March 1, 2013

• Django Unchained…a love story…by Tarentino?

  I am not usually surprised by much these days. Call it the side benefit of living a complicated life. Over the years, my taste in movies has changed, and I have had this love/hate relationship with Quentin Tarantino that dates back to Pulp Fiction. Gratuitous violence is not my thing…and in the earlier films, it was like butter on popcorn for him. Really gross, dripping red butter. But like the quirky guy you meet by off chance, and sort of like…QT grows on you. By the time he got to Kill Bill, I could no longer dismiss or ignore him. And QT grew up in a fascinating way. I loved his unsubtle mockery of the Hollywood mainstream…and the violence was still there…but he made Deathproof, and Planet Terror and became a guilty pleasure for me. And why the hell NOT? Curse you, Quentin Tarantino…i do not WANT to love you…but I do.

  I give him all kinds of credit for being an innovative thinker…and were I young actress today, I would be baking that man cookies, hoping he would put me in one of his movies. Like Joss Whedon, he shows amazing respect for women, allowing them to be much more than the cute cut outs we’ve all come to expect. If you run through his catalog, you’re not going to find much sex…sexy outfits perhaps…but they usually stay on. The women overcome obstacles, and kick ass. No Betty Sues need apply. Hard not to sort of love that, when you are raising a young woman to be self reliant.

  I shamelessly ADORED Inglorious Basterds…but were supposed to. it was world class seduction. Tarantino looked around, and asked “Who’s ass can I kick, and be praised for it?” He always went after bad guys…but Nazis? The none group you can target  for destruction, and not raise a hue and cry. They’re BAD GUYS DELUXE. Plus, we kicked their asses. Our fathers and grandfathers told us war stories, and the Nazis were SUPPOSED to lose. Bonus points for making the band of brothers who took them out Jewish…wow. I liked the movie so much, I barely noticed the violence. Score Big, QT.

  So I vowed in my heart that Inglorious Basterds would be my beloved QT film..and then he came out with Django Unchained. I had not seen the movie the night of the Oscars…but I rooted for QT, nonetheless. I was pissed about some of the stink that rose with it’s release. When Spike Lee does a film, it’s revelation. When someone else does, it’s exploitation? BITE ME. I hated that the film was snubbed, and noticed that it made more money than most of it’s competitors. (Yeah, I know…that’s not SUPPOSED to matter. But cut me a small break.) And sight unseen, I knew part of the snub was because they LOVE to do that to QT. Ever since the Usual Suspects, they have delighted in screwing with him, quite possibly because he doesn’t CARE. Film making is what he is about…film making is what he does. I saw Hurt Locker, and fell the hell asleep. The only reason that film scored was so they could snub Cameron, while looking heroic. It should have been named “Even Chick Directors Can Blow Stuff UP.” Pass. (I also had friends who served in Iraq, who said it was bullshit.)

  How can a film generate a “Best Performance By a Supporting Actor” unless it utterly rocks? Even truly magnificent actors can’t salvage a turkey. Nope…it’s all connected.

   

  Anyway…I went to see Django last night with Desiree. (With frozen yogurt before…also her treat.)

  Holy crap.

  OMG..he so deserved that OSCAR. Now mind you…it is a love story. Yes, you read that right. But the hand of the master was all over this one. Yup…violence. Of course, I’m not sure how you do a movie about slavery in the pre-civil war deep South, and not have violence as a feature. But it’s also a love story, about impossible odds…improbable people who refuse to say “die”…even when death is looking them in the eye…Tarantino style. It has humor here and there…but it’s SO worth a watch.

  Congrats QT…you deserved that little gold guy…and if you ever come around Boston, drop me a line…I’ll make you dinner.

   

   

   

   

   

   

  • 9:05 am
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