"This might just be my Personal Masterpiece"

Rating: 9/10 (3 December 2009)

He may not be dishing out one blockbuster after another, releasing one off-beat movie inside one decade (in which Cinema and tastes transition from one generation to the next)... But when he DOES display his art, it is pure, unbridled joy. That is what it needs to be cherished for. No more no less. Such is the tale of Inglourious Basterds. It was to me his best work after Pulp Fiction. And to the the connoisseur of his works, this movie too grows on you with each successive viewing. Like Pulp Fiction, Inglourious Basterds, deep down, really has no plot. And like the former, the plot just doesn't matter, as the thrill in the movie lies in the dialogues and chemistry between the actors during (seemingly) mundane bits of smalltalk. However, unlike Pulp Fiction, this movie delivers a first. That of making the subjects of the Holocaust, towards which Western Cinema and more or less all forms of media have had a biased point of view, into lovable characters! As is Chris Waltz in the movie. He is simply outstanding! And besides the downgraded profile of Adolf Hitler, the other German characters emerge not only strong but equally charming. And whereas some comfort in French and/or German may help appreciate the fine print, the brilliance in the movie lies in how little the choice of language matters to the all-English viewer! Whether it's the opening sequence at the farmer's house in French countryside, or the romantic attempts of Private Frederick Zoller towards Melanie Laurent, or that of Capt. Hellstorm at the underground tavern with the undercover 'Basterds'... the conversations are truly mesmerizing! In all, its a classy movie. It has attention to subtleties of culture, design, World War II, emotions... aspects that are hallmarks of Tarantino movies, and I would fathom, styles that mirror the Director's own personality more than any other. A MUST watch. A perfect 10. And only Tarantino can better that!