, London, and Italy. The score of the movie is done by the award winning Hans Zimmer. The film began production in 2019 and was set to release fall of 2020; however with the pandemic going on the studio made the decision to delay the film’s release until 2021.

Overall in my opinion the film No Time to Die is a well-made enjoyable film. That being said there are some flaws in the way the story is told, but overall is fun to watch. The problems with the movie come in the length and the characters. The film’s runtime is 2 hours and 43 minutes making it the longest James Bond movie ever. The film however feels about an hour too long; the movie would be much more enjoyable had it only gone for 1 hour and 40 minutes. The other problem with the movie are some of the characters. The antagonist Safin has virtually no development and is thrown into the plot seemingly at the last minute. Nomi is a character that I feel is unnecessary in the movie, her character is not very likeable and in the end does not serve a point in the climax of the movie. The other character that is a problem is Ana de Armas’ character Paloma. Paloma is a well done character; however, the biggest problem is she isn’t in the movie for longer. Although Bond does not need a sidekick or partner the writers gave him one in Nomi, and I think this role would be much better if it was Paloma.

The plot of the movie takes too long to develop. Due to the runtime of the movie, the overall plot of the story takes too long to develop. We know there is a bioweapon, and James Bond needs to stop it, but a true structural antagonist is not made clear until very late in the film. The plot is not a unique idea, it is the typical action hero needs to stop the villain from trying to commit some crime. It is a plot formula that is not original; however, in a movie like No Time to Die it does not detract from the entertainment value the acting and choreography bring.

Despite the flaws in the movie the good far outweighs the bad. The movie is beautifully shot and the plot, while not incredible, is enough to keep the viewer entertained. Daniel Craig gives an incredible portrayal of James Bond. Craig brings a certain aspect to the role that leads to why he is considered by some to be the best Bond yet. Every action scene in the movie is well done with excellent fight choreography. One of the staples of a Bond movie is the song that is written for the opening credits. This film’s song was No Time to Die by Billie Eilish which, like the movie, is not a masterpiece, however it is enjoyable. I think the best part of the movie is the closure it gives for 2015’s Spectre. No Time to Die is built as a finale to the 2015 film, bringing back multiple characters while also introducing new ones. Spectre left so much still to be explored with closure still not given. No Time to Die answers those questions that were left unanswered.

The score is a key aspect in a movie that often goes unappreciated. Hans Zimmer has worked on movies such as The Lion King, Inception, and The Dark Knight. He is well respected and very well known across the film industry, and his work on this movie shows why. The score is upbeat and fast during chase scenes and slow and solemn during serious scenes. The film’s score can give you insight into what is going on in Bond’s head, when he is smooth and in control the score tends to be the typical fun sounding 007 theme. To contrast that, when Bond is out of control and chaotic the score shifts into more of a fast-paced music. When you are watching a movie you often don’t realize how important a score is in the success of a movie. In No Time to Die the score, while subtle, remains to be one of the most impressive aspects of the film.

No Time to Die is far from a perfect film, however it is still good. The movie bodes well for the future of James Bond in the years to come. I would recommend watching the movie in theaters if you get the chance, and definitely as it becomes accessible digitally.

feature

Shakespeare Monologue Competition turns 20

By: Analicia Cass/Staff Writer

Photo Caption: Aubree Brinkruff, 9, and Emma Hilton, 9, posing in their fairy costumes

Greenfield Central’s Annual Shakespeare Monologue Competition took place on Jan. 29. Mrs. Schoeff’s Gifted and Talented Language class puts on this competition every year where competitors of all grades 9-12 perform a monologue in the hopes of making it to state.

The Gifted and Talented class does extensive research overall topics in the Elizabethan Era. They write a research paper, study the lifestyle, and get a sense of life at the time. The class works for 2 months to prepare for the final show. The night of the competition, the students have costumes that represent the people, food that represents their meals, and music and dancing that represent the entertainment of the Elizabethan Era. There is a setting for actors to perform in that represents a place you are likely to see at the time. There are also fairies who run around and tease the audience as they would do in Shakespeare’s plays.

Each section of the show is managed by one student; a student will manage the food, one for the instruments, one for the singing, and so on. The leader of the vocal groups Elysabeth Davenport, 9, said: “I feel that, because of the attention to detail that went into choosing music by composers of the era, that they accurately reflected the Elizabethan Era of England.”

All performers choose and rehearse a monologue to the best of their ability. They add character and feelings to their monologues. While performing, they attempt to represent the character and all they embodied in Shakespeare’s plays. These performers have as much as 1 month and as little as two weeks to prepare themselves for the night of the competition. Before they perform their monologue, they must give a brief explanation of the play up to the point of their speech.

Megan Ward, 12, was one of the nearly 20 performers that night. “I practiced my monologue a lot.  In front of the mirror, in the car, everywhere. I think people started to get annoyed.  But my hard work paid off,” said Ward.

Judges watch and take the emotion, character, and the play up to the point of the chosen monologue into account. They are judging on the performance and ability of the actors. The judges are the most important piece of this competition, for it is them who choose who advances.

The night goes through a series of events starting with an introduction of the time, some music while the audience chooses their seat and a trumpet interlude. The performances commence and after about an hour of different monologues from different plays and unique performances, the judges head off to choose the top 3 places.

During the time that the judges are gone, the food and beverages are served, singing and instrumental representations of the time are performed, and some dancing of the people is all a part of the show. Upon the return of the judges, everyone sits and a hush falls over the audience. The third and second place winners are announced. Finally, the first place winner is announced and awarded a medal.

This year’s winner was Megan Ward. The first place winner will proceed to state, where she will perform her monologue again and also add a memorized sonnet to the performance. Ward said, “Winning this competition is amazing. It was a great experience, and I love that I get to go to state, and hopefully represent Greenfield at Nationals!  The best part will be seeing other actors bringing feedback to next year’s competitors.”