Inglourious Basterds
This movie seems to be a love-it-or-hate-it film. I think most folks I know hate on this movie because its trailer and overall attitude infers that there’ll be lots and lots of Nazi killin’. Be advised that this is not an action movie per se, nor is it a war movie; this is a Tarantino movie. In the same vein as Pulp Fiction, you can expect lots of interesting dialogue full of character and pop references (in this case, circa 1944). Like Kill Bill, you can expect plentiful amounts of homage and references to other classics (especially westerns). There are a handful of action scenes and gruesome violence, but very few and far-between. For the most part, it’s a film of style. But even without a whole lot of butt-kicking action, the style is entertaining, and I think it works very well.
The story takes precedence here, and in the same fashion as Pulp Fiction, Inglourious Basterds is divided into a few different chapters. Unlike PF, this film merges the stories into one heck of a climax. The film boasts a pretty big group of characters, most of which are distinctive, and a few show substantial depth. There’s nothing particularly realistic to this story, but it does show apt attention to detail, and is a pretty fun ride overall.
The film has wonderful photography and editing. Acting is darn near perfect: Christoph Waltz chews the scenery as Hans Landa, and is probably one of the most distinctive bad guys I’ve seen in recent film. Brad Pitt is very entertaining as Aldo Raine. Melanie Laurent, Eli Roth, Michael Fassbender, Diane Kruger, and Daniel Bruehl are all brilliant in their respective roles. Writing is pretty darn awesome, as expected from Tarantino; there are plenty of memorable lines here. Production value shows plenty of excellent sets, props, and costumes. The music is very interesting, and very good overall.
My only real complaint is that there could be a lot more action to it. But otherwise, I love it. For everybody else though, I can only recommend it as a rental, if at all interested.
4.5/5 (Entertainment: 4/5, Story: 4.5/5, Film: 4.5/5)
The Blu-Ray looks and sounds darn near perfect! Some scenes do have an overwhelming loudness to them.
Picture Quality: 5/5, Audio Quality: 4.5/5
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Saving Private Ryan
Truly a war film for the ages. The battles are long, bloody, and intense. In between, each scene is loaded with tension and suspense. In every scene, there’s immaculate detail that showcases war (and the battle of Omaha beach specifically) in the most realistic light possible. It’s close to three hours long, but at least half of it is devoted to the incredible battle sequences. A combination of stylistic cameramanship and sound effects help immerse the audience in the shoes of the soldiers, and it has to be seen to be experienced.The story for this is fine and dandy, and is a serviceable platform for shuffling the characters along their journey. It’s also integral for diving into some strong themes concerning the war, the human spirit, and philosophy. The film takes every intellectual advantage of the story’s nuances, and with a cast of quality characters, the film does have plenty of strengths.
One problem I have is the plausibility of the story. No way in heck would the Army risk eight men to rescue one, regardless of the circumstance. Surely, if they did this for Ryan, why not everybody else suffering from losses? Then, who would be left to fight? Singling out one soldier just never made sense to me. Incidentally, it didn’t make sense to the story’s characters either, and as they discuss and find the value in the issue, the story works in its own bizarre way.
Additionally, the scene in the middle of the film (where the soldiers charge after a target of opportunity) struck me as dumb and unnecessary. The main character became uncharacteristically arrogant at this point, and the scene overall felt out-of-place. I almost suspect that it could have been removed from the film completely. I’m also not fond of the film’s commemorative beginning and closing; it strikes me as manipulative and overly-sentimental.
Otherwise, the film is exceptionally strong. Despite some herky-jerky cameramanship, I do love the photography throughout; there are lots of intimate close-ups and interesting long-shots, they are all full of detail. Acting is really good; Tom Hanks is the man, Tom Sizemore is not bad, Edward Burns is cool, I loved Barry Pepper’s role, Matt Damon is surprisingly strong, and it’s interesting seeing Vin Diesel in the mix. Writing has a lot of interesting and bright moments. Production value is very strong, with highly-detailed and seemingly-realistic sets, props, costumes, locations, vehicles, weapons, and everything. Music is a little overly-sentimental at times, but good in other parts.
Recommended.
4.5/5 (Entertainment: 4.5/5, Story: 3.5/5, Film: 5/5)
This Blu-Ray is great; the picture does show some extremely fine film grain, a few white specks here and there, and some very faint scratches. Most of it is barely noticeable unless you really look for it; the image overall is extremely sharp and detailed, and darn near perfect. Chances are that the grain/noise may be in the director’s intent, as is the gray and dull colors. Sound quality is awesome.
Picture Quality: 5/5, Audio Quality: 5/5
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Schindler’s List
There are very few, if any, atrocities in human history that could overshadow the horrors of the Holocaust during WWII. The persecution and massacre of millions of Jews is on full display in this film; it starts off looking uneventful and unassuming, but then paces us through the phases of persecution until we, along with the characters, face death itself. The character drama in the film can be a total hit or miss, but as a chronicle of the Holocaust, it’s very comprehensive, it seems accurate, and it’s utterly brutal.
Even though it’s well over three hours, it does move pretty swiftly, and is loaded with stark and memorable scenes.
Aside from the portrayal of the Holocaust, the film tries its best to make a story out of Oskar Schindler and his attempts to save as many victims as he can. Despite the film’s decent pace, the story does suffer a little drag and can be rather uneventful in certain places. The plot does have a solid structure, and is populated with a strong cast of characters. It is especially interesting comparing and contrasting Schindler with Goeth; the two make for decent foil characters. Though I’m not certain how historically accurate any of this is, it at least appears to be spot-on and believable.
The film has wonderful and classy photography, about 95% in glorious black-and-white. There are a few scenes with shaky hand-held cameramanship, but it adds a realistic and unnerving vibe more than anything. Acting is smashing; Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, and Ben Kingsley are all darn near perfect (and practically unrecognizable) in their respective roles. Writing is quite good. Production value is very detailed and accurate-looking, with loads of quality sets, props, costumes, and locales. The music score is quite good too.
Everybody should see this at least once in their lifetime.
4.5/5 (Entertainment: 4/5, Story: 4/5, Film: 5/5, Emotional impact: 4/5)
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