Mirimax Pictures, Rated R
Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Let me first say: I loved "Pulp Fiction". But there were parts it could have done without, such as the needless violence and the glut of characters. Still it is one of the greatest films of all, but in my mind, "Jackie Brown" one ups it by getting rid of all the crap and just being a purely well-done film. There are maybe 10 characters here and it just tells the story, using some great camera-work and dialogue and the only excessive thing about it is the language (but then again Samuel L. Jackson's character Ordell isn't one to censor himself). The story is complex and simple at the same time and all the performances are top-notch, most notably Pam Grier and Robert Forster (it's a crime that they ever had a problem finding acting jobs). The story centers around Jackie Brown (Grier) a fortysomething stewardess who finds herself in trouble with Ordell and the cops for smuggling money, and she must find a way to get herself out of it by tricking one of them or both. We're never quite sure who until the end. There is so much here that is brilliant. The many long shots, the discussion between Jackie and Ordell behind a screen door, the scene in the department store shown from different points of view, the scene with all the characters converging at the mall listening to music that fits their character (the second best soundtrack of the year after "Grosse Pointe Blank"), and the scene where Louis (Robert DeNiro), Ordell's partner in crime and Melanie (Bridget Fonda), his smart-aleck girlfriend, discuss an old picture. As usual Tarantino loves to have people talk and that's what's so different between his films and other films. The dialogue is 100 times more important and the characters' quirky observations are always good for a laugh. The center of this story is something many viewers may miss: the love story between Max (Forster), Jackie's parole officer, and Jackie. It's so subtle yet that's what makes it great. The last scene finally shows their affection for one another and it's beautifully done. Tarantino is the real thing, because he knows something few directors know, and that's when to hold the shot, so the viewer can take it in and ponder its importance. He's gone from making movies that college kids can obsess over to just making good movies. And I hope he keeps it up. ****
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