Film

Historical revision

Django Unchained

Is Quentin Tarantino repeating himself a bit in his latest film, Django Unchained? I certainly think so. Tarantino got off on revisionist history with Inglourious Basterds, changing the events of World War II for entertainment’s sake. He got away with it because the movie was stylistically awesome, and Eli Roth wowed with his baseball bat. This time, Tarantino has taken his crazy pen to the subject of African-American slavery, and the result is an uncomfortable, yet somewhat entertaining, mixed bag. The movie has all of the Tarantino-isms: super violence, awesome music choices, cutesy monologues—but it gave me that “been there, done that” feeling at times. For the first time ever during a Tarantino movie, I found myself a little bored during some stretches. Christoph Waltz, who played the evil Nazi Hans Landa in Basterds, returns to Tarantino Land as Dr. King Schultz, a German bounty hunter wandering around the southern U.S. two years before the Civil War. Schultz has the same ingenuity and flair for words that the Landa had, but he’s a much nicer human being. That is, unless you are one of his targets. Then, he will shoot you down in a spray of brains and intestines. His character despises slavery, but purchases a slave named Django (Jamie Foxx) because he has heard the man has seen some wanted men he needs to shoot. As it turns out, Django is a crack shot, the two become partners, and lots of evil crackers are going to die violent deaths.

Django’s wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) has been sold to an evil slave owner named Calvin Candie (a slithery Leonardo DiCaprio), and Schultz agrees to accompany Django on a mission to rescue her. When DiCaprio enters the fray, the movie hits its highest heights. Tarantino allows the usually virtuous actor a chance to be truly disgusting, and DiCaprio jumps happily at the opportunity. by Bob Grimm The movie is long (two hours and 45 minutes), as are some other Tarantino films, but bgrimm@ this is the first Tarantino film that “felt” longnewsreview.com to me. Maybe that has something to do with the fact that this is the first Tarantino film not to be edited by the late Sally Menke. Menke3 was a big part of the Tarantino universe, and her cuts were magical. Perhaps Menke would’ve made this gun-and-pony show fly by effortlessly, as did all of her other Tarantino projects. Django Unchained is a sporadically entertaining film that feels a little off. It also feels like Tarantino’s most sadistic film to date, and I say this while remembering the “Bring out the Gimp!” scene from Pulp Fiction. Again, maybe Menke had a way of presenting Tarantino’s crazed visions that his current editor can’t summon up. The sort of stuff that is just plain nauseating here was actually kind of funny in past Tarantino efforts. Waltz is terrific, and it’s refreshing to see him playing a crazy guy with a big heart. He’s usually such a prick in movies, so it’s nice to see him in a heroic role. DiCaprio gives his part of the film a funny and sinister edge, although his monologue about the inner workings of a slave’s skull is a bit much. Foxx makes for a decent enough hero. Django Unchained is mediocre Tarantino at best, and I can only give the slightest of recommendations. See it for Waltz and DiCaprio. I’m hoping it signifies the end of Tarantino’s revisionist history and exploitation/grindhouse phase. Maybe he should tackle science fiction or romantic comedy the next time out. Unfortunately, I just read a story where he teased an idea for a sequel to Basterds, so totally new and innovative ideas from Tarantino might be far away. Ω

“Be vewy, vewy quiet. It’s wabbit season. We’re hunting wabbits.”

1

POOR

2

FAIR

3

GOOD

4

VERY GOOD

5

2The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Oh damn, this one hurts to write. Damn! I waited and waited for Peter Jackson to return to Middle-earth. I so wanted to see this film that its previous lack of existence in my life has probably contributed to a myriad of social problems I just can’t explain right now. And after all that waiting, we get this, a nearly three-hour mess that lacks focus and anything resembling pizzazz. Jackson, as we all know by now, has stretched a relatively small book into what will be somewhere in the neighborhood of nine hours after three films and, so far, it’s a big mistake. Martin Freeman is fine as Bilbo Baggins, the little hobbit who decides to go on an adventure. In the book, that adventure is a quick, crisp, wonderful thing. In this movie, it’s a bunch of indistinguishable dwarves acting all goofy and stuffing their faces for half the running time, and then a bunch of battles that have no sense of meaning. Smaug the dragon doesn’t really factor yet—Jackson is leaving that for Part Two—and Bilbo gets lost in the shuffle. The movie achieves its only true great heights when Gollum (Andy Serkis) finally shows up for a game of riddles. Until then, the movie doesn’t catch fire, it meanders. And, brother, I’m heartbroken over it. I watched this in standard 3-D. I’ll try to see it in the much debated 48fps— twice the normal film speed and definition—and give an update on how this looks at a later date.

3Jack Reacher Tom Cruise brings the popular action novel title character to the big screen, and while he isn’t as physically big and imposing as the Reacher portrayed in the novels, boy howdy, is he ever mean. When civilians are disturbingly shot by a sniper, it seems to be an open-and-shut case. That is, until the suspect summons investigator Jack Reacher, who has an unorthodox approach to homicide investigation that occasionally involves the snapping of somebody’s leg. This is Cruise in nasty mode, but he mixes in some good humor that makes Reacher a well rounded character for him. Rosamund Pike delivers a memorable performance as the attorney representing the accused sniper, as does Richard Jenkins as her father. On top of the good performances, this is a decent mystery that will keep you guessing. This is a violent one, so know what you are getting into when you go to see it.

5Les Miserables This is a grand, beautifully shot adaptation of the legendary musical, directed by Tom Hooper and starring Hugh Jackman in the heavy-lifting role of persecuted bread thief Jean Valjean. Set in 19th century France, the musical calls for nearly every word to be sung, and it’s a major undertaking. Hooper had his cast sing live on the set rather than prerecording in a sound booth, and this results in a moving musical experience. Jackman has a spectacular voice, and you get at true sense that he and his costars are acting these songs, rather than lip-synching. Anne Hathaway will probably win an Oscar for her work as Fantine, singing her big number in one take and summoning honest, heart-wrenching tears. Russell Crowe, as Valjean’s lawman nemesis Javert, doesn’t have half of Jackman’s voice, but there’s something about his interpretation that’s appropriate and amplifies the character’s loneliness. Every number is treated with a majestic grace that makes this one of the greatest movie musicals I’ve ever seen.

5Life of Pi This is an amazing achievement in filmmaking. It’s one of the year’s best movies, and easily one of the best uses of the 3-D medium. Director Ang Lee is a creative force that cannot be deterred or stopped. Life of Piis his most splendorous and enchanting film to date, and this is the guy who gave us Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Suraj Sharma plays Pi, a young man who winds up on a lifeboat with a tiger after a storm sinks a ship carrying his family and its zoo animals. Pi must learn to appease the tiger, the tiger must accept or eat him, and that’s the plot of the movie. The story is told in flashback with an older Pi (Irrfan Khan) being interviewed by a writer (Rafe Spall). This is a great screen adventure full of countless magical moments and a sure contender for Best Picture.

2Lincoln I love Steven Spielberg, I love Daniel Day-Lewis, but I do not love this movie. In fact, I don’t even like it. While Day-Lewis is astoundingly good in the title role, the movie around him is a drab, lifeless retelling of the final days of Abraham Lincoln’s life. Spielberg makes this a darkened room political potboiler, chronicling how Lincoln and his staff managed to get slavery abolished in the waning days of the Civil War. Sally Field is cast as Lincoln’s troubled wife. While Mary Todd’s plight deserves a movie of its own, it’s not given much consideration here, nor is the life of Lincoln’s eldest son (an utterly wasted Joseph Gordon-Levitt). The movie’s final act treats the death of Lincoln like a strange afterthought. They would’ve been better off ending the film before his assassination. I expect Day-Lewis to be in the Oscar hunt. He could actually win for this movie, a film that doesn’t live up to his magnificence.

4Silver Linings Playbook Bradley Cooper is on fire as Pat, a troubled man recently out of a mental institution and obsessed with his ex-wife. He’s so obsessed hat he can’t see the value in Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a recently widowed neighbor trying to befriend him. Directed by David O. Russell, the movie is a funny, slick treatment of people with real problems that works because Russell and his performers find the right balance. Robert De Niro does his best work in years as Pat’s obsessive father, and Chris Tucker gets big laughs as Pat’s former mental institution buddy. Cooper and Lawrence make for one of the year’s most interesting screen couples. They are certainly unique. Russell is establishing himself as one of the industry’s most reliable and innovative directors.

4Skyfall This officially stands as my all-time favorite Bond film. That’s coming from somebody who really hasn’t cared much for the Bond films. Daniel Craig had been my favorite Bond since Sean Connery and, with this fine entry, has actually become my favorite Bond. Sam Mendes directs this installment with a depth and level of excitement I haven’t detected before in the series—although Casino Royalecame close— and Javier Bardem, as a former British agent gone bonkers, is a Bond villain for the ages. Great action scenes, fun homages to the series and a nice supporting turn from Judi Dench as M make this a Bond to be reckoned with, and truly enjoyed. Also stars Ralph Fiennes and a decent song from Adele. I don’t know how many Bond films Craig has left in him, but I hope it’s a lot.

4This Is 40 Writer-director Judd Apatow spins off his own Knocked Upwith the further family adventures of Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann, Apatow’s real-life wife). The two characters prove worthy of their own movie thanks to the appeal of Rudd and Mann, who make for a great screen couple. Debbie is not interested in being 40 on her 40th birthday, and Pete wants to eat cupcakes without persecution while trying to get his independent music label up and running. Apatow pits the two against each other, and great comedic arguing ensues. Rudd is always a pleasure to have around, while Mann continues to prove herself as one of Hollywood’s funniest actresses. The supporting cast includes Melissa McCarthy (who steals the movie in her few scenes, including a hilarious closing credit outtake), Jason Segel, Albert Brooks and John Lithgow. They are all in top form, as is Apatow.

Reno

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