Inglourious Basterds

I've been reading very mixed reviews of Quentin Tarantino's latest film "Inglourious Basterds" in the Irish press, yet over on Rottentomatoes.com, it's scoring a solid 88% approval rating. Hmm. The only thing to do in such a situation is to watch it for yourself.

Tarantino has always had a grá for the spaghetti westerns of Sergio Leone and the like, and the opening "chapter" of the film clearly demonstrates this influence. Hans Lada of the SS (known throughout Nazi-occupied France as the "Jew-hunter" and played brilliantly by Cristoph Waltz) has located the Jewish Dreyfuss family. Only one member escapes - Shoshanna. In Chapter 2, we learn that Shoshanna is now the proprietress of a cinema in Paris (under an assumed identity). A chain of fortuitious events leads to Goebbels choosing her cinema as the location for spectacular premiere of a new Nazi propaganda film.

On a parallet plot, we have Lt Aldo Raine (a southern-talking Brad Pitt) and his band of merry men (the Basterds) who are wreaking havoc and terror throughout the Nazi ranks in France. A british agent is dropped to meet them with a plot to blow up the German high command at the fim premiere. Little do they know that Shoshanna also has her own plans for the night.

This is a classic Tarantino film. There's no doubting that - it's got the usual pop culture, music and look. Tarantino has a gift for getting fine performances from his actors and while Brad Pitt is truly excellent, it is Cristoph Waltz who steals the show.

Despite being a little too long, and a little too smug, I really enjoyed the film. It is very funny and Tarantino delivers without being over the top. It's surely got to be one of his better films.