"Ah, but Baccarat (or Chemin de Fer, which is the version Bond plays, where one of the players acts as banker) is nothing BUT psychological. The skill of the game is not to read the cards you have, but the general disposition of the shoe, the dealer's luck, the courage of the other players, and shifts in the winds of fate. It's not a game of skill so much as intuition, courage, and pure luck. There's no science to it at all -- it's pure alchemy, in which the only decision is to play or not to play. Which is why it so confounds and frustrates die-hard poker players (or analytical gamblers of any stripe), and why it is so perfect for Bond. He wins because he's Bond. Luck is his stock in trade.

When you look at the game in those terms, and especially when you have Bond and the villain sitting across from each other, sizing each other up over a game of raw nerve, it's as dramatic as it gets."

"It's a great title. I much prefer the quirky and slightly confusing Bond titles (From Russia With Love, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Diamonds Are Forever, A View to A Kill, Tomorrow Never Dies, Die Another Day) to the one-worders (Goldfinger, Thunderball, Octopussy, GoldenEye). Plus, "Quantum of Solace" is about as Fleming-esque as a title can get. It's a step in the right direction for the franchise.

It's nice to see a movie title that isn't dumbed down for the benefit of the average moviegoer. God forbid someone might actually reach for a dictionary and learn a new word. (I'm still irritated that they felt they had to dumb down Baccarat into Texas Hold Em in Casino Royale.)"