Two Films: Inglorious Bastards

Inglorious Bastards (1978)
I would never have seen the original Inglorious Bastards if it were not for my happening to be in one of those nearly extinct video stores. I had no knowledge up to the point when I saw the DVD on the shelf that this film even existed. I didn't know what to expect and was glad to be pleasantly surprised to find that this film is actually a gem. It was an Italian made film that got limited release in America and very little attention. The best way to describe it would be to say that it is sort of a spaghetti western version of the Dirty Dozen. It's about a convoy of allied criminals whose transportation to prison is interrupted and attacked forcing the prisoners to fight their way through Nazi occupied territory. It belongs to the genre of the World War 2 adventure and for that genre it is very action filled and quite a lot of fun. It really is worth checking out and fun for anyone who likes films like this. 4/5



Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Inglorious Basterds is in no way shape or form a remake the 1978 original. This is a Tarantino film through and through and a great one at that! In fact Inglourious Basterds makes its case as being at least in the top 3 of Tarantino's films and in my opinion it is better than Django Unchained. to try and summarize the plot is completely futile and the film should just be experienced for itself. What I will say is that this film is only partially related to WW2  Adventure films like the Dirty Dozen. It definitely has parts that belong to that genre but it is much more than that. This film is very violent and foul mouthed but not nearly as much as other Tarantino films. It is really the acting and the characters that make this movie work to perfection. Tarantino's dialogue is only allowed to live up to its full potential if delivered by the right actors and these are the right actors. Christoph Waltz definitely deserved his academy award for his performance as a Nazi colonel. Brad Pitt does a fine job in his role and so does the rest of the ensemble cast. As stated above this has all of the great ingrediants of a Tarantino film: fantastic dialogue, film references including cameos by actors from the original film, and a great soundtrack. Inglourious Basterds really is a fantastic film with some of the best scenes and acting Tarantino has ever had. A real standout is the opening sequence which while 20 minutes long never feels sluggish and slowly builds to an inevitable conclusion. My conclusion about this film is that it is great 5/5!

Countdown to Gatsby: Seabiscuit (Toby Maguire) and Django Unchained (Leonardo Dicaprio)

This is going to be a short series of reviews that counts down to the Great Gatsby (May 10^th) by looking at the main actors in the film and their previous work. These roles will specifically focus on that actor’s role in the particular film

Seabiscuit (Toby Maguire) (2003)

Toby Maguire is best known for playing Spider Man in Sam Rami’s three films and like many superhero actors he has been in typecasting trouble. With Gatsby Maguire will hopefully get himself out of that trouble by proving he is in fact an actor as he did in this 2003 underdog story. The first third  of seabiscuit is quite muddled and struggles with the broadness of its themes. This story about a champion horse too small and a jockey too big stars out too broad nad unfocused. In many respects this sports film does not correct that but it does become far better as it goes along much like the horse it portrays. By the end of the film you are riveted to this entertaining story and that doesn’t achieve greatness but which does in many ways entertain. The film is lavishly produced and the period detail is really cool. Maguire’s performance is the best I’ve seen from him. He shows that he can play a truly dramatic and flawed character without being over the top ( a la Spider-Man 3). He plays the character he knows best the young gun and underdog and his role gets far better like the film. He seems real and genuine and helps hold the film together as well as he can. Seabiscuit does not quite ever make up the ground it loses in its first half but it definitely tries 3.5/5

Django Unchained (2012) (Leonardo DiCaprio)

Leonardo DiCaprio has been quite a popular and prolific actor recently. His latest outing Django Unchained gave him his first opportunity to play a true villain and he does not disappoint. Quentin Tarantino’s homage to the spaghetti western is a bloody good time with humor and tragedy mixed. DiCaprio’s villain is ruthless and unflinchingly evil beyond doubt and DiCaprio pulls it off with a menace that is frightening and believable. His great last monologue about his theory of slavery is truly and acting tour de force. His presence recharges the movie which starts the wane in the beginning of the second act. Django Unchained is a really solid outing for Tarantino and it is helped along greatly by DiCaprio’s Performance.