Alex's Review: The Inglorious Basterds

To those who have not seen Inglorious Basterds...This IS THE MUST SEE FILM of the Summer.

Plot

In WWII during the Nazi occupation of France, Officer Aldo Reine (Brad Pitt) organizes a special unit called The Basterds, made up of Jewish - American soldiers, plus one non jewish dude who hates Nazis, whose main objective is to kill Germans in the most gruesome ways possible. Simultaneously, Shosanna( Melanie Laurent), a Jewish girl who escapes death at the hands of Has Landa(Christoph Waltz), opens a Movie Theater in Paris, where after a fateful encounter with a simtten Nazi sniper-turned actor, she gets a one shot at revenge, and possibly kill the Third Reich. In typical Quentin Tarantino fashion, The Basterd's efforts and Shosanna's revege plot will collide.

Dissection

This film is very original. It's screenplay has a linear structure, with very little flash backs. It is broken down to 5 chapters. In the first two we are introduced to the three main characters. In the third, we are shown the plot's exposition. In the fourth, we are introduced to secondary-yet pivotal characters, and the in the fifth, the plot unravels fantastically, as the major character's motivations "splice". What's cool about the screenplay is that each character introduction builds up to the film's climax.

Expect a lot of dialogue, in its majority in French and German...but the dialogue is sharp, mixing humor with suspense(specially when the bad guy, Hans Landa is present). Although many blogger colleagues have been turned off by the pervasive dialogue(mostly subtittled), let's remember that QT's Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction had neverending dialogue, mostly about facts that did not advance the plot. Most of the dialogue in Inglorious Basterds is like a cat and mouse chase, where a battle of wits take place.

Action...There is action and there is violence...not as much as in District 9, but do expect guns blazing and gruesome scalping of Nazi heads. The action here very quick, but brutal. There is a shoot out scene that reminded me of Robert Rodriguez's style.

Inglorious Basterds packs some of best peformances in a film so far this year (rivaling Johnny Depp and Marion Cotillard for Public Enemies).

Austrian actor Christoph Waltz steals the show as Hans Landa, the villain and one memorable Nazi. Rather than a sadistic Aemon Goethe, Hans Landa is like an evil Sherlock Holmes crossed with the sort of slithering corporate excecutive who comes off as funny and simpathetic, as he finds ways to downsize employees. Hans Landa is one of the best villains in film history, along with Vader, Hannibal Lecter and Heath Ledger's Joker.

Also you will see the funniest performance ever by Brad Pitt. This guy should do action and comedy rather than chick filcks. His performance here easily trumps his Benjamin Button(for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor). Aldo Reine and his Basterds, will have you cheering against the Nazis all the way.

Pitt and Waltz deserve Oscar nods for best actor and best supporting actor.

Watch out for Melanie Laurent as Shoshanna, a Jewish girl who survives death at the hands of Hans Landa, goes to Paris and inherits a movie theater, where she plots a brutal and well deserved vengeance on the Nazi Party.

Diane Kruger, the chick from Troy and the National Trasure movies, shows up playing a German film actress who is also a spy for the Allies. Here she speaks in her native language, allowing her to appear very confortable in her character.

I really think Adam Sandler should have done "The Jew Bear" in this movie, instead of Eli Roth. It would have added more pizzazz to this film.

Expect movie magic at the film's climax, specially if you are Jewish.

I predict Inglorious Basterds will be a hot contender during the Golden Globes and the Oscars.
Now that this year, there will be 10 slots for Best Film nominations at the Academy Awards, I predict that Inglorious Basterds will be one of those 10. I foresee a Best Actor Nomination for Pitt, a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Waltz, and a Best Original Screenplay for Quentin. Perhaps also a Best Director nod for Quentin as well.

Inglorious Basterds is an awsome mix of historical fiction and black comedy at its finest. This is the best film of the Summer and Quentin Tarantino's best since Pulp Fiction...I will see it again next week.