Django Unchained

Quentin Tarantino’s foray into the western genre, Django Unchained is not your average Hollywood theater experience.  This movie takes place in America two years before the civil war.  A German dentist-turned-bounty-hunter named Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) needs the help of a black slave named Django (Jamie Fox) in order to identify his next bounty.  The two strike a bargain and begin working together.  They hatch a risky plan to save Django’s wife from a plantation owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio).  Will they succeed in rescuing the damsel in distress?

The Tarantino style is recognizable her, or at least the “Neo-tino” style that we have come to recognize.  The budget is bigger and the dialog is shorter, but the comically graphic violence is still there along with the classically seventies sounding music and sociopathic villains.  The patented style of dark humor is present throughout.  The film is extremely well-made.  The production value is at the same level as Inglorious basterds which was markedly higher than his previous films.  The sets and costumes set a rich backdrop for the characters to move through.

I enjoyed this movie but when it was over, I felt a little disappointed like something was missing.  It took me a long time to realize, but it is because there are only three characters in this movie.  Schultz is a fantastic, verbally dexterous character and Candie is a fabulously loathe-able villain with distinct flair.  I didn’t actually like the character of Django, and found myself not caring what happened to him.  His wife was a non-character and did nothing but caused the duo problems during the escape attempt, and scream an awful lot.  I was particularly disappointed by this because Tarantino typically provides some pretty interesting female roles.  Also, because there is only one set of characters, there is only one storyline.  That storyline is followed in a linear way that is also atypical of the classic Tarantino film. 

This won’t eek into the realm of a favorite, but I really had fun on this movie.  It is nearly three hours long, but I didn’t feel the length and was entertained the entire time.  I laughed the whole way through.  Waltz and DiCaprio are nominated against each other for Golden Globes for their performances and they deserve it.  The film itself is also nominated for best Drama, Best Screenplay, and Best Director, which I don’t think it deserves.  The film is extremely violent and the language is very strong, so if you are sensitive to these things, please stay away from this movie.  But if you are a fan of dark humor, Waltz or DiCaprio, or are following the award circuit then this is a must-see.  If you are a Tarantino fan, or plan to watch the Golden Globes, go see this before it leaves the theater, but otherwise I would suggest waiting for Red Box. 

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Les Mis

This adaptation of Victor Hugo’s novel of epic suffering has long been a favorite of the stage audiences worldwide.  The haunting music of Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil has made its way to the big screen.  Les Miserables can boast some of the biggest names in Hollywood, has already pulled four Golden Globe nominations, and will undoubtedly earn a couple Oscar nominations.  The story is set in 19^th century France and focuses on a man named Valjean (Hugh Jackman) who breaks parole and is hunted for decades by a ruthless officer named Javert (Russell Crowe).  Valjean is obliged to save and care for the daughter of a woman named Fantine (Anne Hathaway), a decision which changes his life forever.

The music will be familiar to those fans of the stage production, but has a few surprises in that several scenes are added to fill certain logistical gaps in the story.  I am a little disturbed with the idea of adding music to this show, but the added portions are brief and necessary to move the story from A to B without confusion.  One thing that makes this film different from other film musicals is that all the songs are recorded as they perform them during filming.  We are hearing the actors’ performances at that moment rather than being recorded in a studio months prior and then have the actors lip-sync to their own voices.  The result of this is rather interesting.  The voices are not perfect and the emotional performance is more evident in the songs themselves.  Since this story is nothing if not emotional, I liked how the effect works.

The performances in this movie are breathtaking.  Both Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman earned Golden Globe nominations for their performances .  Personally I have never been a fan of Anne Hathaway, but I must begrudgingly admit that she most definitely earned this nomination and did my favorite character a credit by her amazing performance.  Russell Crowe is the embodiment of the villain Javert; and although his singing didn’t carry the emotionally gritty punch I was hoping from that character, I was pleased with the performance. 

The most impressive aspect of this film for me was the visual element.  Because the dialog is all song and very condensed, the costumes, sets and cinematography must be utilized intelligently in order to flesh out characters, setting and mood.  I felt that all visual elements were brilliantly used in this film.  The filmmakers were not afraid to show the actors in a less-than-flattering light and you really do feel like these people are living on the streets of 19^th century Paris. 

I would recommend this movie to anyone who loves musicals or follows the award seasons.  This movie has a solid presence in the big categories at the Golden Globes and will be a contender at the Oscars, so don’t miss your chance to see this movie if you plan to watch the award shows.  If you prefer lighter, more fun movies, this is not for you!  Be prepared to shed a tear or two, this story is about misery.   I actually would recommend spending the extra to see this in the theater.  It would be a shame to miss any of the stunning work that went into the visuals on this film.

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