00s Movie Review - Inglorious Basterds

Director: Quentin Tarantino
Genre: Action/ Thriller
Runtime: 152 minutes
Year: 2009
Starring: Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, Mélanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz, Daniel Brühl, B.J. Novak, Eli Roth, Til Schweiger, Mike Myers, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Fassbender, Cloris Leachman, Gedeon Burkhard

Description: In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a plan to assassinate Nazi leaders by a group of Jewish U.S. soldiers coincides with a theatre owner's vengeful plans for the same.

Review: When the name Quentin Tarantino os on a movie poster, I’m in! He is probably my favorite director of all time and he has a fantastic resume (all but one film). His style is unique, his dialogues are memorable and quotable and the characters are unforgettable. “Inglourious Basterds” is definitely one of my favorites.

“Inglourious Basterds” shows an alternative history of World War II. In this version there is a group of infiltrating soldiers called the Basterds. It’s their task to scare the occupants by killing Nazis in the most brutal ways. They are led by Aldo Raine and all of the men are Jewish Americans. During their quest, the get together with the German actress Bridget von Hammersmark, who also works as a spy.

This film is again filled with amazing characters. It’s a bizarre potpourri of people, that are hard to believe to be real, but are convincing anyway. Brad Pitt portrays Aldo Raine in the most fantastic way. Hilarious even. Mélanie Laurent is a great newcomer, as Shoshanna Dreyfuss, who wants revenge for the death of her family. But Christoph Waltz is probably the greatest discovery of the ‘00s. As Hans Landa is manages to scare you, charm you and disgust you at the same time. What a fantastic performance and also one of Tarantino’s best characters ever.

Like I stated before, Tarantino knows how to write great dialogue. And that’s no different here. The dialogues are long, but never dull. The conversations stay interesting and the situations original.
“Inglourious Basterds” is a film that I can enjoy every single time, even due to the length of the film. It’s a must for every Tarantino fan. No, for every movie fan. Last correction: it’s a must for everyone!

Rating: 5/ 5

Movie Review - Im Westen Nichts Neues (All Quiet On the Western Front)

Director: Edward berger
Genre: Action/ Drama
Runtime: 148 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Felix Kamerer, Albrecht Schuch, Aaron Hilmer, Moritz Klaus, Daniel Brühl
 
Description: A young German soldier’s (Felix Kamerer) terrifying experiences and distress on the western front during World War 1

Review: “Im Westen Nichts Neues” is film that, like more recent releases, would do better on the big screen. It’s an adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s 1929 brutal book.

What most war movies lack of, is realism. A lot of war movies aren’t realistic enough. I believe that a lot of directors are afraid to show the brutal horrors of a war to the general public. Steven Spielberg’s “Saving Private Ryan” was one of the bigger movies that showed this to the general public, with one of the most memorable and brutal opening scenes in cinematic history. You could see what happens to a body when it blows u or shot to pieces. Somehow a lot of war movies have been romanticized. “Im Westen Nichts Neues” that anything but that.    

I believe this adaption of Remarque’s book should be the film the author envisioned when he published his novel. There are two previous adaptations, from 1930 and 1979, but they could not show the brutality as confrontationally and convincingly because the visual effects were not yet as good. But it’s not just that. In the 1979 version made it look like no one was to blame for millions of men dying in this terrible war.

This new film opens with a group of friends eager to travel to the front. One of these men, Paul Bäumer, will more or less be the main character and we follow him through the chaos. Paul is not in control of the course of events. It’s a bitter-realistic portrayal of the role of soldiers on the battlefield of WWI. As soon as the sound of the whistles is heard, the soldiers climb out of the trenches and run to where the bullets are coming from.

Like stated before, the book is brutal, and so is this movie. If you are squeamish, you might have a hard time watching this film. No heroes here, there isn’t a real story either, because that would suggest far too much order. Dialogues are also few. It’s chaos, brutality, the nightmares of war. The film stays true to its spartan aesthetic of mud and blood, with a beautiful score.

When mostly you think that another adaptation of a certain book is unnecessary, this movie had to be made. It’s the adaptation of Remarque’s book that we needed.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Movie Review - The King's Man

Director: Matthew Vaughn
Genre: Action/ Adventure
Runtime: 130 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Djimon Hounsou, Charles Dance, Matthew Goode, Daniel Brühl, Tom Hollander
 
Description: In the early years of the 20^th century, the Kingsman agency is formed to stand against a cabal plotting a war to wipe out millions.

Review: “The King’s Man” is a continuation of “Kingsman: The Secret Service” and “Kingsman: The Gold Circle” and is set before these films. Director Matthew Vaughn did the same with “X-Men: First Class”, where he made the series interesting again by bringing the subject matter back to its starting point. It doesn’t quite works as well with this franchise though.
The Kingsman agency’s origins is traced back to World War I. This results not so much in an interesting setting, but in a rather clumsy attempt to go through the entire war as fast as possible. Only not the war we know from the history books, but a hugely fictionalized version of it.
Vaughn rewrites World War I into a conflict completely orchestrated by a shadowy organization. As such, the war depicted has almost more in common with the Clone Wars from “Star Wars” then with the actual conflict that claimed forty million lives. It is quite daring, but the result is in the end rather stale because Vaughn is a little too eager to tick off all the familiar chapter.
For example, Russia withdraws from the war after a few years, only because of the Communists taking power, but simply as yet another move in a huge chess game. Or in other words: less interesting than real history. But then again, for a history-telling, you’re in the wrong place with “The King’s Man”. This is the type of film in which one look at a scary man with a big beard is enough to know that Hollywood has once again brought out its favorite Russian villain Rasputin.
The central figure in the story is the British aristocrat Orlando Oxford, who has the necessary experience with violence and therefore tries with all his might to keep his son safe. A fine premise and Ralph Fiennes is really good in his role (is he hardly ever not good?). It is quite refreshing to see him in a role as action hero, which he can truly embrace in the finale of the film. Which is also the highlight. It’s just a pity that the road leading up to it is rather long and muddled. Vaughn does manage to simplify the war enormously, but doesn’t get it right with the overarching plot.
That doesn’t take away from the fact that there is some creativity here and there in the messy narrative. For example, there is the very fun idea of presenting the German emperor, the Russian tsar and the British king as three quarreling nephews who, in their conceit, tear Europe apart. Only in doing so, World War I is reduced to a conflict between tree powers, conveniently leaving out France entirely.
The first movie in this series really pleasantly surprised me and I liked it way more then I expected too. And it’s a movie I would rewatch many time. “The King’s Man” is not bad, but not very good either. It’s entertaining, but aside from the wonderful finale the movie doesn’t have much to remember.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

00s Movie Review - Good Bye Lenin!

Director: Wolfgang Becker
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Runtime: 121 minutes
Year: 2003
Starring: Daniel Brühl, Katrin Sass, Chulpan Khamatova, Florian Lukas, Maria Simon, Alexander Beyer

Description: In 1990, to protect his fragile mother from a fatal shock after a long coma, a young man (Daniel Brühl) must keep her from learning that her beloved nation of East Germany as she knew it has disappeared.

Review: “Good Bye Lenin!” is set right before and after the fall of the Berlin wall. Christiane, leading character Alex’ mom, saw her husband leave to the West of Germany in 1978. The DDR became her everything since then. Right before the fall of the wall, she sees her son get arrested during a riot and she suffers a heart attack. Christiane is in a coma for eight months and in those months the Berlin wall falls. When she wakes, the doctor warns Alex and his sister that any form of excitement is dangerous for Christiane. Which means the fall of the Berlin wall will be a shock to their mother. Alex decides to pretend it never happened and does everything in his power to make his mother think the DDR is still alive. 
Alex creates a fantastically complicated and hilarious way to pretend the Berlin wall never fell: the pickles from the West, the coffee, the honey. They are all put in jars that were sold in the DDR and he sticks old labels on them. Together with his friend he makes his own news reports. 
 “Good Bye, Lenin!” is a great film, with a great mix of drama and comedy. The cast is sympathetic and natural. The movie is heartwarming and it just makes you feel good to see what Alex does so his mother gets her health back again. This movie is definitely a must see, fantastic!
 
Rating: 2/ 5

TV-Show Review - The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Mini-Series)

Season: Mini-Series
Genre: Adventure/ Action
Number of episodes: 6
Year: 2021
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Daniel Brühl, Emily VanCamp, Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Description: Following the events of “Avengers: Endgame”, Sam Wilson/ Falcon (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes/ Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) team up in a global adventure that tests their abilities. And their patience.

Review: Following the events of “Avengers: Endgame”, Sam Wilson/ Falcon holds the famous shield, but struggles to take over the role of Captain America. He donates the shield to the museum. When the government comes up with a new Captain America, John Walker, he is assigned to take out the terrorist organization ‘Flag Smashers’. Coincidentally, Sam and Bucky Barnes/ The Winter Soldier are now also going after this group.
Now that Marvel has successfully launched its first miniseries, “WandaVision”,  on Disney+, it’s time for the next one. Cinema releases are still a while away, so Marvel has been wise to make the switch to weekly TV episodes. This time, the focus is on Captain America’s legacy and all that he and his famous shield stood for. The six-part miniseries, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”, mainly highlights the burden that Captain America’s role carries.
What stands out is that the series is very politically driven and because of this feels like a strong addition to previous Captain America films. Plot elements that were set up in these movies return here, such as the sneaky Zemo and the fugitive Agent Sharon Carter. It is abundantly clear that the film and series are so intertwined you really shouldn’t miss them for the greater story.
Because of the political aspect, one question is central: Will Sam take over the role from Steve Rogers, to be Captain America? The government has other plans, as they appoint Privat John Walker as the new Cap. We see Walker struggle with the responsibility of being a good Captain America and he’s failing. And he also turns out to be a huge asshole. He is everything Steve Rogers wasn’t. We also see Sam’s guilt and conflict over whether he has done the right thing or if he really is the man for the job Steve has left him to do. This makes the series an interesting watch. But what I loved most is the comradery between Sam and Bucky. The work well together and make each other’s characters stronger.
The series looks really good, is interesting and very entertaining. The last three episodes, especially episode five, are the best of the bunch. It’s a definite must-watch for every Marvel fan.

10s Movie Review - The Cloverfield Paradox

Director: Julius Onah
Genre: Adventure/ Drama/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 102 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Daniel Brühl, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, David Oyelowo, Chris O’Dowd, John Ortiz, Aksel Hennie, Ziyi Zhang, Elizabeth Debicki, Donal Logue

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2020 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 22: A MOVIE WITH A.I. IN IT

Description: Orbiting a planet on the brink of war, scientists test a device to solve an energy crisis, and end up face-to-face with a dark alternate reality.

Review: Without any big marketing campaigns, Netflix all off a sudden dropped “The Cloverfield Paradox”. That makes this film the third film in the Cloverfield universe. This franchise started in 2008 with “Cloverfield”, where a group of young adults flee for a gigantic monster in New York City. It was a found footage film and a sudden success. The long-awaited sequel came eight years after that. This was a surprise that came out of nowhere. The connection between the two films was thin but “The Cloverfield Paradox” had to connect the two.
The voice-over at the start of the film tells us that Earth is dealing with an energy crisis. For reasons unknown, it wasn’t possible to get green energy from the wind or sun. All hope is set on a particle accelerator, called The Shepard, and the crew of a space station called Cloverfield is testing it. But after two years they don’t have any results and all hope is lost. And that with a war that is about to break on Earth.
When they do succeed, strange things start to happen on board of the Cloverfield Station and everyone starts doubting what’s real and what’s not. Through one of the crew member’s husbands we get to see some images from Earth, that there are monsters walking around.
I have problems with the timeline. There was a scene in “Cloverfield” where you can see a satellite falling from the sky (you have to pause the film to notice it) and it now suggests that it was the satellite from “The Cloverfield Paradox”. But when you see the monsters, you know that this isn’t right. Since the monsters in this film are way bigger and at the moment the satellite crashes in “Cloverfield”, there were no monsters yet. And in this one there are.
And everything that happens on board of the space station feels like only half the work. Some separate ideas they threw together in a story they wrote, which makes the film inconsistent and feel a bit lazy. The dialogue also feels uninspired.
Even though there is a great cast, none of them succeed to impress. But with the material they have to work with, you can’t really blame them. Overall, “The Cloverfield Paradox” left us guessing even more than after the first two films. And there is normally nothing wrong with that, I like comparing theories with other film fans after seeing a film. But “The Cloverfield Paradox” was supposed to connect “Cloverfield” and 10 Cloverfield Lane” and didn’t manage to do that.

Rating: 2 / 5

00s Movie Review - Inglourious Basterds

Director: Quentin Tarantino
Genre: Action/ Thriller
Runtime: 152 minutes
Year: 2009
Starring: Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, Mélanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz, Daniel Brühl, B.J. Novak, Eli Roth, Til Schweiger, Mike Myers, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Fassbender, Gedeon Burkhard

Description: In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a plan to assassinate Nazi leaders by a group of Jewish U.S. soldiers coincides with a theatre owner's vengeful plans for the same.
Review: When the name Quentin Tarantino is on a movie poster, I’m in! He is probably my favorite director of all time and he has a fantastic resume (all but one film). His style is unique, his dialogues are memorable and quotable and the characters are unforgettable. “Inglourious Basterds” is definitely one of my favorites.
“Inglourious Basterds” shows an alternative history of World War II. In this version there is a group of infiltrating soldiers called the Basterds. It’s their task to scare the occupants by killing Nazis in the most brutal ways. They are led by Aldo Raine and all of the men are Jewish Americans. During their quest, the get together with the German actress Bridget von Hammersmark, who also works as a spy.
This film is again filled with amazing characters. It’s a bizarre potpourri of people, that are hard to believe to be real, but are convincing anyway. Brad Pitt portrays Aldo Raine in the most fantastic way. Hilarious even. Mélanie Laurent is a great newcomer, as Shoshanna Dreyfuss, who wants revenge for the death of her family. But Christoph Waltz is probably the greatest discovery of the ‘00s. As Hans Landa is manages to scare you, charm you and disgust you at the same time. What a fantastic performance and also one of Tarantino’s best characters ever.
Like I stated before, Tarantino knows how to write great dialogue. And that’s no different here. The dialogues are long, but never dull. The conversations stay interesting and the situations original.
“Inglourious Basterds” is a film that I can enjoy every single time, even due to the length of the film. It’s a must for every Tarantino fan. No, for every movie fan. Last correction: it’s a must for everyone!

Rating: 5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 62: The Zookeeper's Wife

Director: Niki Caro
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 127 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Jessica Chastain, Johan Heldenbergh, Daniel Brühl

Description: The Zookeeper's Wife tells the account of keepers of the Warsaw Zoo, Antonina and Jan Zabinski (Jessica Chastain, Johan Helndenbergh), who helped save hundreds of people and animals during the German invasion.

Review: “The Zookeeper’s Wife” follows a married couple that helps hide Jews during the German invasion, in a zoo in Poland. While risking their own life, they saved hundreds of people from death.
Jan and Antonina Zabinski live in Washaw, Poland. They own a beautiful zoo. When the Germans invade Poland, their zoo is demolished. They decide to stay and help Jews who flee from the Nazi remine. The story takes place from 1939 to 1946.
Jessica Chastain is the star of the film. Her charisma and talent make that you immediately love Antonia. She makes you care about the characters. In contrast with the German zoologist Lutz Heck, played by Daniel Brühl, Antonina goes from being a sweet an naïve woman to a solid and strong character.
“The Zookeeper’s Wife” isn’t a war film with a lot of spectacle. The focus is on the people and their interaction. And also between man and animal. A very important story, not known by many. It’s a beautiful story, where small and simple people become heroes.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 22: Colonia

Director: Florian Gallenberger
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 106 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Emma Watson, Daniel Brühl, Michael Nyqvist

Description: A young woman's (Emma Watson) desperate search for her abducted boyfriend (Daniel Brühl) that draws her into the infamous Colonia Dignidad, a sect nobody has ever escaped from.

Review: “Colonia” is based on a true story. We follow the lives of a young couple, Lena and Daniël. They are in Chile and Daniël is taken by a secret army of Pinochet. Lena wants to finds him and finds out that he has been brought to Colonia Dignidad. This colony is known as an institution lead by Paul Schäfer. But it’s actually a closed community and torture camp where nobody ever escapes from. Lena decides to join the colony, find Daniël and escape.
The story of the couple is fictive, but Colonia Dignidad and Paul Schäfer were real. And this is a scary thought.
Emma Watson has reached the point where I no longer see Hermione Granger, the role she played in the Harry Potter franchise. She has grown and she is a magnificent actress. And she can easily carry a film, like she is doing here. Her performance in “Colonia” is heartfelt and timid, so convincing and touching. Daniël Brühl, whom I’ve liked for a while, is also very strong. Together they work perfectly. Michal Nyqvist plays the infamous Paul Schäfer. Schäfer is a repulsive character, played very convincingly.
“Colonia” came out a while ago, but nobody talked about this film when it was released. And I seriously don’t understand why. Because “Colonia” is a fantastic film. Besides the strong performances, the story is interesting and really scary. It’s a film more people should see, because it’s a hidden gem.

Rating: 5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 69: Captain America: Civil War

Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 147 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Tom Holland, Emily VanCamp, Daniel Brühl, Frank Grillo, William Hurt, Martin Freeman, Marisa Tomei, John Slattery, Alfre Woodard

Description: Political interference in the Avengers' activities causes a rift between former allies Captain America (Chris Evans) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.).

Review: The brothers Joe and Anthony Russo did a great job on “Captain America: Winter Soldier” and I was really excited when I found out they were also directing the third installment of this franchise. They really understand the Marvel universe.
The film opens with a scene in Lagos, Nigeria. There the memers of the Avengers are chasing down bad guy Crossbones. The mission ends in a blood bath. And after their actions in New York, Washington and Sokovia, the United Nations wants to close the Sokovia Accords. This means the Avengers can only work on request by the UN.
Tony Stark signs the documents. Steve Rogers thinks it’s a bad plan. Together with Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye and Falcon, he doesn’t sign. During the ceremony, where all the others do sign, the king of Wakanda is killed in an attack. The main suspect is the Winter Soldier. The hunt for Steve’s friend tears the Avengers even further apart.
This Marvel film is mostly about loyalty, family and friendship. Steve Rogers is the one we focus on, of course. He stands for loyalty and friendship and would never abandon his friend Bucky. Steve never doubts Bucky’s story and wants to defend him no matter what. A great thing about “Captain America: Civil War” is that both teams, team Captain America and team Iron Man, have good points and bad points. You would expect that as a viewer you have to lean towards Steve Rogers, but Tony Stark also has some good points. The most awesome part of the film is the showdown between both teams, on a airfield in Leipzig. Well shot, great action, perfectly choreographed fight scenes and humor. And it’s fun to see new heroes Spider-Man, Black Panther and Ant-Man here too.
There is a lot going on in “Captain America: Civil War”, which sometimes makes it feel a bit messy. Lots of characters, old an new ones. But the movies shines when it has to shine: the action and fight scenes and the comedy.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 72: A Most Wanted Man

Director: Anton Corbijn

Genre: Thriller

Runtime: 121 minutes

Year: 2014

Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rachel McADams, Willem Dafoe, Robin Wright, Daniel Brühl, Grigoriy Dobrygin

Description: A Chechen Muslim illegally immigrates to Hamburg, where he gets caught in the international war on terror.

Review: Hamburg is considered an undeniable link in the attacks of September 11th, the preparations were devised from this city. A more appropriate setting for a spy thriller is almost inconceivable. “A Most Wanted Man” is, after films like “The Constant Gardener” and “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”, the ninth book to movie adaptation from author Jon Le Carré.

Lead man Philip Seymour Hoffman died not that long after filming “A Most Wanted Man”. Aside from some scenes in the last two “Hunger Games” movies, this is his last testament.

When political refuge Issa Karpov arrives in Hamburg, the local anti-terrorist group led by Günther Bachmann, is on edge. Issa has come to Hamburg to claim his father’s legacy.

Together with his lawyer, Annabel Richter, he is trying to get the money and banker Tommy Brue isn’t happen about paying that big amount of money. Before Brue can decide, he is approached by Bachmann. He sees it as an opportunity to uncover the terrorist network. Like other John Le Carré stories, it has a slow build-up. It’s not for everyone, but in combination with the style of director Anton Corbijn it’s golden. And off course the great acting by Philip Seymour Hoffman.

The location, Hamburg, is pictured perfectly. Stale bars, grim streets. The art of manipulation is also illustrated very well, by finding informants and playing political games.

I think Hoffman’s portrayal of the beaten and cynical Bachmann is one of his best performances. Rachel McAdams and Robin Wright show us it’s not just a one man show.

Anton Corbijn is one of the better Dutch directors and he managed to make a name for himself in Hollywood with this movie. “A Most Wanted Man” is a good, strong thriller.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Marry, Kiss, Cliff - Round 1

I saw various people do this item on youtube. You pick three book characters and then you have to decide which of them you marry, kiss or push and a cliff. I want to do this item as well, but I’m going to do this with movie characters. All male off course. I already made a shit load of notes with various characters on it, but I’m excited about the three going head to head with each other every time. You can also suggest characters to me, maybe I can add them to my ‘bucket’ of notes.

Round 1: Frank Abagnale Jr. (“Catch Me If You Can”), Alex (“Good Bye Lenin”) and Hesher (“Hesher”)

Marry: I would most definitely marry Alex. He’s such a sweet guy, he takes good care of his mother. Alex does everything to make sure his mom stays healthy.

Kiss: Altough Frank Abagnale Jr. is a con artist, I would probably kiss him. I would never start a relationship with him, he would leave you anyway because he’s always on the run.

Cliff: Hesher is a weird guy. Good taste in music though, but he’s strange. I don’t think he is boyfriend or husband material.

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 31: Rush

Director: Ron Howard
Genre: Action/ Drama
Runtime: 123 minutes
Year: 2013
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Brühl, Olivia Wilde, Alexandra Maria Lara

Description: Based on the true story of a great sporting rivalry between handsome English playboy James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth), and his methodical, brilliant opponent, Austrian driver Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl). The story follows their distinctly different personal styles on and off the track, their loves and the astonishing 1976 season in which both drivers were willing to risk everything to become world champion in a sport with no margin for error: if you make a mistake, you die.

Review: In the 70’s two talented Formula 1 drivers go head to head: the flamboyant James Hunt and the pragmatic Niki Lauda. They both come from wealthy families, but that’s the only resemblance they have. Hunt trusts his gut and intuition, where Lauda leaves nothing to chance.
Ron Howard is at his best when he tells someone’s true story, look at “Apollo 13” and “A Beautiful Mind”. “Rush” belongs in that row, because this movie is anything but forgettable. Even if you’re not into Formula 1 racing, you get dragged into this fascinating world. The cinematography is fantastic and also a big plus for the well written script.
The ones who steal the show are the leading actors Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl, who easily could have gotten an Academy Award nomination. The dynamic between the two is clearly present. The two characters they play have an ongoing rivalry, but because of their sublime performances it’s easy to find sympathy for both drivers. The best thing is that even though they are rivals, they want to get better, they motivate each other and also have a mutual respect.
“Rush” is an engrossing film, with strong acting and a vibrant story. It’s more than your standard film about racing. “Rush” is a winner.

Rating: 5/ 5

In the Picture: The Characters from "Inglourious Basterds"

Quentin Tarantino is probably my favorite director and I already dedicated this item to one of his movies. This time I'm going to look closer at the characters from "Inglourious Basterds", which is an awesome movie.

Lt. Aldo Raine
Played by: Brad Pitt
Aldo is 2nd lieutenant in the US Army First Special Service Force and now the leader of “The Basterds”. Aldo's nickname, "The Apache", comes from his penchant for scalping Nazis. He’s determined to kill all the nazis he can get his hands on.

Col. Hans Landa
Played by: Christoph Waltz
Hans Landa is called “The Jew Hunter” and he carries that name with success. He is well known for finding Jews in hiding and eventually killing them. He’s a very smart man who can speak at least four different languages fluently. Landa is the main target for “The Basterds”.

Shosanna Dreyfuss
Played by: Melanie Laurent
Shosanna is a French-Jewish girl who’s entire family was murdered by nazi’s. She was the only one who could escape and now hides in Paris as a movie theatre owner that goes by the name of Emmanuelle Mimieux. Shosanna is strong, smart and out for revenge.

Sgt. Donny Donowitz
Played by: Eli Roth
Donny is Aldo’s right hand. His nickname is “The Bearjew” and he is ruthless. Donny is known for killing his victims with a baseball bat because he wants to feel the violence and the sensation of beating nazis to death.

Bridget von Hammersmark
Played by: Diane Kruger
Bridget is a popular filmstar in Nazi Germany and a spy for the Allies. Because of her beauty and charm, she often gets her way and she can easily win you over. But Bridget can be outsmarted though.

Fredrick Zoller
Played by: Daniel Brühl
Fredrick is a German officer and a war hero. He is pretty full of himself and is not shy to brag about his actions as a soldier. His affection for Shosanna, although she doesn’t really return it, is genuine. Everything he’s doing for her, he’s doing with the best intentions.

Sgt. Hugo Stiglitz
Played by: Til Schweiger
Stiglitz is an ex-Nazi and now recruted into “The Basterds” unit. He is knows as a maniac to both German and US forces, because of his cruel ways of killing people. Many people fear him.

Favorite Character: Shosanna Dreyfuss

Movie Tip #40 - Inglourious Basterds

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Starring: Brad Pitt, Eli roth, Diane Kruger, Melanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz, Til Schweiger, Daniel Brühl

Description: In Nazi occupied France, young Jewish refugee Shosanna Dreyfus (Melanie Laurent) witnesses the slaughter of her family by Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz). Narrowly escaping with her life, she plots her revenge several years later when German war hero Fredrick Zoller (Daniel Brühl) takes a rapid interest in her and arranges an illustrious movie premiere at the theater she now runs. With the promise of every major Nazi officer in attendance, the event catches the attention of the "Basterds", a group of Jewish-American guerilla soldiers led by the ruthless Lt. Aldo Raine (brad Pitt). As the relentless executioners advance and the conspiring young girl's plans are set in motion, their paths will cross for a fateful evening that will shake the very annals of history.

Review: Quentin Tarantino is one of the best directors in film history. He hasn't directed much, but when he does, it results in movies that we can (almost) call masterpieces. "Inglourious Basterds" is one of those films. He tells the story in a original way, like only he can. But this is the first time that the movie is fully chronological. There are some catchy flashbacks, like the one were Hugo Stiglitz is introduced. Great roles by Brad Pitt, Eli Roth, Til Schweiger and Diane Kruger. The ones that impressed me the most were off course Christoph Waltz, who won an oscar for his performance. And well deserved, because he steals every scene he's in. The other actor that caught my eye was Melanie Laurent, another name that we didn't know. She plays Shoshanna and her role is very strong and convincing. I hope to see more of her in the future. This film is great, but the ending is a little bit over the top and to 'American'. And the way the basterds caught Landa, no way that would happen. Landa is way to vicious and smart for that. But even then, this movie is a great experience for the eye.