Quentin Tarantino reinvents himself in his 8th installment

Rating: 9/10 (15 January 2016)

And then to think that Tarantino didn't want to make this film after its script leaked in January 2014. However, after Samuel L. Jackson read the script, he insisted that Tarantino tell this story on the big screen and I'm glad he did!
Tarantino's eighth film is coincidentally called "the Hateful Eight" and tells the story about two bounty hunters in post-Civil War Wyoming traveling to Red Rock to collect their bounty and have to stay at a nearby resting spot to escape from a blizzard. Here, they meet up with other suspicious characters staying in Minnie's Haberdashery, who are possibly interested in the bounty they brought along.
These bounty hunters are John Ruth and major Marquis Warren, played excellently by Kurt Russell and Samuel L. Jackson respectively. Both deliver Tarantino's patented dialogue with great gravitas and perform very well off each other. Plenty of Tarantino regulars return as members of the Hateful Eight and give great acting performances, such as Bruce Dern, Tim Roth (in an eloquent Christoph Waltz-like role), Michael Madsen, Zoe Bell, James Parks and Walton Goggins. Goggins especially gave my favorite performance as sheriff Chris Mannix. With only a minor role in Django Unchained, Walton Goggins gives a great comedic performance with excellent line delivery. A real revelation in this movie is Jennifer Jason Leigh's depiction of Daisy Domergue, the live bounty everyone seems to be interested in. Her performance was incredibly charming and also showed the best character development throughout the movie when she is put in different situations of power.
All of these actors look good because of the superb script written by Quentin Tarantino. The dialogue is excellent and interesting as always, with all the characters being fully fleshed out as you discover more of their background stories as the movie progresses. It also contains a great plot twist, resulting in a bloody and violent conclusion.
Interestingly, the overall feel of The Hateful Eight is different compared to Tarantino's earlier work. It takes some time to get into the pace of the movie and the thriller/who-did-it-like vibe, but once you're in it, it makes for a truly amusing ride. Tarantino wanted to put on a show for people to be intrigued again when going to the cinema. That is clearly noticeable in his latest 70mm project. Fans of Tarantino need not to be worried, as his signature use of non-chronological chapters and abundant presence of gore and profanity are still in place.
However, the aspects I enjoyed the most of the Hateful Eight were the magnificent score by Western legend Ennio Morricone and the stunning cinematography by Robert Richardson. The score itself gives this movie its character with great suspense-building music, while maintaining the Tarantino trumpet-like theme. Robert Richardson was given the opportunity to work with Panavision 70mm and used it excellently. Not only did he film gorgeous wide landscape images 70mm can provide, but also put it to great use during intimate conversation scenes. Using the extra width, Richardson puts extra characters in the background of the frame during 1-on-1 dialogue scenes, giving it a more claustrophobic feel and raising suspicion. All in all an amazing accomplishment in cinematography.
My only minor flaws with the film is some inconsistency with the pace early on where Tarantino chooses to linger on during scenes without apparent reason. Also, I found a part of Samuel L. Jackson's monologue midway through the movie about his earlier interaction with a relative of one of the other characters a bit too vulgar, even for a Tarantino movie. It felt childish and out of place compared the tone of the rest of the screenplay.
Nonetheless, the Hateful Eight is another expertly crafted movie by Quentin Tarantino with a great classical Western feel. An interesting story combined with excellent sound and visuals results in an amazing movie going experience. With possibly only 2 movies left in Tarantino's arsenal, these kinds of projects really increase your appreciation of the man and his stamp on original film making.