Men are complicated, as we all know. But few men are more complicated than James Bond, Agent 007. As played by Daniel Craig, he’s feral, tender, homicidal, intellectual, sexy, and looks great in outlandishly modern suits. Spectre is the newest film in the 007 franchise. Having just been released worldwide in November 2015, it may still be seen in local multiplexes. I had a chance to see it and I found much that might interest our GLBT readers, or, for that matter, our straight allies.

We first encounter James Bond in Mexico City where Day of the Dead festivities have jammed the streets. In typical, over-the-top manner, we are there in the midst of this hyper-exaggerated scene where we know anything might (and definitely will) happen. And they do: a fevered chase; a wild helicopter out of control; and most frightening to me (with my fear of heights), 007 nonchalantly traipsing along narrow ledges high above the city. We also meet an intriguing sexpot, woman number one.

Monica Belluci is Lucia Sciarra, glamorous yet tasteful widow of the sleazy chief assassin from this film’s world-wide network of evil, Spectre. Bond first meets her at her husband’s funeral, where we see sparks ignite instantly between them. Widow: “Can’t you see that I’m grieving?” Bond: “No.” Later, at her fabulous chateau, Bond saves her from killers, and falls into passionate foreplay pressed against a mirror culminating in what it should, as we later see her in bed as he’s leaving. This is interesting in that Ms. Belluci is not in her first blush of youth, but rather an adult woman about James Bond’s age. Chalk one up for the cougars.

Lea Seydoux is Doctor Madeleine Swann, a character nearly as complex as James Bond. She embodies nearly every sexual fantasy: Austrian accent; young and beautiful; Doctor (“I ask the questions here!”); cool blonde intellectual with deep, barely disguised inner passions; dominatrix; the ability to handle a gun as easily as she might hold a lipstick; in short, she reminds me of my dentist.

Another sizzling sexpot who must be mentioned is Ben Wishaw as Q. Looking like the patented milquetoast, we know that Q (short for “Quartermaster”) has an overpowering intellect as well as an unquestionably large penis. With his shock of tousled hair, frail body, preoccupied demeanor, and nerdy glasses, he is irresistibly sexy. He knows what boys like, and one of the pornographic objects on display in his house of magic is a car (what would a 007 film be without “the” car?) later described as a “three-million pound prototype.” Tellingly, when Bond seizes the car (as he must with all beautiful, shiny things), he leaves an iced bottle of champagne for Q which makes us ask if this is what Bond usually leaves behind after a night of love with Q?

Sam Smith, our gay icon, wrote the theme song, “Writing’s On The Wall,” and sings it during the eerie opening credits.

If cinematic lusciousness depicting achingly sensuous lakes, mountains, foreign locales, expensive objects, along with titanic explosions and dead-on editing excites you, then Spectre is a film for you.