6. Inglorious Basterds (2009)

Code-name: Hugo Stiglitz
[cue guitar solo]

Writer/Director: Quentin Tarantino
Type: historical fiction, drama

Cast:
Lt. Aldo Raine- Brad Pitt
"The Jew Hunter" Col. Hans Landa- Christoph Waltz
Shoshanna- Melanie Laurent
Fredrick Zoller- Daniel Bruhl
Bridget Von Hammersmark- Diane Kruger
"The Bear Jew" Sgt. Donny Donowitz- Eli Roth
Lt. Archie Hicox- Michael Fassbender
Utivich- B.J. Novak
Hugo Stiglitz- Til Schweiger

Notable Awards and Nominations:
OSCAR- Best Supporting Actor- Christoph Waltz
nomination- OSCAR- Best Picture*
nomination- OSCAR- Best Original Screenplay- Quentin Tarantino*
nomination- OSCAR- Best Director- Quentin Tarantino*
nomination- OSCAR- Best Film Editing*
nomination- OSCAR- Best Sound Mixing*
nomination- OSCAR- Best Sound Editing*
nomination- OSCAR- Best Cinematography (lost to "Avatar")
Golden Globe- Best Supporting Actor- Christoph Waltz
nomination- Golden Globe- Best Picture- Drama (lost to "Avatar")
nomination- Golden Globe- Best Director- Quentin Tarantino (lost to "Avatar")
nomination- Golden Globe- Best Screenplay- Quentin Tarantino (lost to "Up in the Air")
nomination-Grammy- Best Compilation Soundtrack for Film or TV
*lost to "The Hurt Locker"

Write-up:
With the exception of next week's Tarantino movie, I guess you could file the rest of my countdown under gateway movies.

Gateway movie (n)- Films that introduced me to new people (either in acting, writing or directing) whose work I enjoyed so much, I couldn't help following up with their other projects

Case in point (per this entry): Quentin Tarantino

I really didn't know who he was before this movie, although I'd heard the name a few times.
Based on the premise, Brad Pitt taking on the Nazis in WWII [something that's already a very heavy topic], I gave it a shot and wound up getting much more than I bargained for.
And I mean that as an absolute compliment.You could easily judge my reaction and conclude this was my first Tarantino film because I had no idea what to expect. That his writing was wicked smart and more cutting edge than most dared to go.

It's funny... my dad and I saw this movie pretty much the same day from two completely different locations. I was in the comfort of our family room, he was chilling out in-flight in first class. Literally the day after I saw it on HBO or whatever, he emailed us and said he saw it in-flight.
Right away, it was clear it'd become another one of those movies we enjoy watching together (sometimes with other family members because it is just that good).
And it was also clear how much we loved to hate the film's villain.

FROM THIS POINT THIS SPOILERS WILL BE PROLIFIC

PLEASE BE ADVISED

The Villain
I'd never seen or heard of Christoph Waltz before this movie and, sadly, my dad and I might never see him as anything but Hans Landa. From the very first time he appears on screen, he has us eating out of his hands.

This isn't just your run-of-the-mill bad guy. He is COMPLEX. He takes his job very seriously, but not to the degree where he has a clichéd superiority complex. He's a gentleman, but at the same time, he does have his mean streak. Often times, he'll strike so quickly that his victims have zero reaction time.Probably the one thing that wins me over every time: he is extremely eloquent (in all FOUR languages he speaks, French, English, German and Italian). Just one of those great voices I enjoy listening to, but there's always that reminder in the back of my head that he is THE bad guy.I dare you to find a movie villain comeuppance THIS enjoyable... we're always cheering in the end when Aldo Raine gives him, you know, a little something he can never take off

The Heroes

The gripping first chapter of this five chapter story ends with Hans Landa and his comrades taking out a Jewish family that he rooted out of hiding.
The only member to survive, who he oddly enough lets escape, is the eldest daughter, Shoshanna.
We will catch up with her four years later where she's running a small cinema in France under the name Emmanuelle Mimieux. Chapter 2 introduces to our titular troop of Jewish American Nazi killers. They're led by Tennessee native Lt. Aldo Raine, a character Brad Pitt inexplicably disappears into. His opening monologue is as about as compelling as Hans Landa's, but he ups the ante with a wicked sense of humor.

Their initial goal is to kill and scalp as many Nazis as they can find. Those they leave alive to "send a message" to Hitler and his followers, they mark their foreheads with a swastika. But as the movie progresses, their efforts shift to something much bigger.... taking out the top officials of the Third Reich to end the war.
It just so happens that their plan, Operation Kino, crosses paths with something Shoshanna came up-- burning down the building on Nazi night, therein getting revenge for her family.

Story and Details
Ah, those details... the costumes and makeup are historically accurate, the set pieces are spot on and every detail included is so tangible, you can almost reach out and touch it with your five senses.
One prime example: Hans Landa orders strudel for Shoshanna at a fancy restaurant (this is an "interview" regarding her cinema prior to Nazi night...she knows who he is, but luckily, he has no idea about her) and the camera focuses on the food and how the cream is garnished on top. Can almost reach out and smell/taste it.

The movie night comes about when Joseph Goebbels (who was behind a lot of real-life Nazi propaganda) wants to have a screening for his new film: Nation's Pride.
It features the war exploits of sniper-turn-war hero Fredrick Zoller. He was stationed in a bell tower for three days where he took out 250+ people.

His original plan was to show it at the Ritz, but the venue changes when Fredrick falls in love with Shoshanna. Throughout Chapter 3 of the story, he meets her in front of her cinema and proceeds to stalk her until she agrees to host the movie at her place.

Admittedly, he is a very good looking man that you think it'd be hard to say "no" to... but given everything she and her family went through with the Nazis, it would be impossible for Shoshanna to return his feelings. Not to mention she's in a relationship with her projectionist, Marcel.

Not only does Shoshanna decide to commit arson with her own building, but she decides to make a film that'll intersect with "Nation's Pride" to develop one final message.

It's interesting to note throughout the film, when the spoken language suddenly changes (i.e. chapter 1: English to French, chapter 4: German to English), you know there will be blood.
The case is also true here. Up to this point, "Nation's Pride" was in German... then with Shoshanna's film, she spoke in English... very dramatic stuff that really changes the tone of the entire scene.

Tarantino is noted for his excessive body counts, but there were a couple of spots in this movie where I almost wish that wasn't the case.
Chapter 4 involves German actress Bridget Von Hammersmark meeting a couple of the Basterds to discuss Operation Kino. Much to Aldo's annoyance, the rendezvous takes place in a basement.
They had no idea there would be Nazis on premise (men given the night off to celebrate one becoming a father and a higher-ranked officer hiding in the shadows) and things wind up so badly, only two survive:

Bridget Von Hammersmark and the new father, Wilhelm.

All because Michael Fassbender (I had no idea it was him until this movie review because in 2009, nobody really knew him yet) blew his German by ordering three glasses




 instead of three glasses


and rumor is that Michael Fassbender encountered a lot of people who flashed him the "German three" as to not let him forget that.
So after all the bloodshed, Aldo Raine talks Wilhelm into lowing his weapons (as to not engage a Mexican standoff)... and Bridget Von Hammersmark, after being so nice to him and talking him into lowing his weapon, shoots him dead...
That was always such a WTF moment for me. Sure, he called her an "f$%&ing traitor" beforehand, but that still felt uncalled for.
Things also end darkly for Shoshanna and Fredrick Zoller. For a moment, I felt as if they could work things out, that she could learn to trust him, it can only end in them killing one another. Again, I can understand why because of their personalities, but it's gut-wrenching. Especially in the super slow motion with the sappy music in the background.

It appears that most of the music was taken from other sources, so there is no official "composer" for this movie.

My favorite contribution, hands down, opens the final chapter: Revenge of the Giant Face.
Featuring David Bowie's "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)"... it's the most current of all the music included in this movie, and you'd think it'd be out of place... it works amazingly well.
We own one of his albums, but it didn't have the same version as featured in the movie.
I guess I'll just have to dig through iTunes for it because it is pretty amazing.
Also part of the reason why I thought "Love is the drug" (featured in "Suckerpunch") was another David Bowie track because it reminded me so much of this.

One final note: as a fan of The Office, it was kinda cool to see B.J. Novak in this movie, even if he had a small role.
And Hugo Stiglitz, he got his own 3 minute introduction. He was a legendary Jew killer that got captured by the SS, who intended to make an example out of him, but later got sprung by the Basterds to join their ranks.

Coming Soon

My review for "The Judge" will be up momentarily.

Other than that, I have one another Tarantino movie to review...

18. Ocean's Eleven (2001)

Code-name: Vegas
[where else?]

Director: Stephen Soderbergh

[yeah,  as a long time fan of this movie, I can't believe it's the same dude who directed "Magic Mike" and "Behind the Candelbra," both of which I saw back to back the first and only time]

Type: dramedy, adventure, heist

Notable Award:
ALMA- Andy Garcia for Best Supporting Actor

[on a side note, I don't think Brad Pitt did this movie just because there could have been a Teen Choice award in it for him]

Cast:
Danny Ocean- George Clooney
Rusty- Brad Pitt
Reuben- Elliot Gould
Frank Catton- Bernie Mac [RIP 2008]
Virgil Malloy- Casey Affleck
Turk Malloy-Scott Caan
Livingston- Eddie Jemison
Basher- Don Cheadle
The Amazing Yen- Shaobe Qin
Saul- Carl Reiner
Linus- Matt Damon
Terry Benedict- Andy Garcia
Tess- Julia Roberts

Cameos at Rusty's poker game:
Topher Grace [That 70's show]
Barry Watson [7th Heaven]
Joshua Jackson [Dawson's Creek]
Shane West [Once and Again]
Holly Marie Combs [Charmed]

Write-up:

Opening Remarks

I actually managed to list all Ocean's 11 from memory, either by actor or by character (most of them, both), with the exception of Livingston.

For the record, I have not seen the original movie by the Rat Pack. And I'm not sure if I want to. With the whole original vs. remake scenario, I tend to lean towards the version I see first and as a result, the second one does not live up to the same expectations.

I don't know how this movie appeared on my radar, why I wanted to see it as much as I did. Whatever the reason, I think of it as one of my first truly mature movies. I grew up on cartoons and many of my first movies were comedies. Everything else, I just didn't have the patience for.Don't get me wrong, "Ocean's 11" does have its slow moments (as often is the case, in the third act), but it's not usually the type of movie I go for.

And all of these types of movies, large ensemble heists like "Tower Heist" and "The Italian Job"... even "Now you see me" fits into this genre, "Ocean's 11" is the best representation.

On the whole, what makes it, not just glimmer but, SHINE... of course, is the cast. Particularly the dynamic of Clooney and Pitt.

You could jokingly say that this is a movie full of big stars, and if they weren't stars yet, they would soon be. Seriously, if you weren't a big star before this movie, you were on your way up to the A-list.

The biggest, brightest example of this: Matt Damon.
Shortly after this movie became a hit, he became a big action star (opposed to smaller projects like "Good Will Hunting") with the Bourne series

Plot

Ample Spoilers along the way...

The three act structure is pretty solid here, one of many things that rock about this movie

I: meet the players
2: forming the plan
3: the heist

Danny Ocean's out on parole after serving some time in jail.
We don't get a lot of details outside of his testimony in front of the parole board:

"My wife left me, I was upset, I broke into a self-destructive pattern"

It can't be much worse than House driving his car into Cuddy's house after she broke up with him.

So naturally after spending time in jail, the very first thing you do is get together with your best buddy, leave for Las Vegas and plan a massive heist... to get back at the new guy your ex-wife is seeing.

That's all well and good. Unless of course the guy happens to be as powerful as Terry Benedict; the man in charge of the trifecta of Vegas casinos: MGM Grand, Mirage and Bellagio. The combined total of cold hard cash in their underground vault on a Fight Night, the night they plan to rob it: $160,000,000+

And with any good heist, you're going to need a team of men with a unique set of skills.

Luckily, this is taking place in a movie, so they've got a wide variety of personalities to go with those skills. If not for those personalities, this movie would have sucked :P

The Cast

By the time this movie was available at Blockbuster, I think I knew the name Matt Damon.
I never watched it, but I knew Bernie Mac had a TV series back then.

I also knew who Julia Roberts was even though this was couple years before I saw "Pretty Woman."

And of course, there was Clooney and Pitt.
Two of the biggest names and I had yet to see any of their acting. I mentioned in my "Spider Man" review that I didn't get the pin-up appeal of Brad Pitt. Most of this was due to the fact he always seemed to have long hair in his movies. Nowadays, I say "It depends on the guy," but I didn't get why the long hair made all the other girls adore him.

Clooney was another big name that I didn't really know, but he already had an outstanding reputation.
Who would have thought putting them together would turn into something so amazing?

As for everyone else... I don't think the little Chinese guy (that's an actual line from the movie, btw) went on to do anything else.

Casey Affleck never made it as big as his brother. It's funny I should mention "Tower Heist" because he was in that.
And I was going to spend this paragraph trying to explain how I get him and Dave Franco mixed up (Franco was in "Now You See Me"... yet another tie-in I didn't expect when I named-dropped that film... loved it)

The other of the Malloy "twins" (they look nothing alike but that's how Clooney and Pitt called them in the movies), Scott Caan, would later make it big on the reboot of "Hawaii 5-0."

[Amazing bit of trivia: the twins were originally gonna be the Wilsons but they were doing that "Tenenbaums" movie and had to drop out... I don't think the movie could have handled their star power in addition to the main guys, lol]

Other than Matt Damon, I think of Don Cheadle as the biggest break-out star this movie has. I found his character Basher charming in a quirky sort of way (had to be the accent!!) with a wicked sense of humor, in both good and bad situations.
His biggest gigs include the Showtime series "House of Lies" and, of course, some of the "Iron-Man" movies... for whatever reason, I still haven't warmed up to his version of Captain James Rhodes. (That discussion will continue in the next month or so, promise).

An older audience might recognize Carl Reiner from "All in the Family." I hadn't seen that series and probably should, but he brings his own wily sense of humor to this part.

When asked [again] about being up for his part in the 'grand scheme,' he has a comeback for Clooney so good, there was simply no comeback for it.

"If you ask me that question again, Daniel, you won't wake up the following morning"[pause]Clooney (whispers to Pitt): "He's ready..."

Had it come from anyone else, this joke wouldn't have worked.

Another great addition is Andy Garcia as the villainous Terry Benedict. This is my first encounter with him and he blew me away. The way he carries himself on screen, maybe it's just that mob-style mentality he brings to his other roles, can't help but be impressed by that.

Then of course Julia Roberts shines as the only big female role in this movie. No matter who it is, she doesn't let anyone push her around. An admirable quality for sure.

The Writing

The best parts of this movie for me are a tie between the acting and the writing. Naturally, without a good script, this wouldn't have worked as well.

As Rusty, Brad Pitt is the one member of the team able to keep Danny in check, especially when it appears his priorities are a bit scrambled. Spending more time trying to woo Tess than working on the plan.

Their dynamic is amazing in that they know each other so well, they can finish each other's sentences. This is almost to the point of clairvoyance. They don't even have to say anything and the other knows exactly what their thinking.

My personal favorite: the one line that kept me coming back to the movie:

They'd just recruited Saul and Clooney is talking to Pitt:

"So Saul makes 10, 10 ought to do it, don't you think?... you think we need one more?... you think we need one more...... all right ,we'll get one more"

Absolutely priceless. Especially since Brad Pitt gives absolutely no indication he's dissatisfied with just 10 guys... it's just the aura he gives off as he's resting his chin on the counter.

Everyone works off each other so well. Even when plan A's have to give way to plan B's and C's, the improvisation often works out better than the original scenario.


Another thing that stood out to me about this movie when I was younger was that it had great balance between drama and comedy. There were enough light movements in between to break up the drama.


Other Lovable Details


It's one of those great movies my family and I like to watch together. As I do, my mom loves the Poker scene with Eric Forman from That 70's Show and other TV actors who have no idea what they're doing.


"Look, all reds!"


We also love poking fun at the fact that in almost every scene Brad Pitt is eating...
I got halfway through the movie and gave up counting how many scenes.


Apparently it was more than coincidence. Rumor is that everyone was so busy working on the movie that they barely had time to eat and Brad Pitt came up with the idea to give Rusty that unusual character trait.
And supposedly during one scene, they did so many takes that he wound up eating 40 shrimp.


My dad pointed out during our last viewing of this movie that the featured prison is Rahway Prison and on a recent customer call there, he drove by it.


One thing that also stood out to me was the second to last scene in front of the Bellagio fountain. "Clair du Lune" is playing in the background, all the guys are reflecting on the fact they got away with the money and they all go their separate ways one at a time.
When I was younger, I wasn't a fan of this scene. It was just so serious and kinda sucked the fun out of the movie for me. Or I just didn't fully grasp the genius or the beauty of it.


Combined with the fountain, the looks on everyone's faces, the swelling of the music, it's amazing to watch now that I understand it. I guess I just needed to mature a bit and it's great when you can appreciate more things from your favorite movies with age.


I only recently saw "Ocean's 12." It brought back a lot of the same players, which was nice, but unlike this movie, the great scheme didn't fully make sense. We saw the heist take place, but all wasn't fully explained until afterwards.


Coming Soon


Oh wow... got a really big one coming up next week...
I spent this past weekend looking back on some nostalgic things. Mostly music, both good and bad, and "High School Musical" (which remains as awesome as it was the first time I saw it).


Next week's movie is about as nostalgic as it gets.
Most likely my very first "favorite" movie.
I don't remember this, but supposedly I rented it so much from Blockbuster that one of my grandmas finally bought it for me.


And for anyone following my blog actively, they can probably piece together the fact that it's.... animated...