Tarantino has done it again !

Rating: 9/10 (16 January 2016)

Tarantino movies are known for their gorgeous cinematography, rich dialogs, great soundtrack and... violence ! And I'm happy to say that his 8th movie delivers on all of these aspects ! I saw the digital version, which is slightly shorter than the 70mm version. Still, at almost 3 hours, this movie takes its time. But it allows the director to set the stage right and to introduce each character properly. And it also let us appreciate the superb Oscar-nominated cinematography and witty dialogs.
Tarantino movies are a bit of an acquired taste and this one is no different. You have to let yourself immerse into its world. Sure, some establishing shots could have been cut shorter (I have a feeling this is due to the Ultra Panavision format) but I loved every single minute of it ! There are clear similarities between this movie and Reservoir Dogs : it takes place almost entirely inside a building (be it a haberdashery or an abandoned warehouse) and the story revolves around guessing who's not what he says he is. It's also a bit reminiscent of Agatha Christie's "Ten Little N-words" (also known under the more politically correct title "And Then There Were None"). I found the pacing and timing to be perfect : the slow build up to the first death, the reveal of who's who and the final act are all perfectly executed and very satisfying ! One thing I didn't expect was how funny this movie would be ! I found myself laughing for a good part of it thanks to deliciously witty lines and well written dialogs. I had almost forgotten that, on top of being the coolest tough guy actor, Jackson is also a great comedian ! It truly is a delight to hear Tarantino's dialogs being expertly delivered by Jackson, it's like music to the ear. The rest of the cast doesn't disappoint either, with amazing performances all around. Goggins and Leigh are especially funny and seem to really inhabit their role. It's no wonder that Leigh has been nominated for best supporting actress at this year's Academy Award.
As far as the level of violence is concerned, I'm pretty sure that some people will complain about it, just like any of Tarantino's previous works. Sure, it's a bit gratuitous, but at the same time, just like Kill Bill, it is so unrealistic and over-the-top that it becomes slapstick. I didn't feel that it glorified violence, it made it look silly.
After seeing "The Hateful Eight", I wondered when was the last time that I got disappointed by a Tarantino flick ? And I came to the conclusion that it simply never happened ! I'm amazed to see that after 8 movies he still got that magic touch ! Tarantino definitively is one of the five best directors out there and probably my favorite.
If I had to nitpick, I would say that the score was slightly underwhelming compared to Tarantino's usual masterful selection of relatively unknown tracks. I also found Madsen to look a bit tired, mumbling through his lines, and Bell's hyperactive nature seemed out of place in this movie.
Regardless, compared to the dread that hits the silver screen every year (I'm looking at you, superheroes movies and cheap remakes !), this film is a masterpiece and deserves an exceptional rating. I've rated more than 1100 movies on IMDb, and this is the 7th time I give a perfect score : 10 out of 10 !