It’s been five years now since the cinema screen was last graced with a film by director Quentin Tarantino (unless, of course, you count 2007’s Death Proof which technically doesn’t count as it was really just one half of the Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez collaboration Grindhouse) and understandably fans have been extremely eager for another effort by the director for some time, their eagerness now rewarded with the release of Inglourious Basterds, which is quite possibly one of Tarantino’s most eagerly anticipated movies. Inspired by the 1978 Italian film Quel maledetto treno blindato – Inglorious Bastards (notice the correct spelling) – Tarantino’s latest has been of a sort of passion project for the director for quite a while, the film having been in the development stage for some time. Because the film has taken so long to bring to the screen there is an understandably level of anticipation, and considering the brilliance of Tarantino’s past works the level of expectation is so high that the film will inevitably suffer from comparison. On its own terms, though, Tarantino’s distinctive style seems a perfect fit for the material and even if this film isn’t as good as his past films it is certainly quite glourious in its own right.
In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as “The Basterds” are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. Under the leadership of Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) The Basterds’ ranks most prominently include Sgt. Danny Donowitz (Eli Roth), who becomes known as “The Bear Jew” following his brutal acts of clubbing Nazis to death with a baseball bat; Sgt. Hugo Stiglitz (Til Schweiger), a rogue Nazi who was sentenced to execution for the murder of 13 Gestapo members and freed by The Basterds; and Cpl. Wilhelm Wicki (Gedeon Burkhard), an Austrian Jew who escaped the Nazis and returned to give them hell. Their mission is to kill as many Nazis as possible and take their scalps as trophies and when they do leave survivors they permanently scar them with the swastika symbol on their forehead so that they can never hide or forget the things that they have done. The Basterds carry out an apache style war but they change their tactics somewhat when they are given a special mission to carry out. A cinema in Paris, owned by the young Shoshanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent), has been chosen by German Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels (Sylvester Groth) and German war hero Frederick Zoller (Daniel Brühl) to host the premiere of Nazi propaganda film “Nation’s Pride” and in attendance will be all the high ranking members of the Nazi government including the Fuhrer himself Adolf Hitler (Martin Wuttke) and the British government sends Lt. Archie Hicox (Michael Fassbender) to join the Basterds and arrange a meeting with a British contact, German actress Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger), who can get them into the premiere, their mission to blow the cinema up, killing the entire Nazi government and thus ending the war. However, standing in their way is Col. Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz), the head of security for the premiere who has earned the nick name “Jew Hunter”. Soon, The Basterds also cross paths with Shoshanna, whose parents were murdered by Landa years earlier and is also plotting to kill all the Nazis in attendance by burning down the building.
As you would expect from Quentin Tarantino Inglourious Basterds is anything but subtle. From start to finish it is extremely OTT and has its tongue firmly in its cheek, with it being clear that this film is not meant to be taken too seriously, something that is essential given that the film bears little resembling historical accuracy (although the look and feel of the time and place seem quite authentic in everything from sets to costumes), making this film a nightmare for historians. Historians obviously are not the target audience though and Tarantino delivers a film that can be appreciated by moviegoers, both mainstream and niche, albeit to different extents. As with his past works, the film is packed full of references and in-jokes to obscure films that only the most ardent of movie buffs will detect or appreciate. The excellent soundtrack, in particular, is packed full of homages to other films, many of them spaghetti westerns, from which the film has clearly drawn much inspiration. These are aspects that only a minority among the audience is likely to appreciate but there is a lot for viewers uninitiated in classic European cinema to enjoy as well. It wouldn’t be a Tarantino film without lots of heavily stylized and quite brutal violence and this film certainly has its fair share with the actions of The Basterds proving to be both brutal and bloody, although stylish enough to never feel gratuitous. The film isn’t entirely what you might expect, however, and there isn’t as much of this violence as you would probably expect. In fact, there are quite large sections of the film in which The Basterds don’t even feature, with a subplot involving Shoshanna Dreyfus getting a lot of screen time. The two story strands are well interwoven, however, with the story as expertly written as any other Tarantino movie, very smartly written and extremely engaging, even though the film is a tad too slow moving and talky at times – the film does drag a little in a few scenes and the film is very long at 2 hours 30 minutes – and much of the dialogue isn’t the sharpest that Tarantino has ever written, with few lines that you will likely to be quoting outside of the cinema. The use of both English and German, and even Italian at one point, in the dialogue is a nice touch, however, with the film being completely realistic in the language department if nothing else. There is also a lot of humour, coming in the form of witty situations and banter between characters. In particular, a scene where Lt. Raine speaks in Italian, attempting to pull off a convincing accent, only for his American accent to be unmistakable, is hysterical. It is a testament to Tarantino’s writing that he can get such great humourous moments out of a film which you really wouldn’t expect to be funny at all. The success of the film isn’t all Tarantino though and the entire cast, consisting of a few big names and a lot of people you’ve never even heard of, deserves credit for their fantastic performances. There are too many great performances to mention them all but Brad Pitt deserves particular recognition for what is quite possibly one of his best, and undoubtedly his most entertaining, performances yet. Eli Roth is also very good, being a perfect fit for the rather twisted role of “The Bear Jew”. Besting both of them, though, is Christoph Waltz whose performance is the single best in the entire film. He is perfectly over the top but at the same time still entirely believable as “The Jew Hunter”, simultaneously entertaining and threatening, something that very few actors would be able to pull off, and there is definite potential for an Oscar nomination in this performance. The film even has performances from a few people you might not expect with Mike Myers (face it, the last person you would ever expect to see in a Tarantino movie) as a British general and some narration from Samuel L. Jackson. Overall, Inglourious Basterds is definitely not one of Quentin Tarantino’s finest works but that doesn’t stop it from being an extremely well made and extremely fun movie on its own terms, and one that has just as many merits as a piece of art as it does as a piece of entertainment. Inglourious? Anything but!
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Shorts **
When it comes to movie directors there are few with a more bizarre list of credits than Robert Rodriguez. The self made director, producer, writer, and pretty everything else related to film production, has given moviegoers such ultra violent adult orientated fare as From Dusk Till Dawn, Sin City and Planet Terror yet he also made the move into family films with his Spy Kids trilogy and The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl in 3D, certainly an extremely varied resume. While his family films are hardly his finest works (the latter one is probably one of his weakest in fact) he has shown himself to be quite capable at more family friendly films and with a rather distinctive, somewhat strange style he has created ones that really do stand out from the crowd of family flicks being churned out by Hollywood. Now, he has returned to the family genre once again with his latest film Shorts, a film which thus far has been receiving quite lousy word of mouth, word of mouth which it seems might actually be justified.
In the suburb of Black Falls all the houses look the same and everyone works for Black Box Unlimited Worldwide Industries Incorporated, whose Mr. Black’s (James Spader) Black Box is the ultimate communication and do-it-all gadget that’s sweeping the nation. Other than keeping his parents (Jon Cryer and Leslie Mann) employed, however, the Black Box has done nothing for 11-year-old Toe Thompson (Jimmy Bennett), who just wants to make a few friends. One day a mysterious rainbow-colored rock falls from the sky, hits him in the head and changes everything. The Rainbow Rock does the Black Box one better: it grants wishes to anyone who holds it. Before long, wishes-gone-wrong have left the neighborhood swarming with tiny spaceships, crocodile armies, giant boogers, and outrageous magical mayhem around every corner. But it’s not until the grown-ups get their hands on the Rock that the trouble really starts. Now Toe and his newfound friends – Helvetica Black (Jolie Varnier), Nose Noseworthy (Jake Short) and Loogie (Trevor Gagnon) – must join forces to save their town from itself, discovering along the way that what you wish for is not always what you want.
Shorts is undoubtedly the strangest family film that you will see in cinemas this year. For this reason, there are some positive things that can be said about it. As with Rodriguez’s previous family films there is something very distinctive that really sets it apart, however it is not something that necessarily makes the film particularly good in its own right. There is a definite quirkiness present throughout, an element that is present in everything from the characters to the set design and to the crazy situations that arise, but, sadly this alone doesn’t make the film especially enjoyable. One of the major flaws is the way in which the story is presented, with events being shown completely out of order, in the form of short stories (hence the title). While it could be said that Rodriguez was trying to do something different here, if anything, the unusual story format just makes the film rather confusing, and rather unnecessarily so as there doesn’t seem to be any particular need for it to be presented in this manner, other than perhaps the fact that each of the stories is really just a skit and the whole ‘wishing rock’ thing is just a weak plot device to link all the skits together. This wouldn’t be too much of a problem if the skits themselves were really funny but the film is also severely lacking in the humour department with only a few scenes that might raise a giggle or two. There does seem to be a message among all the jumbled ideas but the plot is too much of a mess for it to really come through effectively. The film doesn’t exactly impress in other areas either, with effects that are passable, if a times quite charming, and acting that will hardly blow your socks off. In the acting department, almost everyone entertains but no one is even half way believable with big name adult actors (including William H. Macy and Kat Dennings in addition to those aforementioned) being completely wasted and up and coming child actors who may show some potential but are nowhere near fulfilling it yet. All in all, Shorts is a family film that is not without its charms but it is really missing that little something and as a result it is a film that not only will adults struggle to enjoy but even some kids might have a tough time liking as well, and it really is clear that Robert Rodriguez should stick to what he is best at. If nothing else, though, it is certainly unique.
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I Love You, Beth Cooper *
Films adapted from teen novels are quite the in thing in Hollywood at the moment it seems with films such as Twilight and Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, as well as the upcoming Youth in Revolt demonstrating that literature aimed at young adults is a good place to find distinctive, refreshing and original movie ideas. I Love You, Beth Cooper is another such adaptation, based on the novel of the same name by Larry Doyle – who also wrote the screenplay for the film. And with Chris Columbus on directing duties it is certainly a film that promises to be a sweet viewing experience. However, Columbus – whose credits include the first two Harry Potter movies and Bicentennial Man – has often been criticised for making films that are way too sugary, raising the question as to whether you too will love Beth Cooper or if, like most sugary treats, viewing this film will prove detrimental to your health. Surprisingly, neither is the case.
Denis Cooverman (Paul Rust) is a geeky high-school valedictorian who throws caution to the wind by expressing his love for popular cheerleader Beth Cooper (Hayden Panettiere) during his graduation speech. Much to Denis’ surprise, Beth responds by accepting an invitation to a party at his house later that day. But Beth’s meathead boyfriend Kevin (Shawn Roberts) is none-too-pleased that his high school prize is mingling with the biggest dweeb in school, and when Kevin shows up at his house and tears the place apart in a fit of rage Denis, his best friend Rich (Jack Carpenter), Beth, and her friends Cammy (Lauren London) and Treece (Lauren Storm) all pile into Beth’s car and flee for their lives. For four long years Denis sat silently behind Beth in class, pining for a way to make his love known. Now, over the course of one long night, Denis will finally get to know the girl of his dreams better than he ever thought possible. If he manages to survive until morning, it’s sure to be the story of a lifetime
I Love You, Beth Cooper proves to be somewhat surprising in that it is nowhere near as sweet as you would expect from a Chris Columbus film. This, however, is a not a compliment. Had it been done as a sweet romantic tale this could have been a very charming film but like with many teen films it is let down by a barrage of crude, predictable and lame gags, mostly revolving around drinking and sexual situations, that completely conflict with the sweet core of the story. Were the gags actually funny – for the most part the film is a laughter vacuum, although a few scenes are fairly amusing – they could actually complement the sweeter scenes but instead they simply counteract most of the positive aspects that the film has to offer. The developing connection between Denis and Beth is actually quite touching but a string of poorly constructed situations, which seemingly only exist to create cheap laughs, constantly gets in the way. It would be wrong to blame everything on Columbus, however, as there is plenty of blame to be shared around. The screenplay by Larry Doyle is weak, recycling situations and gags from numerous better (and, in some cases, worse) teen movies and most of the characters are two dimensional stereotypes that are hard to really care about. This is as much the fault of the actors as Doyle though. Paul Rust lacks charisma as Denis and plays the nerd type character so stereotypically as to make the character annoying as much as he is genuinely likable. At times it is actually quite difficult to really empathise with the character as a result. Hayden Panettiere doesn’t fare much better. Despite having shown on several occasions that she is a very capable actress she seems destined to forever typecast as a cheerleader and she doesn’t even do anything notable with the part here. Her character too is a complete stereotype and it frequently seems as if she was cast for her looks rather than acting ability as for most of the film she is seen wearing a variety of revealing outfits and in one scene she is even nude. Clearly the target audience of this film is horny teenagers as it is unlikely anyone else will think much of Panettiere’s performance. Most of the other characters also conform to stereotypes, e.g. the tough guy boyfriend. It is also a shame to see Alan Ruck and Cynthia Stevenson, as Denis’ parents, so completely wasted. In his glory days on sitcom Spin City Ruck was absolutely hilarious but here his comedic talent is not utilized one bit. This is just one problem among many that makes this potentially promising film into a near total dud. If the sweetness within had been allowed to dominate I Love You, Beth Cooper could have a very charming and heart-warming film but instead it just stands as another teen comedy that has little to offer anyone other than the most undemanding of teenagers and will be completely forgotten in no time. Beth and Denis and certainly no Nick & Norah that’s for sure.
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Dance Flick ½
The spoof movie is a genre in disarray. Last year’s Meet the Spartans and Disaster Movie (both by the same ‘creative’ team – Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer) brought the genre to a whole new low. And now there is yet another spoof in the form of Dance Flick although thankfully Friedberg and Seltzer are nowhere to be seen. Unfortunately, though, this film comes courtesy of the Wayans, the people behind the first two Scary Movie films, or at least that is what the studio would have you believe, as the director of Dance Flick is Damien Dante Wayans, nephew of Keenen Ivory Wayans, the director of the Scary Movie. In other words, this is a film made predominantly by the next generation of the Wayans family (although their elders do still play a part among the team of 5 writers, all from the Wayans family, as well as appearing in the film itself). Does this bode well for the film? Don’t count on it.
Megan (Shoshanna Bush) has a dream of going to Juilliard and becoming a dancer. While she is performing at her dance audition, her mother is tragically killed in an auto accident. Megan must move to another city to her destitute father’s apartment which is located in a condemned building. She enrolls in Musical High, an inner city high school. Since her mother’s death, Megan has given up dancing. Megan meets some new friends at the school like Tracy (Chelsea Makela), Charity (Essence Atkins), and Thomas (Damon Wayans Jr.) who dance in a street dance gang. Thomas and Megan connect, and they must face their impossible dance dream together. They try to bring the ultimate dance crew together to win $5,000 at the local dance contest.
There are two positive things that can be said about Dance Flick. Firstly, (unlike Disaster Movie) the film mostly spoofs films that are actually relevant to its title and central theme – the films spoofed including Step Up, Step Up 2 The Streets, Save the Last Dance, You Got Served, Stomp the Yard, ATL, Roll Bounce, High School Musical, Little Miss Sunshine, Hairspray, Fame, West Side Story, Flashdance, Dreamgirls, Ray, Twilight, The House Bunny, Black Snake Moan and Crash. Secondly, there are no prolonged irrelevant pop culture gags (although there are still a lot of pop culture references, most of them quite irrelevant). Sadly, however, these two things do not make for a film that is even half decent. From a technical standpoint there is nothing at all good that can be said about this film. The storyline is pure rubbish, shamelessly ripping off countless genuinely good movies for the sake of cheap gags that aren’t even very funny anyway, and there isn’t a single smart or original idea to be found. The acting is terrible with the characters themselves being little more than prolonged jokes and, for the most part, the film is completely unfunny, with many of the gags being crude and gross and, in some cases, tasteless and offensive as well. There are a few scenes that will raise a few giggles but these alone are not worth the price of admission, rather being the kind of thing you would watch for free on You Tube. So, all in all, Dance Flick is just like most of the other recent spoof films, poorly made and not even particularly entertaining. It is at least an improvement upon Meet the Spartans and Disaster Movie (not exactly difficult to achieve) but regardless you certainly won’t be dancing if you see this film.
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Reviews by Robert Mann BA (Hons)
© BRWC 2010.
