Great set up, average delivery

Rating: 5/10 (7 May 2017)

"The Hateful Eight", the eight film by Tarantino, offers what it says in the director's name: violence, familiar faces, lots (but lots) of dialogue, nice camera work and a great use of narrative techniques. However, where, for example, "Pulp Fiction" excelled, "The Hateful Eight" falls into repetition, gloats too much on its weaknesses and it feels as a piece of narcissistic artistry. It is a movie that loves itself way too much.
Growling John Ruth is bringing bad woman Daisy Domergue to justice. On their way to Red Rock, under a blizzard, their stagecoach starts picking up random people. And seeing that the blizzard is not stopping, they take refuge at Minnie's Haberdashery, where they meet a whole lot of unfamiliar faces, the owner and regular costumers of the place nowhere to be seen.
Cue more than two hours and a half of suspicion, bullets flying, way too long dialogues and many many scenes that could have been cut out. Tarantino is enjoying his writing skills too much and forgets that he is telling a story through the medium of cinema. Many parts of the story feel irrelevant, and, on top of that, there are more than one or two incongruities, the characters taking decisions that make little sense.
The strengths of the movie, though, almost carry the story. The acting, the direction and some scenes are really good, almost outstanding. But it all ends up an exercise of self-service.