Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Jus' Shootin' 'em Nazis Down!!!

Written for the screen and Diretcted by : Quentin Tarantino

Starring: Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz

Did I spell the movie title right? I mean wrong. I mean the way the screenwriter, of 'Anyone-of-you-f'in-pricks-move-and-I-will-execute-every-m'f'in-last-one-of-you' right before the background surfing song 'Misrlou' by Dick Dale and (after changing the channel on car radio) Soul Train clan member Kool and The Gang's Jungle Boogie, intended the title of this new WWII extravaganza to be. The mis-spelled title is an admitted intention as much as aforementioned screenwriter's characters' intentions and actions are. Blatantly Highlighted. His credit list continues.

Inglourious Basterds, just as the title, represents a group of crude-clumsy-uncontrolled Jewish-American soldiers set out under the command of a Tennessee native Lt Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) to kill Nazis and scalp them. The 'basterds' owe 100 scalps, each, to Lt Raine, PERSONALLY. And begins a quest of searching Nazi 'hunters'. Sometimes the 'basterds' look for another 'basterd' with a reputation and sometimes they encounter a basterd (a couple in this case) without realizing that both the parties are in the 'a-boomin' killing Nazi business. This non-realized encounter is one of the top courses offered in the 2 and a half hour WWII themed fiesta.

Can we please stand up and applaud Mr Christoph Waltz for an extraordinary portrayal of Col. Hans 'HUNTER' Landa? The strongest card on the table which keeps this poker game going. May it be the calm and patient 'Not whiskey, give me milk' scene in Chapter One (Once upon a time in Nazi occupied France) or the violent homage to lost-shoe-Cinderella scene in the final chapter, Mr Waltz stands above all. Chilling laughs and bloody executions cannot be duplicated by 'basterds'. Perhaps that's the driving force behind basterds' mission. Yes, the mission is aptly conveyed by Mr Pitt's character. To tell Y'ALL the truth 'ts all 'FINE AND DANDY' in the basterd convention. To join him is the 'slasher-pack' inductee Eli Roth as baseball-bat-swinger basterd who could very well be the product of the 'scoop-up-all-the-little-pieces-of-brain-and-skull-Mr-Wolf' split personality of our beloved screenwriter. So is Stiglitz. And then there is the quite french countryman trying to be protective, only to be failed.

As the list of the characters continue, so does the inter-twined plot of the dear screenwriter. The plots of characters discussing similarity between Squirrels-Rats and Rats-Jews, the plots of character developments like Lt Raine's speech and Stiglitz' killing derby, the plots of 'NITRATE' and 'DEALS'. You will know. Every other scene reminds screenwriter's previous endeavors of Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill and maybe slightly of (most underrated) Reservoir Dogs. If only the big finales could have been recreated. Something could be amiss. Could be not. Just like the beauty in the eyes of the beholder. Depends on you. Personally admitting, this flick could have blown the minds away. Instead this could come in the last in the achievements of Tarantino.

My Rating: 7/10

Orphan (2009)

Hold Your Breath!!

Written by: David Johnson and Alex Mace
Directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra
Starring: Isabell Fuhrman, Peter Sarsgaard, Vera Farmiga

A mother (Vera Farmiga) in a dying labor pain looks up when doctors say her child has died. Doctors and the mother look at the blood-soaked baby in shock when it starts crying. Above all that, the husband shows up with a camcorder. Now that is one bone-chilling creation from a twisted writer, or in this case a pair of writers (David Johnson and Alex Mace). Not sure if that was a necessary introduction for this cleverly written violent opera (Orphan) but honestly it is not the time to judge yet. Not for the sake of saving writers and director's (Jaume Collet-Serra) plea for freedom of expression but for the explanation in the end.

It is tough to find a decent thriller. If you agree the last three best thrillers were James Wan's Saw (2004) and Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense (1999) and Unbreakable (2000). Orphan, a tale of a couple who adopt a girl from an orphanage only to get thrown into a world of mis-deeds, mis-fortunes and mis-takes, could be added as the fourth cleverly twisted thriller of the past two decades. For that not only the writer and director but the shining star of this film Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman) should be appreciated with a round of applause. It is not just the idea that is the primary force behind the success but the screenplay fits well to the dark ambience. The argument of the violence justification perhaps will render itself un-necessary. The writing is hypnotic and shocking. The director doesn not fail to justice the screenplay. The false impression of ghostly possession of the protagonist leading to a conclusion is very 'Hitchcockian'. In fact the director makes a homage to the famous stop-light-confrontation of the leading lady by her boss in Psycho (1960), if stretched further to Butch-Marcellus confrontation in Pulp Fiction (1994). Another memorable scene is when camera sits next to sleeping Max (Aryana Engineer) in the dark room and the lightning flash from the window shows her adopted sister Esther standing next to her bed. Director accomplishes a horrifying tone to this thriller throughout. Watch for the modification of the studio logos in the beginning of the film.

Isabelle Fuhrman hovers over the film with a winning smile. This 12 yr old actor has a great potential and will help her in her upcoming career. Alongside Aryana Engineer and Jimmy Bennett as siblings have shined as well. Especially Aryana. Wonder how director executed the chilling scenes without affecting all the child stars. Maybe Mr. Kubrick attended the filming in spirit and gave suggestions from The Shining (1980). Finally the parents, play the roles of a believer and a non-believer in each other's theories. Posing as opposing thought invokers for the audience. This is also the writers' achievement.

In a nutshell, if you haven't been scared intelligently then Orphan is waiting for you. Just sit back and bite your nails because you may not find time to chew on the popcorn.

My rating: 8/10.