The Saint (1997)

I was apprehensive about watching a 2 hour film whose misleading trailer seemed to offer a dull plot and gushy romance, but The Saint was a pleasant surprise full of delight, charm and quality.

I liked the plethora of disguises the titular character plays hot potato with, an enigmatic and troubled character brought to life by Val Kilmer, who could've done so much more with Batman as his talents are evident in this film.

No nonsense Russian villains, especially Ilya (Valeri Nikolayev) fuel the suspense while the scenery invites the viewer into a cat-and-mouse caper whose biggest punch comes from the question of "how will 'the saint' outsmart his enemies?" Meanwhile, the dull progress of the villain's endgame is appropriately left in the background.

Elisabeth Shue is delightful as ever in a gentle, fragile and sweet role. The obligatory romance isn't gushy despite being fanciful. It is held together by a subtle focus on emotional yearning that binds the core themes together. Everyone needs to have their needs fulfilled, yet their coy nature seeks to deprive them of it while their lives become something completely different. The film could've gone further down this emotional route, but favored action and feelgood cliches instead.

Overall, it was hasty in some places but nonetheless fine and well worth the duration.

Die Another Day (2002)

Taking plenty of futuristic liberties, Die Another Day is certainly colorful as are the opening credits, despite cool special effects that obscure any explanation for a madman's genius intellect. Nevertheless, a vigorous effort to make Bond splashier than ever before is certainly nice to look at. This weekend adventure for Bond feels sillier than past installments but offers splendid cinematography and set pieces that are packed with nifty creativity.

Halle Berry is a joy to look at. However, the inspired scene that has her splashing out of the water in an orange swimsuit isn't given the best camerawork nor the most fitting color arrangement. A sultry sequence shortly thereafter compensates for it, as do two other scenes that have her wearing a pink dress with poor wind resistance and white undergarments that better showcase her complexion and beauty.

Berry's character is elevated to Mr. Bond's unofficial colleague, avoiding eye candy doom unlike our favorite womanizer's previous acquaintances. While little exploration is taken to her character, it's strange to see someone other than Bond be so nested in the action. By the end of the film, the eye candy role becomes confused but Berry shows tender, vulnerable and cheeky qualities throughout that fortify the role.

Overall, Die Another Day is a fitting title. It lacks the sober attraction of previous outings but better serves itself by favoring frivolity and being more self-assured than the confused Goldeneyes that came before it.