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| Goldfinger |
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  (8/10)
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Runtime: 112 |
| Public Rating: 8.25 (28 votes) |
Director: Guy Hamilton |
MPAA Rating:  |
| Genre: Action adventure |
Year: 1964 |
| Writer(s): Ian Fleming (novel); Richard Maibaum & Paul Dehn (screenplay) |
| Reviewed by: Le Apprenti |
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007 is back, and this time he goes for the gold. Be it found in the name of the title villain, on Fort Knox, or on a dead woman’s bodypaint, the Midas’ touch is the core of the third installment of James Bond from the pages of creator Ian Fleming. Sean Connery reprises his signature role in another adventure filled with colorful villains, sexy girls, powerful cars and high-tech gadgetry.
In “Goldfinger” Bond’s mission is to investigate a gold smuggling ring led by international bullion dealer Auric Goldfinger (Gert Fröbe, with dubbing provided by Michael Collins) and put a stop to his plans to invade Fort Knox for its golden cache. This proves to be a difficult challenge as Goldfinger is boasted by a motley group of a hat-toting henchman, a team of Chinese engineers, an ace pilot and her flying crew, and a humongous laser cannon. So, in the old-fashion style of espionage thrillers, Bond starts the ball – and the excitement – rolling by antagonizing the bad guy, with the help of an assortment of gadgets and a fully-armed Aston Martin DB-5 from the laboratory of MI-6’s resident armorer Q (Desmond Llewelyn).
“Goldfinger” continues in the spirit and tradition from “From Russia With Love” and “Dr. No”. Unlike the other two, it emphasizes on character developments of the Bond girls, allowing 007 to display more suave and machismo in getting his woman even if it is forcing his lips into hers. Connery is certainly at his best. He perfects the rugged machoism of 007 women want to fall helplessly in love with and whom would want to have his way with them. His punchlines are sarcastic and occasionally brunt. But Bond is not complete without the colorful characters and predicaments he encounters.
As in many Bond films, the leading villains are often overshadowed by their henchmen. In this case, it is Oddjob (Harold Sakata), Goldfinger’s non-speaking powerhouse who lets his brawn and his razor-edged hat, do the talking. He also bears another distinction of being the only Asian character in a Caucasian-dominated film not to have an Asian name. Lesbian-turned-bisexual – courtesy of 007 – femme fatale Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman) is as succulent as the actress who plays her. Excellent chemistry with Connery does help a great deal, as well as the tension of their characters – Pussy being icy which Bond finds challenging and a turn-on. And who can forget the gold-painted body of Jill Masterson (Shirley Eaton), whose scant 15-second ‘golden’ pose is easily the most memorable scene in the entire Bond series.
Although he is the leading antagonist, Goldfinger is less intimidating than his career profile. This is caused in part by Fröbe’s limited English-speaking skills, and Collins’ dubbing not meshing with Fröbe’s acting. Both of which hampers his overall performance. However, Goldfinger leaves behind a memorable line while pointing a laser towards 007’s crotch. As Bond pleads, “Do you expect me to talk?” Goldfinger replies, “No, Mr. Bond! I expect you to die!” Otherwise, the best dialogue is found in the love-hate exchanges between 007 and Pussy Galore.
Rounding up this gold-encrusted cast are Bernard Lee as M, Cec Linder as FBI agent Felix Leiter, Lois Maxwell as Moneypenny, and Tania Mallet as Shirley’s sister Tilly. As Shirley Bassey sings in the title song, “He's the man, the man with the Midas touch.” Not just of Goldfinger, but also of Bond, James Bond.
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