A unit of Jewish American soldiers wage a guerilla campaign in Nazi occupied France while Goring puts on a premiere in Paris, his star tries to woo the venues owner, she plots to burn the place down with the high command there, the British plot to blow it up and a Nazi Officer tries to keep it safe.
The early synopsis of this film promised a Tarantino version of The Dirty Dozen. Such thoughts are swiftly dealt a blow when the film jumps from forming the group to Hitler cursing their success. No training montages here, nor any mad cap adventure sequences for the denouement.
Like most of his other work this film is primarily built upon long sequences of dialogue as the characters try to unravel one anothers motives. And in places this is Tarantino at his best. Time and again tension is steadily ratcheted up as we wait to see whether our Heroes can remain unmasked a little longer. This is also frequently done with great wit. But, like the latter Harry Potter books, the film is hugely flabby and in desperate need of an independent (or more restrained) editor. Many of the good scenes lose their impact by being over extended, tension simply slipping away to be replaced by impatience to move forward. Whole sections serve no purpose at all. It is this constant tapping of fingers that undid the film for me.
The standout part of the film is Michael Fassbender who is outstanding as the Nazi Security Officer nicknamed Jew Hunter. Nothing should appeal about this character at all. We frequently see him do shocking things and yet somehow, thanks to a brilliant actor, we are left sympathetic to him.
It isn't a terrible film but the good bits only serve to highlight that the film as a whole should be better. Less self indulgence next time please Quentin.
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