Django Unchained

Directed by: Quentin Tarantino

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz,

Leonardo Dicaprio, Kerry Washington 

& Samuel L. Jackson

Released: 2012

Runtime: 165 minutes

Rating: 4/5

It’s always exciting to see a new film by Quentin Tarantino as there is always a significant amount of time between them; I find the build-up to be equally exciting to seeing the film itself. I’ve been going to the cinema at least once a week for the past month and almost on every visit I’ve seen the trailer for Django Unchained. Finally the big day arrives; it’s stinking hot outside, my air conditioner is broken so the best place for me is a nice cool overpriced cinema. But unfortunately this was not the movie going experience I was expecting. I think seeing the trailer which is awesome by the way, so many times may have set my expectations a little too high.

So the basic plot; set in 1858 some years prior to the American Civil War, a freed slave named Django (the D is silent) played by Jamie Foxx, sets out with the help of a German bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) to rescues his wife from a wealthy and flamboyant plantation (Leonardo DiCaprio) owner in Mississippi.

Now Django Unchained isn’t bad movie; the two main problems with it are that it’s a bit too long and it’s in dire need of some serious editing. It’s also a little frustration to watch too, there are some great scenes but space between them is too drawn out which comes back to the editing to some degree. And my final gripe is the plot, there are quite a few holes and it feels really disjointed in the second half of the film. It hints that it’s about to go in one direction but it doesn’t, it just continues of its main course.

Now let’s move onto the violence and the use of that word beginning with the letter N. Like in most westerns when people get shot, there’s a small spatter of blood then they hit the ground dead 90% of the time. But in Django Unchained, people get shot, that part of their body explodes then what’s left of them hits the grounds. The film is extremely bloody in true Tarantino style and all the gun play is fantastic. The word ‘nigger’ is used a lot to say the least, the most controversial thing about the film. You could easily say that it’s overused but I don’t abject to it. To me it’s simply a reflection of the time period the film is set in; especially how casually the word is used. But I doubt people back then said it as often the characters do in the film. I think it would be silly to take offence.

The two very noticeable genres of this film are the spaghetti western and blacksploitation, both of which I’ve seen very little of in the past but know when I see it.  It’s a great approach, far better than being just a straight western and its looks great with all the gorgeous cinematography of the very picturesque landscapes and strong vivid colours.

The acting is terrific! In my opinion Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio and Samuel L. are the three scene stealers for sure. The dialogue is great as you would expect from a Tarantino film, so cleverly written. Jackson’s character is very funny with a lingo that is clearly from another time which at first does sound out of place but it doesn’t take long to adjust to it and makes his scenes all that more entertaining. One thing I really love about Tarantino films is that you often see actors that you haven’t seen on screen in very long time. In this case for me it would be Dennis Christopher as the lawyer of DiCaprio’s character Calvin Candie. I think I’ve only seen him in Stephen King’s IT and the odd the TV show. Tarantino himself has a small cameo which is just plain awful, in fact it’s embarrassing. He’s tries to put on an Aussie accent but ends up sounding South African; thank goodness his dialogue is limited.  

Overall Django Unchained is not the great film that was Inglourious Basterds but it’s still enjoyable despite its short comings. If you love westers like I do, Spaghetti or America you’ll know doubt enjoy this. Aspects of it are inaccurate and unrealistic but that’s what makes it so much fun, it’s a larger than life western which gives us everything we love about them. It’s a great throw back to the genre and Tarantino clearly had a lot of fun making it. I have a funny feeling that I’m going to enjoy Django Unchained a lot more the second time round.    

                          Check out my summarised video on my YouTube Channel.  

Hitchcock

Directed by: Sacha Gervasi

Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson, Toni Collette & Danny Huston

Released: 2012

Runtime: 99 minutes

Rating: 4.5/5

Any film about influential filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock would no doubt be an unusual one. Which is definitely the case here but it’s not what I was expecting by a long shot. What we have essentially is a love story; between Hitchcock and his wife Alma that takes place during the filming of Hitchcock’s most ambitious and controversial picture Psycho in 1959.

We the audience are taken through almost the entire filmmaking process; from pitching the film to Paramount Pictures all the way to its released in theatres. And all the hurdles in between such as financial pressures and the question of content by the MPAA; specifically nudity and the horrifying thought of showing a toilet on screen.  But the main focus is on the relationship between Hitch and his beloved wife.

This film was really funny an extremely witty, which was another thing I didn’t expect. Within a minute of the film’s opening there was laughter throughout the cinema. I think the main reason it’s so funny is due the rather light hearted approach it has to the sinister element of the film and Hitchcock’s behaviour in general.

The film explores and displays Hitchcock’s insecurities and personal demons in a series of very bizarre and surreal dream like sequences with him interacting with serial killer Ed Gein who is portrayed disturbingly well by Michael Wincott. The manner in how Ed Gein murdered his victims being a strong inspiration to Psycho.

The casting in this film is the best I’ve seen in a long time. Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock is just superb. He may not look much like him in the facial area but with the whole fat suit, the mannerisms, the macabre sense of humour and that hypnotic stare, he just nails it so well. I don’t mean this in a negative way but he appears to have a child like quality about him. Helen Mirren as wife Alma is excellent; she provides a strong grounding force in her husband’s life and provides unconditional support despite his sort comings. The supporting cast are all great, especially Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh, Jessica Biel as Vera Miles and James D’Arcy as Anthony Perkins; the three stars of Psycho.

I must admit that I don’t know anything about director Sacha Gervasi but he is obviously a big fan of Alfred Hitchcock and knows his style of work quite well as it’s reflected in this funny, quirky and touching tribute to one of the greatest filmmakers to have ever lived. 

Gangster Squad

Directed by: Ruben Fleischer

Starring: James Brolin, Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling

& Emma Stone
Released: 2013
Runtime: 113 minutes
Rating: 4/5

The first time I saw the trailer for this film, it was one of the rare occurrences where a film reminded me a video game; that game being L.A. Noire. I think what struck me at first was the visual presentation combined with the era that the film is set in. I love the style, and colour, there’s such a glow about it. But the biggest draw card for me was the subject matter, corruption and old school gangsters. A topic I’ve had strong fascination with for many years.

The film certainly delivers what it advertises, a flashy old style gangster flick but with modern day quantities and standards of swearing, violence and blood. And to my surprise it’s actually quite a humorous film in many places.

So now for a quick run-down of the plot; Josh Brolin is Sgt John O’Mara, war hero, loving husband, father to be and an honest cop in a dirty town. He is assigned by the Los Angeles Police Chief (Nick Nolte) to assembly a squad of police officers to drive the powerful and ruthless East Coast gangster Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) and other mafia types out of the city of angels.

There are quite a few clichés in Gangster Squad, mostly regarding the characters. We have a suave womaniser (Ryan Gosling), a sharp shooter (Robert Patrick), an expert wire man (Giovanni Ribisi), two token minorities played by Michael Pena and Anthony Mackie and a stunningly beautiful woman (Emma Stone) who’s a good girl mixed up in a bad world.

But that aside and the sometimes cheesy dialogue this is one hell of an entertaining movie, pretty much from start to finish. It’s loaded with thrilling car chases, brutal fist fights and very stylish and long shoot-outs which I often wished would never end. And more to that, the sounds effects for all the gun play was excellent which is something I really appreciated and was wondering about leading up to seeing the film. Because I’ve seen gangster films with some pretty weak sounding guns which does tend to take you out of the moment. The Untouchables come to mind; a fantastic film but the tommy guns in that sound like a child’s cap gun. In Gangster Squad I felt every shot from those tommy guns, loud and frightening.

The acting is solid, it’s very much character acting with not a great deal of dimension. Ryan Gosling and Sean Penn are easily the two highlights. Gosling really looks the part and even adopts that stereotypical manner and sound of speaking like from those old movies. Even more so than Gosling, Penn is just flawless as Mickey Cohen; with the menacing demeanour, that nose, the rage behind those eyes and his whole body language in general. He’s absolutely terrifying to the point where you feel genuinely nervous when he’s on screen. Mainly due to his hair trigger tempter and violent outbursts.

Above all else Gangster Squad is so bloody entertaining! Director Ruben Fleischer’s really delivers the goods much like his first feature Zombieland. It’s not The Godfather or Goodfellas, it’s the type of film where you just ignore the flaws, switch off your brain and enjoy the show.