Director: Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill)Cast: Brad Pitt (Ocean's Eleven, Troy), Christoph Waltz, Melanie Laurent, Eli Roth (Death Proof, Hostel), Diane Kruger (National Treasure, Troy), Daniel Bruhl (The Bourne Ultimatum), Martin Wuttke, B.J. Novak (The Office), Michael Fassbender (300, Band of Brothers), Til Schweiger, Mike Myers (Austin Powers, Shrek)
The Deal: In Nazi occupied France, a young Jewish girl Shosanna Dreyfus witnesses the murder of her family by Colonel Hans Landa (Waltz), the famed "Jew hunter". Several years later, German war hero Fredrick Zoller (Bruhl) takes an interest in her, and when he gets her theater to host the premiere of his upcoming film, Shosanna plots her revenge. With the possibility that every major Nazi officer may be in attendance, a ruthless group of Jewish-American soldiers known as the "Basterds" led by Lt. Aldo Raine (Pitt) conspire a plan to crash the premiere and end the war in one fell swoop. As plans are set in motion, paths will cross for a fateful event that will shake history to its core.
Thoughts: Tarantino is back, following up his disappointing Death Proof with a film that oozes everything that has made him such a great director. The film is long, and does tend to drag a bit in the middle, but that does nothing to take away from the brilliant work he has laid down. The film is told in five chapters, with the first three covering three separate story lines, the forth covers the plan, and the fifth intertwines all of the stories into a very thrilling closing act. The cinematography is vintage Tarantino, the dialogue is sharp and witty, and the action is brutally violent.
With so much good dialogue, it's no surprise to find so many good performances, but Christoph Waltz absolutely steals the show. Early rumblings from Cannes had mixed reviews of the film, but all raved about Waltz, and it's clear why. He was chillingly precise while remaining entirely quirky and somewhat unpredictable. His performance could win him many awards and cement him as a household name in the next few years. Brad Pitt has around 30 minutes of screen time, but you don't notice the small amount. His character has a brutally hilarious southern accent, and his take on Italian was quite funny. Melanie Laurent created a very endearing character, and very much felt like the heart of the devious plot.
Boy, wouldn't it just be swell if this film had been based on a true story? Hitler and his Nazi minions meets their demise, and there is absolutely no remorse or restraint in their deaths. The final 30 minutes of the film are excellent, capped by a string of both surprising and predictable moments. The most satisfying of which is Hitler's. I'll try not to spoil too much, but I'll just say that the most violent Basterd gets his crack at the Fuhrer, and he unleashes hell. With such a massacre, some may find it disturbing, but considering the level of anti-Nazi feelings from the WWII era, many will find the outcome well deserved, showing the same lack of remorse the Basterds sport.
Verdict: Tarantino delivers with one of his best efforts. Good acting (great from Waltz), sharp dialogue, brutal violence, and beautiful cinematography make Inglourious Basterds one of the most entertaining and satisfying films of the year. ☆☆☆☆
No comments:
Post a Comment