Posted on 08/20/2009 8:48:45 PM PDT by JSDude1
I wish my brave, tough Holocaust survivor grandfather, Isaac, was alive to see “Inglourious Basterds.”
He would love it even more than I did. So would my dad. And they would be cheering and laughing along with me.
Because the movie debuts at Midnight screenings tonight, I am posting this review early, and you’ll note that I was entirely wrong in my expectations for this movie when I first wrote about it, back in February. The movie is riveting. It’s fun and serious at the same time.
It’s not usual that I praise a Quentin Tarantino film or a flick starring Brad Pitt. I’m not a big fan of either. But “Inglourious Basterds” is either the exception to the rule or a new beginning (probably the former, at least in the case of Pitt, who is very good here). After two-and-a-half hours of this fantastic movie, I didn’t want it to end. I wanted more. So well done, so interesting, exciting, and suspenseful, it flew by. Like “The Departed (read my review),” it’s a well-wrapped treasure, with new delights at each uncovered layer. And a few puzzles, some of which aren’t answered but are designed to make you think.
I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this movie.
(Excerpt) Read more at debbieschlussel.com ...
He’s a fine comic actor. He was good in Snatch.
Reservoir Dogs isn’t very violent. That infamous ear scene takes place off screen.
Yet the dialog inspires a sense of something violent happening. QT is very good at inducing a feeling of extreme visceral conflict despite nothing physical happening.
Your man love for Pitt is a little creepy.
I must admit. I am caring Brad's looooovvvvveee child. He has agreed to leave the big lipped one for me as soon as it is born. We will run off into the sunset...
You may have a future as a comedy writer. May... :)
Hmmm... Well, I don't see how you got that one worked out. I read the script before I saw the film. I knew it had the potential to be really good depending on how it was shot and who was cast for the parts.
That's really all I needed to know. I can usually read between the lines pretty well in a critical review so most of the reviews I've seen were good. It was also nominated in the best film category at Cannes and received the best actor award there. I trust Cannes a lot more than I do Hollywood.
All in all, it was a must see by all these criteria.
And yes, I try to make it a habit to read the script before I see the film. Don't you?
You read the script before seeing the movie? Wow, that’s... different. No, I don’t so that.
Well, I do write. And I have tried my hand with screenplays. I’m still a-learning but I’m still plugging away as well. Tarantino is my hero because the dude came from nothing. Bypassed the entire system. A bit of luck to get that first script read but he made his own luck really because there is true talent in his dialogue. I can understand why an actor would get all wet in the soft spots reading lines in a QT script.
It’s hard to write that stuff. I mean... It’s hard.
The only weakness I see that QT has at this point is- he’s so ‘up there on a pedestal’ he doesn’t need to take criticism from anyone. He can just do what he wants and claim and the implication is that he’s sort of Mozart of celluloid- who can tell him what to do.
But I think he should find someone out there who he trusts to listen to who will put constant pressure on him to keep scenes short and the story zip-zip-zipping along like a Shane Black flick- but to retain the genius in what he wants to show. In other words, to push him to ever higher levels. He needs that.
I try when I can. Particularly if it's a director or writer I like. I find it to be a learning experience. I would prefer to do it vice versa- watch the film, read script, go back and watch film but this takes extra time and money. The way I do it takes a bit of the surprise out of the movie in the cinema but I'm there studying as well as being entertained so... And I'm the kind of guy who can go back and read books I like again and again and enjoy them every time so this doesn't bother me too much.
I find it useful to see how well the script came across in my mind as opposed to what I wind up seeing on the screen. Because at the end of the day, when you're trying to peddle a script you're trying to get people who don't really like to read to 'picture this'. It's useful to see how people who actually accomplished this have done it.
It's funny you should mention that. Years ago, I was reading something - can't remember what - while on active duty that described the US Army at the outset of WWII. It explained that because of atrophy and whatnot, the average age of a Lt was around 40, and 48 for a Major. Of course, that changed significantly as the war progressed, but the averages were still well above where they are today - about 26 for 1st Lt. and 39 for a Major. FWIW
But, I understand your point - Pitt is no longer a spring chicken.
Yep! And I like pointing that out to women whenever I can.
Brad Pitt is older than me and now he starts to look older than me ;-)
Alas, it does. That is why the traitors in Hollywood make movies that celebrate traitors.
Check “Bridge over the River Kwai” where the honorable British commander, who’s men were being murdered by the Japanese in a disgraceful fashion, yet still resisted, was presented as a collaborator.
Good movie. Comical AND gory. My only complaint was the subtitles; I am a slow reader so I missed some stuff.
I wouldn’t watch anything Brad Pitts is in after the crap he spewed this week about Christians!
Prodigal Sun, Pitt doesn’t like FREEPERS. He’s lefty to the core.
I don’t care. Politics is about 1/2 of a percent of my life.
I’ve simply got other concerns than always worrying about who is a liberal and who not.
I assume all artists are leftists.
I really like the arts.
You like who you want. I’ll like who I want.
It’s fiction homeboy. Means it never happened. It’s not meant to reflect on history AT ALL.
I’ll give you a summary of the movie. It’s about a bunch of actors who pretend to be soldiers...
It’s the same with any movie. Bridge over the River Kwai was a film about a bunch of actors, pretending to be soldiers...
It’s... A... MOVIE...
People like you are boring and I don’t care what you think.
And people are entitled to be liberals. The last thing I want in this world is for everybody to suit your tastes and political leanings. That would be my version of a living hell.
You don’t want to watch the movie, don’t watch the movie.
Have a nice day.
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