500 Days Of Film Reviews Django Unchained And Finds An Entertaining, If Overlong Western
Dr King Shultz (Christoph Waltz) is a former dentist turned bounty hunter.
He buys a slave called Django (Jamie Foxx) and teaches him his violent trade (bounty hunting not dentistry - just to be clear).
Shultz promises Django that, once their mission is complete, he will give him his freedom and help him to rescue his wife (Kerry Washington) who has been sold to sleazy plantation owner, Calvin Candy (Leonardo DiCaprio).
Is It Any Good?
I don’t enjoy Westerns.
Well, that is what I always think. I put off watching them even when they are lauded by critics and friends alike. Then I watch them and actually thoroughly enjoy them.
This is exactly what happened with Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained. I just didn’t fancy this film and, as a result, was late to the party. Then, when I did settle down to watch this film, I had a really good time.
Having now seen this movie for a second time, I think (as I did before) that this is is a funny, shocking and extremely entertaining film with lots of (mainly cartoony) violence. It certainly had me gripped throughout.
All of the central performances (with the exception of Mr Tarantino’s cameo - what is with that accent?) are superb.
I love Christoph Waltz in anything and everything and the same applies to Jamie Foxx. Here they are both charismatic and intriguing. Leonardo DiCaprio is also brilliant in his role and Samuel L Jackson is, well, I am still stunned by his performance.
However, Django Unchained is also a very long film and really feels it - for me the movie overstays its welcome and I was a little weary of it all by the time it ended.
Random Observations
Have you seen Django Unchained? What did you think? Leave me a comment in the box below if you have the time or inclination :)