Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger and Eli Roth in the Quentin Tarantino movie ‘Inglourious Basterds’

We head back fifteen years today for the Quentin Tarantino written and directed World War Two era movie Inglourious Basterds (2009). The movie is set in Nazi-occupied France with two worlds of opposing forces conspiring to assassinate leaders of the inhabiting regime in an alternate history coming to pass at a Paris cinema. The movie was filmed in Germany and France.

(From left, Christoph Waltz as Hans Landa, Lena Friedrich as Suzanne LaPadite and Denis Ménochet as Perrier LaPadite in the Quentin Tarantino movie Inglourious Basterds).

The movie opens in 1941 with SS-Standartenführer Hans Landa of Austria interrogating farmer Perrier LaPadite of France with the suspicion of the Jewish Dreyfus family under the floorboards of LaPadite’s home. The farmer, choosing to spare his own family, acknowledges the hidden family. Landa has all but Shosanna Dreyfus shot, permitting the 18-year-old girl to run to safety. Landa, LaPadite and Dreyfus were portrayed by Christoph Waltz, Denis Ménochet and Mélanie Laurent, respectively.

(From left, Eli Roth as Sergeant Donny ‘The Bear Jew’ Donowitz and Brad Pitt as Lieutenant Aldo Raine in the Quentin Tarantino movie Inglourious Basterds)

Fast forward to 1944 when the movie introduces United States Army Lieutenant Aldo Raine, as portrayed by Brad Pitt, is shown recruiting Jewish–American soldiers for a special operations commando unit. The unit operates with the mission to create fear among Nazis by killing and scalping them while carving swastikas in the foreheads of permitted survivors among their audiences for the purpose of making the unit’s existence known among German armed forces functioning in France. The ‘Basterds’ unit in Inglourious Basterds included Sergeant Donny ‘The Bear Jew’ Donowitz, Private Smithson Utivich, Private Omar Ulmer, rogue German Sergeant Hugo Stiglitz and Austrian-born translator Corporal Wilhelm Wicki, portrayed respectively by Eli Roth, B.J. Novak, Omar Doom, Til Schweiger and Gedeon Burkhard.

(From left, Mélanie Laurent as Shosanna Dreyfus and Daniel Brühl as Fredrick Zoller in the Quentin Tarantino movie Inglourious Basterds).

As the above is occurring, German sniper Fredrick Zoller is set to star in a propaganda film Stolz der Nation (Nation’s Pride). Zoller, portrayed by Daniel Brühl, becomes infatuated with cinema operator Emmanuelle Mimieux, one and the same as survivor Shosanna Dreyfus from earlier in the film. Zoller convinces Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, as portrayed by Sylvester Groth, to premier the propaganda movie at the theatre of Mimieux/Dreyfus. Shosanna conspires with lover and projectionist, Marcel, to kill the German leaders in attendance at the premier. Jacky Ido portrayed Marcel.

(From left, Diane Kruger as Bridget Von Hammersmark and Michael Fassbender as Lieutenant Archie Hicox in the Quentin Tarantino movie Inglourious Basterds).

Michael Fassbender portrayed British commando Lieutenant Archie Hicox. Hicox has been recruited to infiltrate the premier, though an intervening step towards that end at a French tavern goes gruesomely wrong. The Basterds come to a compromise to keep the premier in play with undercover Allied agent and German film star Bridget von Hammersmark, with von Hammersmark being portrayed by Diane Kruger. Aldo Raine and the Basterds intend to proceed with the Hicox plan in the British commando’s place, despite the blown cover of the Brits and von Hammersmark. The especially satisfying and intriguing part of the plan, as well as the simultaneous plan of Shosanna Dreyfus and Marcel, is that Hans Landa has what should be sufficient suspicion of both avenues of plot against German leadership to take effective measures against them.

(From left, Jacky Ido as Marcel and Mélanie Laurent as Shosanna Dreyfus in the Quentin Tarantino movie Inglourious Basterds).

The resolution for many of the characters come to pass in that theatre, with some exceptions coming into play based on actions negotiated at the theatre. That the larger story is one of vengeance and violence in confronting a historic grievance in large part is the point of the film. Doing this with a sense of comeuppance for a duplicitous character central to this movie is particularly appreciated. I grant the movie Inglourious Basterds as directed and written by Quentin Tarantino 4.25-stars on a scale of one-to-five.

Matt – Wednesday, June 19, 2024

Clive Owen, Cara Bossom and Denis Ménochet in Season One of ‘Monsieur Spade’

The AMC television network aired the six-episode first season of the series Monsieur Spade (2024- ) from January 14th to February 18th. Billed as a crime-based thriller, the drama set in the south of France, specifically Bozouls, brings conspiracy to the retired detective Sam Spade keen on living a quiet retirement far from his past spent in San Francisco, California, United States.

(From left, Cara Bossom as Teresa and Clive Owen as Sam Spade in the AMC television series Monsieur Spade).

The series establishes itself as both as a period piece (ostensibly 1963) coupled with a multiple-episode introduction to the people forming the circle and local color that will lead to the mystery that makes this a Sam Spade, film noir event. Beyond establishing Clive Owen as the center piece star of the series, introducing local vineyard owner and Spade‘s romantic love interest Gabrielle, as portrayed by Chiara Mastroianni, humanizes the former detective presented as intelligent, selectively engaging and what I take for introverted.

(From left, Denis Ménochet as Chief of Police Patrice Michaud and Frank Williams as Maurice Michaud in the television series Monsieur Spade from AMC).

The opening episode lays significant ground for the mystery by placing Spade at a local convent, making payments to the sisters in support of child resident Teresa. Teresa, portrayed by Ella Feraud as a young child and Cara Bossom as a teenager, plays a crucial role from that convent to circumstances for Spade, Philippe Saint Andre as portrayed by Jonathan Zaccaï, and drama that rises in relevance as the character of the community of Bozouls reveals itself. The shocking circumstances that end the opening episode of Monsieur Spade take at least three episodes to be placed against differing threads before explanations begin to reveal themselves.

(From left, Jonathan Zaccaï as Philippe Saint Andre and Chiara Mastroianni as Gabrielle in Monsieur Spade, the AMC television series).

Threads introduced to offer depth to the mystery of the season include the ongoing investigation of the police, including brothers Patrice Michaud and Maurice Michaud, as portrayed by Denis Ménochet and Frank Williams. There is the complicated relationship of Jean-Pierre Devereaux and Marguerite (Peggy) Devereaux, who deal in the Algerian War effort. Stanley Weber and Louise Bourgoin portrayed Jean-Pierre and Marguerite, respectively.

(From left, Louise Bourgoin as Marguerite (Peggy) Devereaux and Stanley Weber as Jean-Pierre Devereaux in the AMC series Monsieur Spade).

Cynthia Fitzsimmons and George Fitzsimmons, as portrayed by Rebecca Root and Matthew Beard, offer a sense of comic relief to ultimately serious roles as what outward appearances suggest are mother and son. The pair serve as neighbors sticking close to the Sam Spade residence in the current day, inserting themselves as nosy mischief-makers into the comings and goings on their neighbors’ property.

(From left, Rebecca Root as Cynthia Fitzsimmons and Matthew Beard as George Fitzsimmons in the television series Monsieur Spade).

The revelation and action of the final pair of episodes for the season gives legitimate meaning and substance to these threads, including those of Gazala/Nun Angélique as portrayed by Inès Melab, Henri Thibaut as portrayed by Oscar Lesage, Zayd as portrayed by Ismaël Berqouch and Samir as portrayed by Hazem Hammad. The acting throughout this series was strong, especially the opening episode and the concluding two episodes. Writing for the series rests with Tom Fontana and Scott Frank, based on characters written by Dashiell Hammett.

(From left, Hazem Hammad as Samir and Ismaël Berqouch as Zayd in Monsieur Spade, a television series by AMC).

This six-episode season works thematically, episodically and from a subject matter perspective as a cable and/or streaming television program. The resolution to certain characters, the setting as a period show, and the nudity across multiple episodes make this something that would not work on network television. The setting of background through the second, third and fourth episode, while important in the setting of character, might have worked better with two fewer characters along with at least one fewer episode for the season. Given the quality of the acting, though, I grant season one of Monsieur Spade 4.0-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Wednesday, February 21, 2024