Django Unchained...

 WARNING:  This review contains a few spoilers and harsher than usual language.  If you are offended by the use of the 'n' word then I suggest you not read this review.  All others, please enjoy...


Finally got a chance to see the oft heralded and oft criticized Django Unchained. Here's my take on it:

Funny, poignant, gory, most of what you come to expect from a Tarantino film---it had everything except the long dialogue.  There weren't any long speeches in Django Unchained (and that was a disappointment to me as an avid Tarantino fan).

I didn't have a problem with the use of the word nigger (it fit the time period and location of the film) although I do secretly wonder what the actors thought of being called a nigger so many times by their white counterparts. I wonder how they dealt with that off screen.

The acting of Jamie Foxx was decent. Kerry Washington did a descent job with her insanely small part (she was underused).  Watch for small but very funny cameos by Don Johnson and Jonah Hill. Leonardo DiCaprio did an outstanding job as the slave master and Christopher Waltz as the gentleman that helped Django was brilliant. Samuel L. Jackson was the best actor in the film by far.  His portrayal of the head house nigger was enchanting.

Watching Samuel Jackson on screen in this role made me feel like I was getting my money's worth with every word he spoke.  He perfectly conveys the hate and contempt that the house nigger was supposed to have for his slave counterparts.  Jackson even went so far as to give his character 2 ways of speaking. 1 way broken English that he spoke in front of his master and 1 way was very correct very thought out that he spoke to his master in private; it was a brilliant piece of acting that I'm not sure a lot of people caught.

Overall the plot was pretty basic.  the movie was about a man trying to find his kidnapped wife with the help of an assistant who happens to be is employer.there were a few twists and turns a few comedic moments and an overall sense that the movie was trying to be something spectacular but in the end it just fell a little short for me.

I am trying to be a objective because I am very much a Tarantino fan.  Fans of Tarantino's work will love the movie non fans will only tolerate the film. I think the movie is worth seeing once in the theater at a matinee price if you are a Tarantino and if you are not a Tarantino, fan wait for Red Box.

This is 40? Ok....Then I Guess This Is My Review

 

My wife and I watched 'This is 40' a few days ago.  And..well, lets just say that its not what we expected. We were expecting a non-stop comedy but what we received was a mirror; a look at a married couple that was eerily similar to ours.  It was slightly comedic, slightly poignant, very real, and not as good a movie as I have come to expect from Judd Apatow.

Paul Rudd did Paul Rudd.  He was supposed to act like a child and did a good job of it.
Leslie Mann did Leslie Mann.  She was supposed to be a mother of 2, a wife to 1 and an overbearing nag to everyone.  She did a good job as well.
Albert Brooks plays the same character he plays in everyone movie; a slightly neurotic, jerky, moop.  And, of course, he does a splendid job.

So....if you're reading this you think that everything is hunky doory...right?  WRONG!

The script was sub par- it put the couple in the midst of a financial crisis but didnt do a good job of saying how they got there?  (signing one shitty artist wouldnt put you in the lurch; neither would having one thieving employee).  The children were sometimes funny but mostly angsty.  I get that the teen was supposed to be a handful but she came off as more disgruntled than anything else.

Melissa McCarthy was wasted in her small role as were John Lithgow, Jason Segel, Charlene Yi and HELL, everyone!  The movie had great promise but just died before it really got started.

Great cast, bad script.  Redbox it.