Finally, the movie concludes with a double-crossing climax in Venice, Italy.

The latter part of the second half, where Bond must win a high-stakes poker game against Le Chiffre, all occurs in Montenegro. The first half of Act Two, where Bond learns more about “Ellipsis,” and eventually thwarts it, takes place in the Bahamas and the Miami-Dade area. We’re introduced to Bond and hints of a nefarious plot primarily in Madagascar. Speaking of exotic settings, a different one marks each major storytelling chunk. Everything else–from character development, witty dialogue, and exotic settings–is just a bunch of bells of whistles which enhance the plot. As I mentioned in screenwriting tip #6 in 12 Spy Scriptwriting Secrets from Casino Royale we know exactly why Bond is doing what he’s doing, producing an extremely tight chain of cause and effect– the backbone of any screenplay plot. One of the movie’s most enviable qualities is its tight structure.

There are many things to admire about this script, penned by Bond veterans Neal Purvis & Robert Wade, along with Paul Haggis, whose writing career includes credits for Crash, Million Dollar Baby, and thirtysomething. Today’s list of plot points is from Casino Royale, the James Bond reboot which introduced Daniel Craig as the iconic British spy.