Inglourious Basterds

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Quentin Tarantino's latest film, Inglourious Basterds (2009), is a rather confusing film when compared to the director's earlier output. Rewriting world history completely is not the peculiar thing, it's Tarantino's restrained and occassionally unfunny approach that is rather distracting. Apart from the juvenile gags and offbeat soundtrack you wouldn't necessarily realise this to be a film from the director who brought us Pulp Fiction.

The idea of a bunch of Americans slaying Hitler might sound like a great premise for a Tarantino film, but it surprisingly falls flat. Apart from Hans Landa, the characters are quite one-dimensional. Now this wouldn't really be a problem since Tarantino usually handles them well, but none of them really get to shine in this film since they aren't really funny. Luckily Landa has a lot of screentime to make the film enjoyable - and the cast is good enough to make the film solid.

The form is distracting because, well, it isn't heavy-handedly present like in the director's earlier films. The more "restrained" and conventional approach would be fine if Tarantino was serious - he's not. This clinical approach makes the film awkward on many occasions because the jokes fall flat without Tarantino's tongue-in-cheek camerawork and editing. Using Morricone's compositions is a weird idea for a film set in the 40's and the result is a bit puzzling. While it works once in a while, the soundtrack as a whole is not convincing. Now add a few totally random/sloppy cuts and you have a form that doesn't exactly serve the film's purpose.

Inglourious Basterds could have been yet another success for Tarantino, but the execution stumbles a little. However, Christoph Waltz' towering performance almost single-handedly redeems the film.

Score: 6 out of 10

Mon oncle

Jacques Tati's Mon oncle (1958) - the title of which has never been officially translated, but it means My Uncle - continues the adventures of Tati's famous character, Mr. Hulot. Even though he wants to do good, he simply won't fit into the crazy society this time either. This time his sister and brother-in-law try to get him a job and a wife, but his adventures pave the way for more chaos. The absurdity of "modern life" (modern as in the 50's) is made fun of consistently: Hulot's sister is a cleaning maniac and a hypocrite - and her house is the culmination of ridiculous design (both exterior and interior) combined with top notch technology.

Tati's physical slapstick is very refreshing and complex. He creates wonderful scenarios seemingly without a lot of effort - which makes the film even more impressive. His use of composition and colors is fascinating. The playful soundtrack is also a delight.

Even though it is significantly weaker in comparison to his later film, Play Time, Tati's Mon oncle is yet another great film from the French comedian.

Score: 9 out of 10

Play Time

Jacques Tati's Play Time (1967) is one of the funniest (if not the funniest) films I've ever seen. I was already very entertained when I saw the director's earlier film, Mr. Hulot's Holiday, but this is clearly his masterpiece. His regular character, Mr. Hulot, arrives to Paris to meet with an official, but gets lost in the labyrinth of modern life and ends up in the craziest party I've ever witnessed onscreen.

Tati's physical comedy is in the most complex and brilliant possible form in Play Time. The setpieces, multi-layered action and stunning choreography totally knocked me out already during the first 30 minutes. The film is a thrilling and breathtaking ride that feels unified all around. The camera wildly flows from one situation to another until we come to the later half of the film which provides one of the greatest cinematic climaxes I've ever witnessed. The complex restaurant sequence is probably one of the most ambitious things ever shot in the history of cinema.

Tati's form is breathtaking in its complexity yet again. The cinematography does not only use camera movement in a flawless way, the compositions are impeccable as well. The playful musical score adds the final touch on the "controlled chaos" that lasts for 2 hours straight.

Without a doubt I can say that Play Time is one of the best films I've ever had the honor to watch and it is certainly the best comedy of all time - even better than Stanley Kubrick's magnificent Dr. Strangelove.

Score: 10 out of 10

Mr. Hulot's Holiday

Jacques Tati's Mr. Hulot's Holiday (1953) is a slapstick comedy film which reminds me of Charlie Chaplin's output. In this film Tati introduced Mr. Hulot, a hilarious pipe-smoking character who has his own peculiar posture and clothing. After he arrives at a holiday resort, he begins to wreak havoc by accident even though he tries to do good for the people around him.

Even though the film was made with sound, the form is very similar to that of the silent masters'. Dialogue is sparse and mostly the film relies on its visuals (naturally, it's a physical comedy after all). When sound is used, it is used effectively - especially when it comes to sound effects.

The film's gags might be "only silly", but the way they are constructed, performed and put together is very complex - and that's why I appreciate the film. Despite that, I felt the film lacked something a little - maybe I was expecting a deeper layer from the content, but maybe that is just me. However, the huge cast of great characters is a praiseworthy achievement.

Tati nearly always frames the shot in a way that there are multiple levels of action - and on top of that, most of the compositions are wonderful to look at. The film's structure seems to be quite simple at first: Mr. Hulot running from one situation to another. In the end, it is proven that the whole film was clearly leading to a great climax.

Jacques Tati's Mr. Hulot's Holiday is a film that anyone can enjoy - and huge bursts of genuine laughter are guaranteed.

Score: 9 out of 10

American Beauty

Sam Mendes' American Beauty (2000) doesnt seem to know what it is supposed to be. The first third is strictly sit-com, the second a good satire and the final third takes a turn for serious and grim drama. It is an attempt to poke fun at dysfunctional family drama and yet be a serious take on it at the same time. The film is even further broken apart by a few pretentious monologues on the "beauty of life" - or something like that. Although I have to somewhat laud it for making the characters rich enough and constructing a rather good storyline, the film stumbles a lot more than is forgivable. The form is sufficient, but far from spectacular. Especially the music is nicely quiet, but unimpressive and forgettable. The acting in American Beauty is good at best. Annette Bening is a bit too hyperactive and over-the-top; Kevin Spacey's bland face conveys nothing at all although he is a lot better than usually; Wes Bentley is stiff as he should be; Thora Birch is forgettable; Mena Suvari makes a fine yet unsurprising performance.

Score: 6 out of 10