Memo to Hollywood: phony Southern accents don’t work. You’re either from the South or you’re not. Had Quentin Tarantino’s 2009 World War II fantasy Inglourious Basterds been print-only, the audience wouldn’t have to suffer through Brad Pitt’s dreadfully-portrayed southern accent. I have mixed reactions about this film. Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs have been in my DVD collection for years. It is Tarantino’s writing and direction that make his movies uniquely his. Inglourious Basterds has some great moments—and some not-so-great. But, I like tjhis movie.

The heightened tension at the French farm is one of the best opening scenes I’ve watched in a long time. We meet one of the movies primary antagonists, the leading Nazi SS officer in German-occupied France, played by masterfully by Christopher Waltz. The calm and deliberate dialogue between Denis Menocet (a French farmer hiding a Jewish family) and Waltz in the farmhouse was a brilliant beginning to the movie. Wonderful that Waltz wanted milk to drink … two glasses. This is so Tarantino. Both actors were exceptional. Praise for casting these two European actors. Waltz is from Austria and Menocet from France.

I found Brad Pitt to be an odd fit for this movie. Is it just me, or does he appear to play the same character (himself?) in many of his movies? Think Ocean’s Eleven, Fight Club, etc. Same guy, different haircut. His acting skill wasn’t at the level of the other actors in my opinion. German-born Diane Kruger (National Treasure) was exceptional, as was French-born Melanie Laurent as the film’s protagonist and heroine. I won’t summarize the entire cast, but they were all very good (Keep an eye open for one surprise cast member). Again, casting for the movie was a strong point.

Keeping in mind that this is a work of historical fiction, facets of the movie stand out however as improbable. Do atrocities happen in war? Yes. Would an American army officer have his men taking scalps of enemy soldiers during World War II? Or worse yet, carving swastikas into their foreheads? Uh, no. I thought these two elements blemished an otherwise well-done movie. I get that Tarantino’s writing is different—that’s what makes him unique. I’m just not convinced that this chapter of history should have been tapped by the magic wand of Quentin Tarantino.

Verdict: See this movie if you haven't already.