Friday, January 1, 2016

The Hateful Eight

Year of Release: 2015

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Demian Bichir, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, Channing Tatum, James Parks, Dana Gourrier, Zoe Bell, Gene Jones, Keith Jefferson, Lee Horsley

Genre: Drama, Mystery

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8

Synopsis & Review:

After the resounding success of "Django Unchained", director Quentin Tarantino (which won a second Oscar for best Original Screenplay with "Django", following his first for "Pulp fiction") returns with another western. "The Hateful Eight" introduces us to Major Warren, who is in the mountains of Wyoming in the middle of a huge snowstorm without a horse. He comes across a carriage with a bounty hunter by the name of John Ruth who is taking his prisoner, Daisy Domergue, to Red Rock to be hanged. Warren manages to convince Ruth to let him in, and after taking in another unexpected passenger, they all find themselves in Minnie's Haberdashery, where they encounter four other people trying to escape the snowstorm. These apparent strangers, stranded in the storm, start discovering further secrets about each other with unexpected consequences.
Quentin Tarantino's further expansion of his universe continues, with "The Hateful Eight" becoming a more claustrophobic film after the bigger endeavors that were "Inglorious Basterds" and "Django Unchained". "The Hateful Eight" is a character piece, featuring eight central characters, none of whom are what they appear to be: there's a dark and unknown side to all of the characters in the film, which the director smartly peels away and allows for the story to gain momentum. He divides the story in chapters, much like his previous efforts, and has as usual, the burst of violence at some point, that immediately makes sure that you as a viewer knows that this is indeed a Quentin Tarantino film. The film falters a bit initially, with some dragging in terms of narrative and over exposition, but it definitely picks up the pace afterwards. The film is fantastically well written and acted, particularly by Samuel L. Jackson and Jennifer Jason Leigh who shine throughout the entire film and create unforgettable characters. The cinematography from acclaimed director of photography Robert Richardson is grandiose and stunning as is the score of Ennio Morricone.
A very good film worth watching.