First of all, I would like to apologize to all of my stead fast followers for the long delay between these reviews. I got caught up in a summer class and did not have a chance to see anything new or worth reviewing.
I am going to start this review with getting my bias out of the way. My favorite director is Quentin Tarantino and he has yet to make a film that I did not enjoy. Today I finally watched Tarantino's third full-length feature film: Jackie Brown (link to trailer).
Overall: A
This film is not Tarantino's best work but it is classic Tarantino. The film features a flight attendant named Jakie Brown (Pam Grier) who gets caught up between an arms dealer and a federal sting operation run by the ATF. Jackie has been smuggling money for Ordell Robbie (Samuel L. Jackson) out of Mexico however, on her latest run she gets pick up by federal agents Ray Nicolette (Micheal Keaton) and Mark Dargus (Micheal Bowen). The agents find Jackie is carrying $50,000 and some cocaine so she is a arrested and after being bailed out by Max Cherry (Robert Forster) agrees to help the ATF get Ordell. Jackie and Max start to spend more time with each and form a relationship that is not quite romantic but is extremely close. In order to help the ATF Jackie agrees to convince Ordell to bring all of his $500,000 he has in Mexico back home to California. Jackie decides that she has the opportunity to walk away with that money so she convinces Ordell to bring the money up by telling him that they are going to trick the ATF and disappear. While telling Ordell and AFT that she is going to help them to trick the other she and Max form a plan to walk off the money themselves.
Story/Screenplay: A+
I do not have much to say about the screenplay other than Quentin Tarantino wrote this screenplay. This is where Tarantino films truly shine. Tarantino has an ability to make a two hour film where there is very little action and instead tells a story through dialogue. Tarantino does not need special effects or huge budgets he tells his story through writing. However, the downside of this is if you do not enjoy one of Tarantino's films you will not like any of them. I am the lone Tarantino fan in my group of friends. They all say that his films are boring and nothing happens. That is the downside to Tarantino's style of story telling there is no gray area. You either look at him as a visionary or a complete idiot.Overall, this story is well done and the writing is flawless.
Acting: B+
The lone Oscar nomination for this film was the acting in a supporting role for Robert Forster's portrayal of Max Cherry. While Foster did an amazing job as the lonely bail bondsman, I do not feel that cast as a whole messed well together. I feel that the individual actors did well in their roles Samuel L. Jackson is the only person I can think of to play Ordell Robbie and even Pam Grier does a phenomenal job as the cunning Jackie Brown. However, I feel that Robert De Niro as the washed up bank robber and Chris Tucker as the random guy who owes Ordell money are out of place. They both do a perfectly fine job but they just do not fit with the rest of the cast. To me, it is much more important for a cast to work well together than just having one or two amazing performances from individuals. I feel that in this film that is what you have, amazing individual performances but not an all around great cast.
Direction: A+
Again this is a Quentin Tarantino film. His directing style makes you feel like you are watching a film from the seventies with a much more intricate plot. He employs many cheesey camera angels and on screen graphics. Tarantino has a way of using the screenplay to enhance the directions and shots he chooses. The style this film has is where Tarantino puts his signature. Basically, this film is directed by Quentin Tarantino and he style is all over the film. The shots he chooses, the angles he use consistent in this film and all his films.
Visuals: B+
In all, this film is not visually pretty by today's standards. However, it does not need to be pretty. The story, in my opinion, would be not be portrayed as well if the visuals became the focal point of the film. That being said the editing of this film is amazing the way scenes left in and cut out help to move the story along and make the story that much more interesting. The ability of the editors to add suspense to each and every scene just by placing two shots next to each other. The editing of the film enhances the dialogue that Tarantino spends so much time perfecting.
Final Thought: This is a Quentin Tarantino film through and through therefore, if you do not like the film making of Tarantino you will not like this film. For those who are not familiar with Tarantino's work this is a story central film and it is extremely dialogue heavy. But an amazing example this genre of film.
