Brad Pitt in "Inglorious Basterds"
courtesy of Universal Home Entertainment
“Nothing Inglorious About This Film”

Once in a while we get a movie that is totally unique. Most of the time it is because of the vision of the Director. Such a man is Quentin Tarantino, the genius behind “Inglourious Basterds”. He made a pretty unique film when he crafted “Pulp Fiction,” but everything that followed has been less than that one. Until now that is. He has come roaring back to the quintessential Quentin with “Basterds,” a raucous, rousing, rip-roaring gem of a movie. You will probably either love it or hate it and I find myself surprisingly in the love category.

The film must be considered a fairy tale in that it begins “Once upon a time….” and everything that follows is not limited by actual history in any sense. It is the screenwriter’s take on how things might have been. World War II still takes place and the Germans are still the bad guys, but everything else is fair game. 

The plot concerns a group known as the “inglourious basterds” who are headed up by a good ole’ Tennessee boy named Aldo Raine (somewhere Aldo Ray is smiling). He has eight men under his command and their job is to kill and scalp Nazis. It seems Aldo has some Indian blood in him.

The group is dropped behind enemy lines to cause havoc with the German troops. Later on they get caught up in an operation that involves cinema star Bridget Von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger). She is working with the Allies and is ready to risk her life to help end the war.

The movie is filmed in lush color and with a soundtrack that suggests a Serge Leone western. Tarantino gets wonderful performances from all his cast with Pitt being as good as or better than he has ever been. He milks that good ole boy persona for all it is worth.

The outstanding performance in the movie is the one delivered by Christoph Waltz as German Colonel Hans Landa. This role requires him to be sinister while being silly, and evil while acting mild. Landa’s personality runs the gamut and Waltz never misses a beat.

Kruger is also good as the daring actress while Melanie Laurent has some great moments as Shosanna Dreyfus, a person dragged into some of the of the most sinister aspects of the film.

Viewers of the DVD should be aware they are going to spend much of the movie reading subtitles. The characters speak German, French and Italian at various times in the film. There are some moments of English but they are few and far between.

Tarantino knows how to build up the suspense and how to let it go. Some scenes are more over the top than others but this is vintage Tarantino and so the more the better. He also knows how to completely fill the two hour and thirty two minute running time of the film by adding a twist here and a turn there.

“Inglourious Basterds” is probably the most unique film you will see this year. It doesn’t play by the rules and strangely that makes it even more enjoyable.

Another controversial film is “The Hangover” which is also out on DVD. This is a comedy built around the premise that boys will be boys and that getting smashed is an American ritual that must be followed by the men on the night before they or a friend get married. If you are okay with that set up then you might get some enjoyment out of “The Hangover.”

In the film Doug (Justin Bartha) is the groom to be in question. His future brother in law Alan (Zack Galifianakis) and best buds Phil (Bradley Cooper) and Stu (Ed Helms) take him to Vegas for a night of partying. The next morning they awaken in their suite and find a tiger in the room along with a chicken and a baby, but no Doug. He is “missing in action.”

They immediately try to recall the night before but none of the three can remember what happened. As they piece the night together as best they can, and try to locate Doug, they find they are in possession of a police car. They also discover one of them married a stripper (Heather Graham). And on and on it goes.

Alan is the dumbest of the group in a lot of ways and the smartest in others. He is a boy/man stuck in somewhat of an in between world. Phil and Stu tolerate him but barely. Especially when they find he is the reason for their blacked out memories.

Phil is a teacher and supposedly the most mature, but some of his actions are totally immature. Stu is a dentist with relationship problems. He is dominated by a shrewish girlfriend named Melissa (Rachel Harris).

The acting by all three of the leading men is okay, but not outstanding. Galifianakis is supposed to be the comic find of the film but his portrayal of Alan gets on your nerves after a while. Helms has a couple of good moments and Cooper is the straight man for all the jokes.

The movie glorifies the drinking habits of the grown men and attempts to justify their behavior by the old “boys will be boys” theory. But these are not college kids; they are grown men. Wrecking cars and destroying hotel rooms have consequences which we never see in this film.

There are no moral lessons to be found in “The Hangover.” This is an “Old School” type of film where the consequences don’t matter. Getting the laugh is the main goal and it doesn’t matter have crude they have to be to get it. 

If you are in the mood for this type of raunchy tale then this is the DVD for you. If you have some hang-ups about running wild with no thought of the future then you might have trouble stomaching some of the exploits in this film.

For top notch movie viewing of the more artistic type you must watch the DVD of “Into the Storm.” This marvelous movie focuses on the life of Winston Churchill during the period after the war. It shows how his popularity during the war was undermined after it ended.

Brendon Gleeson and Janet McTeer play the Churchills and they are both astonishingly good in their roles. Len Cariou is also top notch as President Roosevelt. Plus the screenplay is as big a star as the performers.

So for history buffs and acting buffs alike get a copy of “Into the Storm” for great holiday viewing.

Finally, you may be able to see George Lopez nightly on cable television but his show there is nothing like the one here. This is an HBO special titled “George Lopez: Tall, Dark and Chicano” and it is the uncensored George. He takes on the hot topics of the day and gives them all the Lopez treatment.

A little bit controversial and a lot of laughs this is a show to watch to get your mind off the holiday blahs. Lopez is at his best in this concert setting, and when he is good well he is funny!
 

 

 

 

 

©2009 Jackie K. Cooper

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