Leslie Gorenstein (aka the Answer Bitch from her E Online podcast) hilariously referred to this movie as “Reservoir Jews” and she was right. Quentin is starting to copy himself a little. I liked the fact that he used a lot of unknown foreign actors. They were really good. Brad Pitt was a little annoying but tolerable.

My first Tarantino movie. I have mixed feelings about this, but no, it’s not because of the glorified gore and violence. I am no longer as shocked by violence on screen being subjected to it so often in these big budget films (while this doesn’t mean I have acquired a taste for it but rather, the existence of such violence doesn’t surprise me).

Since I do not have a reference to compare Tarantino’s earlier works having not watched any of them, I noticed how plot-wise something serious would be happening on the screen and you can sense the tension, but somehow the characters in the situation on screen are acting in this absurd humourous manner that makes you laugh and feel disturbed at the same time. Is that typical in his movies? It certainly was one of those things which stood out in my experience.

To talk at length about the movie, I’d have to give away spoilers which I don’t want to – but suffice to say, the movie’s worth watching simply because of couple of splendid performances by the villainous Christoph Waltz and Mélanie Laurent and some breathtakingly cinematic moments.

Strong opening wasted on an otherwise boggy flick. I thought Col. Hans Landa was an older Tom Hulce (Amadeus), or a rejuvenated John Malkovich, but no, the actor portraying the Jew Hunter is great in his own right. Brad Pitt is tired, and unusually uncharismatic as the leader of the Basterds, who are all forgettable. QT’s revenge-on-Nazi fantasy has moments, sure enough, but IB is a waste of time.