Le Chiffre and Bond’s final scene together, in which the villain uses a knotted piece of rope to torture the hero, ranks as one of the most uncomfortable, viscerally affecting scenes in the franchise. While the film’s central villain, Le Chiffre, isn’t quite as imposing as more memorable Bond antagonists, Mads Mikkelsen manages to bring a lot of sinister charm to the character. Together, Green and Craig have better chemistry than any other Bond pairing in history, which makes Vesper’s eventual fate (and Bond’s reaction to it) hit that much harder. The film’s grainy, black-and-white opening minutes depict the two encounters that resulted in Bond earning his “00” status, while the main, poker-centric plotline gives Craig the chance to slip into the dignified, charming persona that has become an integral part of the Bond character.Ĭasino Royale also brings Craig’s Bond face-to-face with Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), the clever and passionate woman destined to haunt all his future romantic pursuits. Based on Ian Fleming’s first Bond novel, Casino Royale reveals the origins of Daniel Craig’s complicated British spy.
