Basterds, Dogs and Fiction

Quentin Tarantino is one of those directors who just make movies fun to watch. About a month ago, I watched Inglourious Basterds, which is about the plot to assassinate Hitler. Although the themes are relatively serious and mature, there is still room for some black comedy. Christoph Waltz's performance really did deserve the Oscar he won, with the line "That's a bingo!" sure to be one of the classics. For those who are confused as to the concept of remaking Hitler's assassination, it is set in a parallel dimension where many events which occurred in real life didn't in the film and vice versa, which sets up the finale really well. Out in 2009, this film shows a big change in Tarantino's narrative style, but maintains his humour and love for violence and gun fights. Worth a watch if you want something interesting to do, but maybe not a 'must watch'. 8/10

During the holidays I watched Reservoir Dogs, a 1992 gangster film also directed by Tarantino. It will most definitely remain as one of the classics, with the final scenes eternally memorable. However it is the 'ear cutting' scene that gained the most controversy and fame during the film's debut. Told in classic Tarantino style, the scenes are out of order chronologically, and we slowly work out what has happened as the film progresses through flashbacks and continuing the current time line. A simple plot revolving around the theft of some diamonds, leads to a dark, violent and angry story of betrayal and madness. But true to his style, Tarantino has managed to squeeze in a few funny scenes and jokes. Overall though, the film wasn't anything special, it's just the atmosphere and tension prevalent throughout the film that gives its magic. 8/10

Finally I wanted to talk about Pulp Fiction, probably the greatest plotless film ever. Made in 1994, the story revolves around a suitcase which is filled with orange light. In a later interview, Tarantino said that he originally had diamonds, but that seemed repetitive, so he used a MacGuffin, a plot device so that the movie makes sense. The scenes are all out of order, and there is seemingly no goal for half the characters, but the movie is just great. Samuel L. Jackson's famous scene in the apartment including the quote "Does he look like a bitch?", and Christopher Walken's 'watch up the ass' scene are pure hilarity. This film is great in almost every way, however the aimlessness of it all made it feel sort of empty in the end. The lack of general direction left me waiting for more, it felt more like a conglomeration for 4 or 5 short films, squished together, with the characters' lives intertwining. But I've watched it three times now, and will remain as one of my most loved films. 9/10

I'll wrap it out there for the first post of this blog, will have more movie reviews coming out soon.