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MguyX 
"X marks the spot"
United States
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 Posted - 23/08/2009 : 23:02:27
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Spellbinding if not spell corrected, "Inglourious Basterds" is well worth the time it takes to view (a full 2.5 hours). While I figure that Brad Pitt was joking around when he called "Valkyrie" ridiculous (though so much truth lay in that quip), by comparison (or not, even) "Basterds" is ridiculously good.
Knowing how long the film was, I thought I was going to get butt awareness, like I sensed during "Watchmen" (that's the feeling you get when you've been sitting longer than you really want to have been sitting; though, don't get me wrong -- I liked Watchmen a lot; with a lot of that like coming from my enjoyment of the novel in the first place -- but the film had discernable limitations for me as well). What butt? I even had a large coffee before (knowing its diuretic effect!) and managed to resist the urge to go to the can until the whole film was over. That's bladder control!
Brad Pitt's characterization is not "original"; I've seen him do it before a couple of times, with slightly different accents. But his dedication to playing it is palpable and flawlessly entertaining. Christoph Waltz should never set foot in America: there's a warrant for his arrest on suspicion of stealing the show.
I love what Tarentino has done with the story! Just as "Pulp Fiction" highlighted the freedom that storytellers/filmmakers have with linear plot development (I said highlighted, not invented -- let's not forget 1983's "Betrayal"), "Basterds" reminds us of other literary freedoms that can rescue plots from the sometimes doomed feeling of fait accompli.
No need to spoil it fer ya: just go see it. |
Edited by - MguyX on 23/08/2009 23:04:00 |
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demonic
"Cinemaniac"
United Kingdom
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Posted - 23/08/2009 : 23:46:59
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Already stated my affection for this one on another thread, but I wanted to point out that I went in expecting very little indeed having been suspicious of Tarantino for quite some time and entirely negative about him since "Death Proof" - a film I hated so much in it's self obsession, infantility and abject boredom I actually sat through it twice. It also didn't help that the trailer for "I.B." looked like another self-referencing, slightly embarrassing, rather boring film. Knock me down if it didn't turn out to be a closer kin to Paul Verhoeven's similar return to glory "Black Book", just a lot funnier and with less pubic hair. It's practically a foreign film with the respect given to actual languages being spoken throughout - and the cast of French, German, English and American actors are all pretty well first rate. Melanie Laurent and Christoph Waltz quite rightly steal the show, but there are loads of great performances. Michael Fassbender stands out, particularly as a counterpoint to his recent breakthrough role in "Hunger". Diane Kruger is less convincing, but does fine. Brad Pitt is hilarious, effectively sending up his role with equal measures of menace and dumbness, especially when attempting to be Italian. Even Eli Roth, the embodiment of slack jawed childish horror tat doesn't do badly at all. I think those that don't like it probably expect to see an all out action film, but personally I was delighted to watch a couple of hours of well written, beautifully acted, often tense and sometimes funny scenes, obviously made with great craft and affection by QT. I'm entirely back on side as far as he's concerned - it's like he's suddenly matured as a director in the space of one film. Excellent, grown-up entertainment.
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Edited by - demonic on 24/08/2009 11:04:10 |
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MisterBadIdea 
"PLZ GET MILK, KTHXBYE"
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Posted - 24/08/2009 : 03:34:35
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| This is the best movie of the year, and perhaps of the decade. |
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Chris C 
"Four words, never backwards."
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Posted - 30/08/2009 : 23:36:35
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quote:
Originally posted by MisterBadIdea
This is the best movie of the year, and perhaps of the decade.
Er, no.
Didn't like it as much as I was hoping or expecting. QT can't seem to make up his mind what he wants this to be. It's certainly not a war movie in the traditional sense, but neither is it just comedy, tragedy, straight drama or spaghetti western. It managed to be all of them at different times, occasionally at the same time, but just about managed to avoid disappearing up it's own backside.
Melanie Laurent and Christoph Waltz were the best things in this movie. Brad Pitt really grated after a while and seemed to be taking the piss most of the time. I have to disagree about Michael Fassbender - I don't know if it was him or the script, but he was really poor as the English officer.
At the end of the movie, there was a definite feeling of disappointment around the movie theatre.
What's interesting about this movie is that, as the apparent rebirth of QT, it has generated very little comment on the fourum. Any more comments, anyone, or have you had enough of Tarantino? |
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demonic
"Cinemaniac"
United Kingdom
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Posted - 31/08/2009 : 01:27:52
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How strange. In the screening I went to people were laughing throughout, applauded at the end (but not me, I don't do ostentatious things like that in public), and everyone practically bounced out of the cinema.
As for Fourum comment, that doesn't mean too much. No one has even mentioned "Antichrist" and that is without doubt the most talked about film of the year. |
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MguyX
"X marks the spot"
United States
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Posted - 31/08/2009 : 03:01:53
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I think clapping after a movie is extremely odd, unless the filmmakers are there to here you clap.
I clapped after Inglourious Basterds, as did nearly everyone else in my theater. Maybe it was just the wrong crowd, Chris. And I have no qualms with your take on the film, as I believe every informed filmgoer (such as yourself) has a valid opinion, whether I agree with it or otherwise. |
Edited by - MguyX on 31/08/2009 22:46:40 |
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randall 
"I like to watch."
NYC, USA
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Posted - 31/08/2009 : 11:46:28
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| It happens frequently at film festivals, though not anywhere near all the time. But of course, the filmmakers are usually there to hear you. I've even heard applause during the lengthy credit roll at the end. Hi, Mom! |
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Beanmimo
"August review site"
Ireland
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Posted - 02/09/2009 : 11:30:30
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Another smear on the whiteboard of the movie industry.
Tarantino again relies not just on lifting (homage my arse) the styles of others, in this case many war movies, but on adapting dialogue from his own movies (for "I don't dig on swine", see "Squirrels are vermin too").
His self indulgence has reached another level to the point that he is regressing and drowning in the pool that is his own ego.
I understand that his tongue is firmly planted in his cheek but I wish he would just chew it off sooner rather than later.
He is intent on creating his own genre sadly it is not a genre that has pleased me since Pulp Fiction when is was fresh.
Is it a western? Is it a war movie pastiche? Is it a nod to the British 1940's BBC acting school? Who cares?
I was left with an overwhelming feeling of irritation.
On the up side there are three performances that stood out, Mike Myers (doing a great Leslie Phillips), Brad Pitt and Christoph Waltz.
And not to forget Shosanna Dreyfus for her remarkable likeness to a young Catherine Deneuve. |
Edited by - Beanmimo on 03/09/2009 09:33:25 |
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MisterBadIdea
"PLZ GET MILK, KTHXBYE"
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Posted - 02/09/2009 : 19:41:07
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"Tarantino again relies not just on lifting (homage my arse) the styles of others"
Bullshit. I could have walked into this movie knowing nothing about it and recognized it as a Tarantino movie through and through. |
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demonic
"Cinemaniac"
United Kingdom
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Posted - 02/09/2009 : 19:52:08
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Interestingly Kill Bill (vol.1) was on the TV a couple of nights ago and it's been a while since I saw it in the cinema, where I liked it, so gave it another go. I was irritated beyond measure. It's a nasty, childish film. Thurman really is useless, mainly because every line of dialogue she speaks has to be delivered like its going to be cut into the trailer - and that dialogue is self serving and infantile. This is the preening self-promoting side of Tarantino (cf Death Proof) I've learnt to loathe....
However - this isn't the Tarantino of "I.B." for the reason that his actors are in a different league, his dialogue is properly structured (and not ironically spat for the sake of soundbite). As I said I think this is an entirely grown up film from someone who'd lost their way following far too much critical and public adoration; tense, funny, entertaining. There's a Tarantino I hate as well, but I don't think he's the same man in this one. |
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Beanmimo
"August review site"
Ireland
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Posted - 03/09/2009 : 09:51:05
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quote:
Originally posted by MisterBadIdea
"Tarantino again relies not just on lifting (homage my arse) the styles of others"
Bullshit. I could have walked into this movie knowing nothing about it and recognized it as a Tarantino movie through and through.
Well that's obvious MisterBadIdea, who else introduces characters with big blazing yellow letters in the middle of the story etc.
He tends to cut off his audiences heads and stuff his hallmarks down their severed oesophagus'.
But that doesn't stop him from lifting from other movies, my complaint is that his movies are ovverrated and he doesn't deserve to obviously lift from others. |
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BaftaBaby
"Always entranced by cinema."
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Posted - 07/09/2009 : 11:50:28
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I liked it alot. OK not his very very best. But, you know, in the interim since Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, I'm pretty sure we all loved those so much because they were so fresh.
IB is, however, as demonic says, a proper grown-up movie. Even with/despite all the anachronisms - which I think make more sense here than Watchmen - QT is asking something of us. To help him form the questions I don't mind that he's borrowed from silent cinema, or Godard, or Renoir, and frankly I don't care whether it's homage or nicking. All artists do it in every art form. No, surprise surprise QT didn't invent cinema.
But now that he's charmed us, and then almost alientated us, I do believe he may be walking a better path. Now, if he could only crack real relationships 
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Edited by - BaftaBaby on 07/09/2009 23:43:37 |
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Beanmimo
"August review site"
Ireland
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Posted - 07/09/2009 : 11:57:07
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quote:
Originally posted by BaftaBabe
No, surprise surprise QT didn't invent cinema.
But he acts like he did. |
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MguyX
"X marks the spot"
United States
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Posted - 07/09/2009 : 21:13:21
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quote:
Originally posted by BaftaBabe
But, you know, in the interim since Reservoir Dogs and Pup Fiction ...
Was that second one an animated feature? I never noticed the canine motif before!  |
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BaftaBaby
"Always entranced by cinema."
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Posted - 07/09/2009 : 23:43:20
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quote:
Originally posted by MguyX
quote:
Originally posted by BaftaBabe
But, you know, in the interim since Reservoir Dogs and Pup Fiction ...
Was that second one an animated feature? I never noticed the canine motif before!
Woof! Woof!
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Whippersnapper. 
"A fourword thinking guy."
United Kingdom
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Posted - 08/09/2009 : 05:01:58
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Did somebody say PUP FICTION?
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Inglourious Basterds
