Just A Brilliant Film ... With Waltz and Samuel L. brilliant performances

Rating: 8/10 (21 January 2013)

What I ABSOLUTELY loved was Tarantino getting blown up. I have never seen a film before where the Director making a cameo appearance gets blown up in the film.
The first act was really good and I enjoyed the relation between the Dentist (don't know who to write the character's name and the Dentist seems right) and Django building up. Was handled really well, and didn't look at all forced. To some the first act may appear to drag on but not to me ... I was a little disappointed when the movie moved into Second Act. I really enjoyed the first act so much.
The only gripe I have about the first act, is it doesn't really explain why the Dentist, cares so for Django. I mean I get that he wanted help get some bounties and since Django helped him with that he wants to help Django in return, but that he would go so out of the way to help him find his wife, all cos of what his wife was named, was well ... you know. I figured it would perhaps tie in with another bounty and that the Dentist had gotten some clue from the fact that the wife spoke German that we was not letting slip at that point. Anyway the point is apart from this tiny gripe I loved the first act.
The second act was even better, and apart from Tarantino blowing up, the strongest part of the film. I am so sry I keep going on and on about Tarantino, but I just loved that bit. Returning back to the point, the second act was brilliant. Leading upto the scene at the Dinner table and the scene with Candy ready to sawing through that Skull. That build up was fantastic. I was greatly excited with how the movie would go from here on.
The movie till that point was like one giant game of Chess and so far the Dentist and Django had played very well, and clearly had the upper hand in the game. Closing in totally unknown to the opponent on check mate. However now Candy knew the game and suddenly he knew had held all the cards ... it just sets up the third act beautifully. I was really intrigued. What will Candy to next.
The next move was of course Candy's man barges through a door and points a gun at the Dentist and Django and that disappointed me a little. I mean sure it was a great move to make, but it was clear that the chess game was now up. Think of this way, you are watching a game of chess and then suddenly one of the two players picks out a gun and points it at the other guys head and says, who wins? There is no doubt who won, but that is not playing chess anymore. The "chess" game between the Dentist and Candy was great to watch, and it abruptly finished. I would have liked Candy to respond in a "chess" move way and not go all guns blazing. However, what he did also worked like a charm.
So the price for the slave girl was 12000 USDs and the Dentist. flips out the money in a flash and this is where I have my only other real gripe with the movie. Remember how I said earlier that the Dentist appeared to be going out of his way to help Django. I at the time thought that this may lead in with some bounty, but what the Dentist did just didn't go in with the bounty hunter that he had been built up to be. I mean he was parting with 12000 USDs of his hard earned bounty to get a guy some love !! Seemed out of character, or well beyond limit. I mean I would understand him helping Django till that point, but that he would happily dish out 12000 USDs in flash seemed to cross that line.
However the part that follows is sheer genius. Beautifully we see how two men let their prides take control of themselves. One whose pride has been hurt and who is looking to restore some of it, and another who wants to gloat. The deal has taken place all they have to do is walk out of there and both men will live, but as I said, pride got in the way of all that. I loved the build up to that and I could totally understand the Dentist just shooting Candy. Gloat not you a$$hole.
However after this, it went all western on me. Just lots of shooting and not much happening plotwise, but then again most of the plot had already happened, all that remained was to close the story. Tarantino did that in fine style. The payoff was watching the Butler getting shot off and being left to be blown up. Samuel Jackson totally stole the show. Easily the best performance of the movie. Though Waltz was great as well. On a side note did Django have to shoot Candy's Sister, what had she done !! Having said this the third act was the weakest of the movie. I would have really enjoyed Candy stringing along the Dentist and Django in a more "chess" like manner than forcing them to lose with a gun in their faces. Candy just showed his cards too soon. Also while I really liked the tension building up, once the papers are signed, but the third act is mostly just shooting and more shooting and I felt that a bit more story and a little less shooting could have been added to the third act.
All in a all a great movie ... with some super acting. Waltz and that Butler totally stole the show. Di Caprio and Foxx were great. The film has a lot of what Tarantino is best at, and that is STYLE.