Uberfluff

So I did get to see Inglourious Basterds this weekend.  And yes, it was good fun--with The Hangover, it was probably one of the most enjoyable movies I've been to all summer.


Honestly, I was starting to wonder whether it was possible to have a good time at the movies anymore without going to a comedy.  Adult comedies have been going through something of a renaissance recently, and while I'm grateful for that, it seems to make them one of the only viable movie theater options.  Which I'm not so grateful for.  The other choices seem to be: brain-dead action flick (of the Michael Bay variety), gooey and/or depressing female drama, inspirational tale of human triumph (yawn), and "meaningful" dramatic film full of sophmoric philosophy (otherwise known as Oscar bait).  It's nice to see something other than a Judd Apatow picture from time to time.


Tarantino's hallmarks have long been clever dialogue, violence, and nods to genre.  And while he checks off each category here, you feel like you're watching a movie that someone enjoyed making.  The action and dialogue move along without any of those redundant "recaps for the stupid" that weigh some movies down.  (Sample recap for the stupid: "Hey, secondary character, please explain what just happened in that last scene and why it's important to the plot under the guise of discussing our feelings.")  Also awesome?  No one talks about their issues with their father.  Daddy issues are the new black of screenplays.  Apparently, it's the laziest way to introduce psychological depth to your character.


As far as violence goes, I would actually place it at below-average gore.  For a Tarantino movie that is.  Above average for everyone else.  But hey, it's a revenge movie.  A gleeful revenge fantasy rather than a grim one, but what is gleeful revenge without some viscera?  Brad Pitt is fun and doesn't overwhelm the movie or make you think, "Hey look! Brad Pitt!" everytime he shows up on screen.  That may seem like a small thing, but I haven't seen Tom Cruise pull it off in years.


Rumor is that Tarantino considers this his masterpiece.  I'm not positive I would agree--after all, I think both Kill Bill and Pulp Fiction are impressive in their own rights--but there's definitely an argument to be made for it.  Basterds shows a maturation of the Tarantino style--the basic elements are still there (dialogue, music, people getting scalped), but he seems to be a little more restrained in how he uses them.  Though that still doesn't explain his guest mentor spot on American Idol.