Top 3 Flicks of Summer '09 Skidmore News 9/18/09
This summer had its fair share of cinematic gold. As the season ends, here are some of the films worth seeing.
Inglourious Basterds:
Equal parts cinephile wet dream and Jewish revenge fantasy, Quentin Tarantino's latest opus, "Inglourious Basterds," (his most brilliant effort since Pulp Fiction (1994)), proves to have been worth the wait. "Basterds" has caught some flak for its over-the-top violence, considerable length, and not-so-slight disregard for historical fact; if any of these are pet peeves of yours, then do not bother seeing the movie.
In fact, if you have any problems with artsy films, then you should probably stay away. Packed with extensive scenes of dialogue and references to past obscure films, "Inglorious Basterds" is as untraditional as movies come. That being said, Tarantino never crosses the line into pretentiousness; the nuances are there for those who delight in looking for them. At its core, "Basterds" is a sly, emotionally involving tour de force, a masterpiece of tension and release that anyone with an open mind and a strong stomach should be able to appreciate. Finally, no review of 'Inglorious Basterds' would be complete without mentioning Christopher Waltz's fantastic performance as Hans Landa, the film's Nazi antagonist. It will be a crime as great as any portrayed in the film if he is not at least nominated for a supporting actor Oscar.
In The Loop:
Fast-paced, witty and complex, 'In the Loop' is not easy to watch. For fans of political satire, however, movies do not get much better than this. While not immediately apparent, the film portrays the build to a nameless overseas conflict, which bears more than a passing resemblance to those in Iraq and Afghanistan from the perspective of British and American politicians. It would be a lot more fun to watch this colorful cast of moronic and hilariously amoral characters butt up against each other if it didn't so closely mirror reality. "In the Loop" is hilarious, but it is also horrifying in its spot-on portrayal of how a few inflated egos can launch supposedly civilized nations into disastrous wars.
District 9:
"District 9" starts out as a promising sci-fi allegory for apartheid, with cricket-like aliens standing in for native South Africans, but regrettably devolves into an average popcorn flick a little bit less than halfway through. Nevertheless, "District 9"s creative premise and intellectual leanings set it apart from typical summer action faire.
As one would expect of a film with effects by the famous New Zealand-based Weta Workshop (responsible for Lord of the Rings and King Kong), there is a lot of stunning eye candy for the action fan. Plus, it takes place in Johannesburg, an intriguing locale for this type of film. District 9 is thought-provoking, original and well-acted, but comes across too much like a video game, leaving the audience expecting more.
Inglourious Basterds:
Equal parts cinephile wet dream and Jewish revenge fantasy, Quentin Tarantino's latest opus, "Inglourious Basterds," (his most brilliant effort since Pulp Fiction (1994)), proves to have been worth the wait. "Basterds" has caught some flak for its over-the-top violence, considerable length, and not-so-slight disregard for historical fact; if any of these are pet peeves of yours, then do not bother seeing the movie.
In fact, if you have any problems with artsy films, then you should probably stay away. Packed with extensive scenes of dialogue and references to past obscure films, "Inglorious Basterds" is as untraditional as movies come. That being said, Tarantino never crosses the line into pretentiousness; the nuances are there for those who delight in looking for them. At its core, "Basterds" is a sly, emotionally involving tour de force, a masterpiece of tension and release that anyone with an open mind and a strong stomach should be able to appreciate. Finally, no review of 'Inglorious Basterds' would be complete without mentioning Christopher Waltz's fantastic performance as Hans Landa, the film's Nazi antagonist. It will be a crime as great as any portrayed in the film if he is not at least nominated for a supporting actor Oscar.
In The Loop:
Fast-paced, witty and complex, 'In the Loop' is not easy to watch. For fans of political satire, however, movies do not get much better than this. While not immediately apparent, the film portrays the build to a nameless overseas conflict, which bears more than a passing resemblance to those in Iraq and Afghanistan from the perspective of British and American politicians. It would be a lot more fun to watch this colorful cast of moronic and hilariously amoral characters butt up against each other if it didn't so closely mirror reality. "In the Loop" is hilarious, but it is also horrifying in its spot-on portrayal of how a few inflated egos can launch supposedly civilized nations into disastrous wars.
District 9:
"District 9" starts out as a promising sci-fi allegory for apartheid, with cricket-like aliens standing in for native South Africans, but regrettably devolves into an average popcorn flick a little bit less than halfway through. Nevertheless, "District 9"s creative premise and intellectual leanings set it apart from typical summer action faire.
As one would expect of a film with effects by the famous New Zealand-based Weta Workshop (responsible for Lord of the Rings and King Kong), there is a lot of stunning eye candy for the action fan. Plus, it takes place in Johannesburg, an intriguing locale for this type of film. District 9 is thought-provoking, original and well-acted, but comes across too much like a video game, leaving the audience expecting more.