Django Unchained is a western revenge film from Quentin Tarintino. The film opens with Dr. Schultz(Christoph Waltz) freeing Django(Jamie Foxx) from slavery. Dr. Schultz teaches Django how to be a bounty hunter and the first hour or so of the film is dedicated to their exploits. After the winter the doctor and Django track down Django's wife who is in the possession of plantation owner Calvin Candie(Leonardo DiCaprio).
The chemistry between Waltz and Foxx is electric. It's an absolute joy to watch them simply interact. DiCaprio and Samuel L. Jackson also turn in great, dark, diabolical performances. The film is violent but not ultra-violent. It's no more violent than any other action movie but because of it's racial content has gotten some criticism. My only problem with the film is it's length. The film seems to end and then take a 40 minute unnecessary victory lap. Tarintino still has his flare for character and dialogue but something in his stories and structure has been lacking in his recent films.
Django is an entertaining film but has no desire or design to go further.
See It.
Les Miserables is a musical drama based on the stage musical based on the historical novel. This was my first introduction to the story and overall I was nonplussed. I thought the story was interesting but the live singing was more of a distraction than an asset. Some songs were out of tune because the actors were overcome with emotion. I understand wanting the actors to act but not letting it hamstring the song. The biggest problem I had with the film was that almost every shot was a close up. I felt like I was in the face of every character every time they sang. We could see snot and tears and sneers. Not stuff I really want to see in any movie or at least not all the way through it. I thought a lot of the songs were catch and I enjoyed them but overall I think I would have rather seen a stage production.
Rent It.
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