Gloriously entertaining

Rating: 8/10 (25 December 2010)

Quentin Tarantino is a director whose films always have a unique stamp. With his gift for dialogue, fondness for cinematic & pop culture references and slick visuals, his films can easily be recognized. "Inglourious Basterds" is another signature effort and, in my opinion, his best in years.
The film presents a fictionalized view of World War II. Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) leads a group of Jewish-American soldiers known for brutally killing (and scalping) Nazis. The premiere of Goebbels' latest propaganda piece in Nazi-occupied Paris presents them with an opportunity of taking out the Nazi high command and crippling the German war effort.
Besides Pitt, the cast isn't exactly star-studded but there are nevertheless several fine performances. Christoph Waltz won an Oscar for his spirited, charismatic portrayal of the film's main villain, Nazi colonel Hans Landa, nicknamed "The Jew Hunter". Other standouts include Michael Fassbender & Daniel Brühl. However, even the small roles are populated by interesting actors, though I could have done without Eli Roth.
Tarantino's direction is as energetic as always and resulted in one of his two Oscar nominations. He was also nominated for his unconventional but entertaining script. The score is also unconventional, since it borrows liberally from other film scores. The results are generally pleasing though I didn't really care for the scene-setting Bowie tune. Meanwhile, the film's Oscar nominations for cinematography, editing, sound & sound editing demonstrate the general level of technical expertise employed here.
In the end, "Inglourious Basterds" is a unique piece of entertainment but it's certainly no history lesson. While Tarantino's trademarks may be (slightly) overly apparent the film's sheer entertainment value overshadows any faults. For a 153 minute movie the time just flies by. All in all, I'd have to say that this is Tarantino's best since "Pulp Fiction"; much more rewarding than "Death Proof" and the "Kill Bill" movies.