Brad Pitt is the leading man in the movie, but after watching Inglourious Basterds, most people come away more impressed by the performance of Colonel Hans Landa (played by Christoph Waltz).
The movie was intended to honor the film industry and it certainly highlights Tarantino's love affair with his chosen profession. From a prolonged scene at the movies to multiple discussions on the ins and outs of the old time movie production business, Inglourious Basterds does much more than hint at the fact that film is important. Like most Tarantino movies, this one is written to be a full experience for the person doing the watching. It takes many twists and turns, brings in lots of new characters at multiple points, and certainly does its part to alert the sense of people sitting in the theater.
When you throw in the grotesque and completely explaining violence in the film, it makes sense that Inglourious Basterds would be considered not only one of the best guy movies of 2009, but one of the best movies overall. It is hard for a movie about the Holocaust to be both serious and funny at the same time, but that is what this movie accomplishes. Driven by the performances of Pitt and Waltz, it succeeds on many different levels and leaves viewers feeling a sense of fulfillment that is not usual for the movie industry today.