Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Inglourious Basterds

Two assassin plans to kill Nazis leaders,
one by a French Jewish cinema owner,
another by a group of American soldiers called 'Basterds'



An anticipated new Tarantino's film, as I am a huge fans of him.
I can watch Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill again and again but never get bored.


Inglourious Bastreds is pretty good, but if compared with Tarantino's previous movies,
there is no surprise, and there is nothing to cheer.


His style is still there, but the brilliant non-linear story-telling technique is gone, very dissapointing....
No iconic trunk shot, no long take in close-up shot, and....


No Uma Thurman,
which I believe her role is being replaced by a young French actress Melanie Laurent.
I guess if Uma Thurman is going to act in Inglourious Basterds, Melanie Laurent's role is definitely hers.


Whatsoever, Melanie Laurent is younger,and she did a good job in the movie,
especially in the scene where she holds her tears when she is talking to the 'Jew Hunter'.


The feeling of sadness and revenge, Melanie Laurent handle the expression better than Uma Thurman in Kill Bill.
But regarding to the character development, Tarantino definitely put more effort on Uma Thurman.


Christoph Waltz, who act as the 'Jew Hunter', a clever and charming detective,
present an awesome show for us!!!
Tarantino's claims that his character, Hans Landa, is probably the greatest character he ever written. ( I think it is)


He steal the show everytime he appear, he control the situation, he manipulate the scene!!!
He deserved Cannes Best Actor Award.


Another man to watch~~~Brad Pitt~~~the Hollywood superstar.
Okay, nothing much to comment on his acting all this while, but I really like his show in this movie.
His funny American accent, and his character....very well-done!!!


Diane Kruger's acting is.....poor???
well....average lar.....okie???
Mike Myer's cameo doesnt really boost up the excitement....


Back to Tarantino,
oh I miss the brilliant messy plot,
I miss the violence art,
I miss the fantastic title for each chapter....


Anyway, he still maintain his strength to handle a scene, everything is well-planned.
The script, the mise-en-scene, the gun-fight entry.
He can really drag a single simple scene to become very entertaining and interesting.


The conversation is long, and mindless.
But I like it!!!
That's Tarantino film, I simply can't resist his charm in the movie,
for no reason, and I just can't explain why....

And also, Tarantino like to do something unexpected....
We didnt see much in this movie, but personally I didnt expect Hitler will die....


After Brad Pitt is being captured and Melanie Laurent is being killed, I really thought that this is gonna be another failed attempt to kill The Fuhrer after 'Valkyrie', starring by Tom Cruise.


Lastly, is the music he used,
I can't tell you how much I love it....
you'll know why if you watched Kill Bill before!!!


So far, Inglourious Basterds is the best movie in 2009.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

The Pianist

Music has his passion,
survival has his masterpiece.

The Pianist is one of the most incredible holocaust movie I have ever watch.
Powerful plot, massive setting, and great cinematography.

Adrien Brody act as a Jewish-Polish pianist, Wladyslaw Szpilman,
who suffer in WW2 when Nazis Germany occupied Warsaw.

Polish director Roman Polanski is a master in this movie, he really create a terrify atmosphere in order to allow audience to feel the cruelty and merciless of Nazis, and I am sure you will be amazed by many shocking scenes in the movie.

A well-written script gives Szpilman a good character development.
The opening scene has just shown us the passion of Szpilman towards music, he keeps on playing his music even when the radio station is bombed and the technician has left the building.

Szpilman's respect to the music can be seen in the scene where he was interupted by the restaurant's guest, his reaction has shown us how much he loves music....and piano....

The scene where he saw a piano in the hiding place, he dare not to play the piano because of afraid being discovered.
But he played the piano in his mind and imagine himself is in an orchestra performance.
This is really heartbreaking....as we can see his passion keeps him alive....

Szpilman's character is so real, he is just an ordinary man that afraid of Nazis, he could not fight with his fellow Jews rebels.
He apologize and beg to the Nazis when he need to, he just want to live....
He looks like a coward, but no...he is not....

His conversation with lady actress shown that how much he wish to join the rebels....
but he always remain rational and realize his own capability...
he is a musician....he cannot fight....

The scene where he attempt to open the canned food is so pitty....
Can you imagine how hungry he was at that moment?
He got a canned food, but he couldnt find a can opener....


Now, the Nazi officer Wilm Hosenfeld see the inhumanity and the pointless of war....
right in front of him, stood a Jews....
both of them were stunned....because they do not know how to react and what to say at that moment.....

Then, Hosenfeld ask Szpilman to play a music....
its funny to see Hosenfeld's reaction when he realize Szpilman is playing Chopin's composition, as later it was revealed that he is the one who played Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata in earlier scene.

Now....we can see the idea of juxtaposition from their selection of music composer,
because Szpilman choose Chopin's (Polish) and Hosenfeld choose Beethoven's (German).

If you noticed, the second lady who helped hiding Szpilman, played Bach's music as well by cello.
In that scene, Szpilman expose himself to German composer's music.
But now, it is Hosenfled's turn to expose himself to a Polish composer's music.
Both of them tends to accept each other's culture, art and music....
Roman Polanski is brilliant here in giving audiences a hidden meaning message!!!

Another fantastic scene is where Szpilman found that Hosenfeld has give him a loaf of bread, strawberry jam, and can opener.
The way Szpilman taste the jam and lick his finger, its like he is having orgasm....(sorry being rude here....)

But my point is, Adrien Brody is fabulous here....
he can really act!!!
Oh God....
the satisfaction of tasting strawberry jam!!!

How wondeful...
Now I can always remember this scene when I eat my bread with strawberry jam....

There are many many other fantastic scenes in the movie....
I really cannot mentioned everything here....its TOO MANY!!!

Anyway, this is gotta be my favourite holocaust movie....
A must watch!!!