You Can't Hate This Eight.

Rating: 9/10 (29 January 2016)

Quentin Tarantino is back with his eighth film and his second foray into the world of the western with his typically familiar dialogue driving this thrilling whodunit of sorts, backed up by a score that takes the audience on a time warp to the yesteryear of cinema. To put it simply, this is as good a Quentin Tarantino film as any before it, with every little detail carefully included into the whole spectacle, creating an event for the audience that is both fun and special. I got an awesome surprise when my flatmate came back from Bali with a copy of 'The Hateful Eight', but immediately coming to the conclusion that it was going to be poor quality. I readied myself for a viewing in the traditional manner but with the DVD's quality top shelf I settled in for an afternoon on the couch to witness the three hour extravaganza.
Growing up with Tarantino, his films have become a voice for the X Generation. His way of presenting his work to the audience personifies 'cool', fabricating many memorable scenes that have stayed with all of us throughout our lives. The narratives that have been the linchpin of some truly special movies still submit a strong voice and there isn't a day that goes by without somebody in the big wide world mentioning a Tarantino moment. The great thing about all this is that the iconic Director doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Why would you when you have been at the helm of classics like "Pulp Fiction" and "Jackie Brown" that are now well entrenched in Hollywood folklore and the more recent productions, "Inglorious Basterds" and "Django Unchained", considered to be his best work.
'The Hateful Eight' is a risky film for Tarantino. He has taken a step into a genre that is a little unfamiliar but with perseverance, simplicity and rising to the challenge, this new installment under the Tarantino banner has just as many memorable moments as the films that have come before it.
'The Hateful Eight' signals its arrival with an eerily sombre score from legendary spaghetti western composer, Ennio Morricone, highlighting the Director's obvious pulling power when it comes to employing the very best. The industry want to work with him and want to be apart of the whole set-up.
Set in a very bitter Wyoming winter just after the American Civil War, a stagecoach is hurling itself through the snow before it is stopped by a bounty hunter going by the name of Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson). "Got room for one more?" And so it begins with the audience quickly introduced to John 'The Hangman' Ruth (Kurt Russell) and his vicious little prisoner, Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh), with the famous Tarantino banter immediately coming hard and fast. The three actors have fun dishing out the dialogue with Quentin's main man, Sammy L, letting loose to give his character the authentic charm that it commands. Jackson is made for these flavoursome productions and it is his presence that the other talent feed off. Kurt Russell is amusingly brilliant but little Jennifer provides the biggest punch as the very 'polite' Domergue. Ninety percent of the film is shot entirely in a cabin in the middle of nowhere but it provides the perfect backdrop for what unfolds. It is the ultimate showdown for Tarantino's vast array of suspect characters and it provides sparkling and amusing entertainment. Tim Roth and Michael Madsen return to the world of 'cool' playing suspicious men, Oswaldo Mobray and Joe Gage respectively, with Roth particularly watchable, throwing himself into his role. Cameo appearances by 'old timer' Bruce Dern and Channing Tatum round off the star quality but like all of Tarantino films, 'The Hateful Eight's' greatest achievement doesn't lie in the narratives plot; no, no, no. It's the glorious ride that the audience endues. It's the interaction between the awesomely crafted characters that brings the punters to the box office.
'The Hateful Eight' is great viewing. It is quintessentially Tarantino but to some fans it may not be the right fit for their expectations. The film burns slow but with a little patience it does provide the usual violence and gore that we have come to know from a film of this calibre. Look for a wonderful little rendition of an old convict ballad by Daisy Domergue that only heightens my suspicion that the Director is mad about everything Australian. This is a mature film for a mature audience.