When people think they know more than they actually do, the potential for massive mistakes multiplies. Or, as outlined in The Big Short by Michael Lewis, there is a potential for absolutely astronomical errors. Following the mantra that “Greed is Good,” Wall Street banks create securities out of thin air and sell them to others who can neither calculate risk correctly nor price it appropriately. Some firms take positions against what they are selling to their customers as conflicts of interest abound. The oversight of ratings agencies and the United States Treasury is entirely absent. Incompetence and ignorance are mixed …
Quantum of Solace
When a franchise becomes over-extended, it becomes a parody of itself. It reflects incredibly poorly upon Quantum of Solace that the most memorable moment of the film is a reference to an earlier James Bond story: like Auric Goldfinger covered Jill Masterson in gold, Dominic Greene covered another one of Bond’s failed loves with crude. (Similar to how Halle Barry’s emergence from the ocean is more a nod to Ursula Andress and Doctor No than a part of Die Another Day.) The visual is striking because of the earlier scene that it parodies; Agent Fields appeared far too briefly for …
Four Bond Films
I decided to compare a few of the early James Bond stories that I have been reading and watching lately. Casino Royale Book (1953): This is an excellent detective novel. Ian Fleming also showcases his writing for the first time and acquits himself admirably. The style is concise and memorable; there are some nods to the dialogue in the most recent film adaptation. Unlike the action-themed film, the novel focuses more on the Baccarat game between James Bond and Le Chiffre (it’s disappointing that the film chose to focus the gambling around Texas Hold-em rather than Bond’s traditional game of …