Starring: Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Melanie Laurent
After the self-indulgent snore-fest that was Death Proof, Quentin Tarantino makes a brilliant comeback by going to war with Inglourious Basterds.
From a tense opening in a French farmhouse suspected by the Nazis of hiding Jews, to a visually breathtaking fiery denouement, this is QT giving it both barrels.
A cracking storyline sees redneck commander Aldo Raine (Pitt) lead a group of Jewish-American soldiers, The Basterds, on a mission to slice, dice and terrify Nazis in occupied France.
Their antics bring them on a collision course with Colonel Hans Landa (Waltz) and Hitler himself, who is at a screening at a cinema owned by Nazi-hating Shosanna (Laurent).
With Tarantino favouring verbal sparring over action scenes, Inglourious Basterds is all about lip-smacking dialogue and, man, does the banana-chinned filmmaker deliver.
Revelling in the film’s masterful script is a cast at the top of their game, especially Waltz who is sensational as the vicious Nazi colonel.
It’s not all killer and some scenes drag too long, but it’s a reminder that when Tarantino does get it right, he makes an engrossing spectacle.
Good for: Tarantino fans who have lost the faith.
PIERRE DE VILLIERS
