I am not a lover of Quentin Tarantino movies, but I must admit I have a sort of grudging admiration for the guy after sitting through the world war II revenge movie Inglourious Basterds. Every Zig zagging Tarantino trick is used in this movie....the audience is wrong footed time and time and time again, as characters are suddenly introduced, then seem to seesaw back and forth in their own power struggles and importance before being dispatched or dropped with an icy cold and very violent regard.
As usual the plot is convoluted and cram packed with overly "clever" dialogue (the opening 10 minute exchange between French farmer (the very attractive Denis Menochet) and Nazi Jew hunter Landa (Christoph Waltz) is a particular standout, but it is in certain tension cranking set pieces (and I am talking about the scene in a pub basement where a British agent,Michael Fassbender is unearthed as a spy) that Tarantino really flexes his muscles to the greatest cinematic effect.
I enjoyed these moments of the movie greatly but hated the gratuitous violence within other parts of the film. I also found Brad Pitt'S performance ( as the Jewish hit squad leader) rather uncomfortable and irritating to watch, but must add that Christopher Waltz was a revelation as the charming,unpredictable and psychopathic Col Landa and the two women in the film,Mélanie Laurent as a Jewish survivor and Diane Kruger as a German double agent are also particulary good
An interesting, uncomfortable,sometimes irritating and occasionally exhilarating movie 8/10
When they show the previews on TV, doesn't look appealing to me especially since they highlight Brad Pitt's character.
ReplyDeleteLoved the film, hated Brad Pitt though!
ReplyDeleteI think that Tarantino puts on a good show stylistically, but I’m not sure how much content there is to his work, really. I went off his films at the time of KILL BILL. But BASTERDS does sound intriguing, and I will see it sometime soon.
ReplyDeleteA general rule for life...always try to avoid Brad Pitt movies like the plage.
ReplyDeleteA River Runs Through It, Legends of the Fall, Interview With the Vampire, Ocean's 11 and, God help us, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button...need one say more?
The poor boy may be pretty but he really cannot act.
Re. Brad Pitt. Oh come on, how about Twelve Monkeys, Burn After Reading, Assasination Of Jesse James etc? I haven't seen this film so I don't know how he is in it but I really enjoyed Benjamin Button as a film - but then it did have the great Tilda Swinton in it.
ReplyDeletehummm V!
ReplyDeleteI only liked mr Pitt in BURN AFTER READING and hated him in the awful BENJAMIN BUMACHE....
Bel-ami.....doesn't like pretty actors me thinks!
This sounds interesting, but I really dislike gratuitous violence so I will probably pass on this film. Thanks for the review.
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