Django Unchained

Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino's latest western-inspired movie, is set in the southern states of the USA around 1858, a couple of years before the civil war broke out, when slavery was still going strong. It is the story of Django (Jamie Foxx), a young man whom in the beginning of the movie we find enslaved, his wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) having been stolen from him and sold. Django is being recruited by dr. King Schultz, a German dentist-turned-bounty hunter, to help him recognise some criminals. Schultz gives Django his freedom, they become partners and after a very "productive" winter, they set off to find and rescue Django's wife, who has been bought by a plantation owner, Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio), aka the man with no soul.

Bright, brave and skillful, Django is the definition of a hero. Sure, he gets a chance, but he also does whatever he can to turn his life around and take vengeance, motivated by love. Dr. Schultz is the “god-sent machine”, who gives Django the break he needs, and whose different background (Europe, bitches :P) allows him to have a less mainstream -at the time- approach towards Django and see him as a friend. Calvin Candie, on the other hand, is a ruthless man with absolutely no respect for human life, born and raised in a rich home with slaves, not only unable to see beyond that status, but also making the most of it, the bloodthirsty he is. Stephen, Calvin's elder servant (Samuel L. Jackson), is like a corrupt uncle Tom. As for Broomhilda, even though she did not play an active role like, say, firing a gun (after all she was a woman in the 19^th century), she was the reason of all this journey.

The story of the film is fictional, but it documents a social situation the whole world, and particularly America, is or should be ashamed of. Tarantino presented for the first time the crimes against African-American people in full-frontal view, without holding back the element of verbal or physical violence, thus making a film that pays tribute to history and hopefully works in a cathartic way.

Even though the movie is violent, it is also very entertaining. The tone of most of the movie is funny, due to the smart script by Quentin Tarantino, the great deliveries of all of its actors and all the details. Speaking of details, Franco Nero, the star of the original 1966 Django movie made a cameo appearance in this movie, as well as Jonah Hill, not to mention Quentin Tarantino himself. Also, did anyone else notice Amber Tamblyn by the window?

Django Unchained is a film that has reached its own full potential. The quality of acting, the amount of entertaining references (which are the joy of the cinephile), the funny moments, the intense moments, the amazing soundtrack, all blend to a project that looks like it is a product of the heart of Tarantino and the whole crew, sprinkled with Tarantino's characteristic blood splatter and gunshot. Even if I accepted it has flaws (too big-too much blood-etc), I wouldn't care to change them if I could.

Favorite line 1: "D' Artagnan, mother****ers."

Favorite line 2: "You silvertongued devil, you."

Fight Club

Deciding to write about a successful and famous movie like Fight Club is kinda awkward, since so many have talked about it before. So I am going to ignore all that and close 2012 with this movie.

Fight Club is a movie directed by David Fincher and based on the omonymous novel by Chuck Palahniuk. It is about a regular guy, (Edward Norton), a man with a conventional office job, whose feelings of loniless and desperation have caused him insomnia. He finds cure to his insomnia by attending support groups for people with health problems he actually doesn't have.. until those groups are attended by another "tourist", Marla (Helena Bonham Carter), whose presence disturbs him. After confronting her they decide to split the groups they attend, so he returns to his normal sleeping pattern, without meaning he is content with his life.

The next chapter begins when during a work trip he meets a confident guy, Tyler Durder (Brad Pitt) - by the way, I don't know how many "Tyler Durden" usernames I've seen :P. After he finds his house burned by accident, he calls Tyler who invites him to stay at his .. home. Tyler leads a strange life, free of many modern life obligations, living in a house ready to collapse, having minimal expenses and making soap for a living among other night jobs. Tyler introduces him to fighting as a hobby that helps him reconnect with his male identity, as opposed to the consumer he had become, a hobby which soon attracts other men.. The rest is in the movie.

Even though Fight Club is not necessarily my favorite David Fincher movie, I consider it a milestone in cinema. Among a pile of movies celebrating the classic american dream of the house with the garden and the dog (usually romances, comedies or dramas) or the action movies that involve a particular group of people such as Martians or criminals or police officers, there's a movie that takes a look into the conventions of modern society through the eyes of a random person, who is neither a golden boy nor an outcast, just a person who feels trapped in it. Just because this person is a single "30-year old boy", the film is free of family drama and can get more innovative. His friend, Tyler Durden, is like a caricature with a strong life philosophy and a prominent sense of freedom – there, I tagged him. Marla is something between Edward Norton's character and Tyler Durden's match – quirky, with also a unique view on society and life, unattached to material things.

The movie has great cinematography and David Fincher's classic dark colours. The undertone of the movie is not specifically sad, happy, funny or tense – I guess it could be described as slightly gloomy, yet exhilarating, with some disgusting and some funny moments. (Spoiler alert) I wonder how the film would look without Marla. Even though she doesn't influence the plot development directly, she is quite significant to the hero – can you imagine him in the end, looking from the glass alone? He might look kinda sad. (/Spoiler alert)

Favorite line: Let the chips fall where they may.

PS: Noticed the "cigarette burn" in the end?

Awsome soundtrack songs:

 And as a bonus, the audio commentary of the director and the cast about Fight Club. 
(This is so good I almost wanted to keep it for myself).

Javier Bardem in Doctors Without Borders campaign

Javier Bardem is participating in the Doctors Without Borders campaign, prompting Greeks to help people in (more) need by consuming "Pastilles for someone else's pain".

Awsome Javier is awsome.
"Kapjee allee" :)