Django Unchained: My Review

When it comes to picking movies, I am usually on point with my selections. I must admit as of late my theatre going experiences have left me extremely dissatisfied. It started with Hope Springs which had the dynamic duo of Tommy Lee Jones and Meryl Streep. Sparkle I think was next and the downward spiral continued with the likes of The Master, the boring and dialogue heavy Lincoln and the anti climactic Killing Me Softly. The last 3 featured stellar performances but that's about it.

Quentin Tarentino has thankfully resurrected my faith in the movie going experience with Django Unchained, the spaghetti Western/slave revenge fantasy which I first heard about on the website Shadow and Act. Django which features Oscar winning heavy hitters like Jamie Foxx and Christoph Waltz, and the very deserving of an Oscar this time around Leonardo DiCaprio, is about a slave who joins up with a bounty hunter and together they rescue his wife Broomhilda (played by Scandal's Kerry Washington) from the Candie Land plantation ran by the evil Calvin Candie (DiCaprio). Samuel L. Jackson also impressed the hell out of me with his turn as the Uncle of all Toms, Stephen, the plantation's butler and Calvin's confidante.

The movie is violent, funny, and sadistic which are all key elements of a Tarentino piece. Yeah the N word is used several times, but that did not bother me . When looking at a film based in the South during slavery, that word is going to be used. If you can't handle the lingo, seeing slaves get whipped, branded, chewed up by dogs, then D U isn't for you. Spike Lee has already said he won't be seeing the film which I think is a pity. Spike's cred has fallen off considerably in the past several years, and in my opinion he has no place to judge Quentin or other any filmmaker whose movies are getting people in theatre seats. Maybe if Spike went to see Django, it would inspire him to get back to being the filmmaker he used to be (Malcolm X, Jungle Fever, Do the Right Thing, Mo Better Blues). You know the one whose movies were critically acclaimed and worthy of water cooler talk.

I'm hoping that the Academy will recognize the screenplay, direction, and acting of Foxx, Waltz, and DiCaprio. Academy members do not let the use of the N word, the violence, and comedic elements mixed with the tough subject matter scare you.  Show Django some love because it definitely deserves it.

I would appreciate any and all comments, positive or negative :)