Movie Review: "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" (2019)

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Movie: "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood"

Director: Quentin Tarantino
Year: 2019
Rating: R
Running Time: 2 hours, 41 minutes

A former TV cowboy/movie star in the twilight of his career strives for one last shot at success in late 1960s Hollywood.

Movie Review: "Pulp Fiction" (1994)

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Movie: "Pulp Fiction"

Year Nominated: 1995
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Rating: R
Running Time: 2 hours, 34 minutes
Did It Win?: No.

A look at the interactions of a gangster, his wife, a pair of hit-men, a boxer, a few perverts, and a pair of low-level criminals over the course of a few days in Los Angeles.

"Pulp Fiction" is the second feature film from writer/director Quentin Tarantino. It stars an ensemble cast including John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Tim Roth, and Amanda Plummer, just to name a few. The film is made up of a series of interconnected shorts that tell a larger story and revolve around a pair of hit-men named Jules Vern and Vincent Vega, played by Jackson and Travolta. Even though every segment involves Vincent Vega in some way, he is not the primary focus of every section. Much like its predecessor "Reservoir Dogs," this movie is told in a non-linear fashion, jumping back and forth from one day to the next and then back again depending on which character the story focuses on for that moment.

We are huge fans of Quentin Tarantino's work, and it doesn't get much better or more classic than "Pulp Fiction." This is a movie that oozes cool. From its aesthetic to the story to the dialogue, it is an amazing film. Samuel L. Jackson is absolutely brilliant as Jules, who gets two of the best exchanges in the whole film. He brings such a sense of gravitas to these scenes that it's hard to imagine anyone else delivering these now-classic lines with the same effectiveness. This performance earned him an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor, though he lost out to Martin Landau for his performance "Ed Wood" in what was a very stacked field that year. Speaking of Oscar nominations, "Pulp Fiction" received a bunch more, including recognition for both John Travolta and Uma Thruman, who both put on stellar performances in their respective parts. This is probably Travolta's career-best performance. The film was also nominated for its editing, directing, and the cream of the crop, best picture. Quentin Tarantino got to take home a gold statue for best screenplay along with co-writer Roger Avery in what we think is a very deserved win.

We absolutely love "Pulp Fiction." We have seen it dozens of times and it never gets old. We love the way the story is told as it jumps back and forth along its timeline. It probably would have been just as effective if it were told in a normal fashion, but this way it ends on the perfect high note in such an iconic way. Add this excellent storytelling to tons of fantastic performances, a memorable soundtrack, and quippy, excellent dialogue, and you've got a recipe for success.

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My Rating: 10/10
BigJ's Rating: 10/10
IMDB's Rating: 8.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 94%
Do we recommend this movie: ABSOLUTELY YES!!!

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Movie Review: "Django Unchained" (2012)

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Movie: "Django Unchained"

Director: Quentin Tarantino
Year: 2012
Rating: R
Running Time: 2 hours, 45 minutes

A German bounty hunter named Dr. King Schultz buys and frees a slave named Django, who he takes on as a partner in exchange for pointing out the identities two lucrative bounties.

"Django Unchained" is a pre-Civil War western written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, who is known for his films "Pulp Fiction" and "Inglorious Basterds." It stars Jamie Foxx as the titular Django, who begins the movie as a slave, but is bought and freed by a German dentist turned bounty hunter Dr. King Schutz, played by Christoph Waltz. Dr. King Schultz is looking for two bounties of whom Django knows the identities, and in exchange for pointing them out, Schultz gives Django his freedom, makes him his partner, and agrees to help him free his wife Broomhilda, played by Kerry Washington, from slavery. Broomhilda is owned by 'Monsieur' Calvin J. Candie, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, a wealthy plantation owner who is obsessed with French culture and regularly puts on 'Mandingo Fights' for sport.

Quentin Tarantino brings his unique, character-driven vision to the western genre in "Django Unchained." He dabbled in this genre a little bit making "Kill Bill," but here, he goes all out. First off, Robert Richardson's cinematography in the film is stunning and amazing. The shots are expertly crafted and can be brutally breathtaking. There are some scenes that are downright violent, but at the same time, they are artfully crafted as the deep red color of blood is juxtaposed against white cotton, and white horses, and white walls. It's oddly gorgeous. And what would a Tarantino film be without his sharply engaging dialogue? And who better to deliver it than Christoph Waltz? Both times Tarantino has employed Waltz, it has produced an Oscar-winning performance. He is absolutely brilliant as Dr. King Schultz. Jamie Foxx and Samuel L. Jackson present two characters at the opposite end of the spectrum for those held in slavery pre-Civil war. Foxx's Django is a freed slave ready to stick it to the man acting as a beacon of hope for what is possible. He starts out as a timid man, but as King Schultz trains him in his bounty hunting ways, his inner menace comes out in full, brutal force. Jackson's Stephen is a vocal and vociferous personality and gains a small amount of power by endearing himself to his owners and aiding in the oppression of his fellow slaves. Two glorious and different performances that juxtapose one another nicely. Another actor here giving an amazing performance is Leonardo DiCaprio, who plays an utterly despicable character but does so exceedingly well. He has some of the most memorable scenes in the film, even though he's only in the latter portion of the film.

Cunning, brutal, perverse, and darkly humorous, "Django Unchained" is an intense, bloody, engaging movie with stunning cinematography. It is one of Tarantino's best films.

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My Rating: 10/10
BigJ's Rating: 10/10
IMDB's Rating: 8.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 87%
Do we recommend this movie: ABSOLUTELY YES!!!