Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Screenplay by Quentin Tarantino
Based on the novel, "Rum Punch" by Elmore Leonard
Stars: Pam Grier, Samuel L Jackson, Robert Forster, Michael Keaton, Michael Bowen, Chris Tucker, Bridget Fonda, LisaGay Hamilton, Hattie Winston, Tommy 'Tiny' Lister and Robert De Niro
I have no idea why it took so long for me to finally see Jackie Brown. I love Tarantino and his movies. I don't know why I was so hesitant on watching this movie. Tarantino stepped out of the box with this movie. It was an adaptation and not his own work. The movie did not have the usual tropes of the pop culture references, the out of order sequences and the over the top bloody violence. I was surprised that the movie received a sole Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for Robert Forster. It should have gotten a couple of more.
Like in any Leonard's novel, the plot will have multiple storylines and plot points. The titular character Jackie Brown (Grier) is a flight attendant working for a low rent airline that is busted with being a drug mule. ATF agents, Ray Nicolette and Mark Dargus (Keaton, Bowen) bust her and want to send her to jail. They want to play ball. They want Jackie to rat her close friend, Ordell (Jackson) to get a reduced sentence. Ordell wants to bail Jackie out of the jail with help of bail bondsman, Max Cherry (Forster). Unbeknownst to all the players, Jackie has a way to get out of her situation scot-free.
Reading the review of the movie, people were not keen on the film. I don't know why. I thought the movie was very tight. The movie was 2 1/2 hours long and I did not get bored with it. The last hour of the movie, I was tense to see the outcome play out. I thought that this movie was refreshing, because it not the typical Tarantino movie. It was linear with layered subplots. I enjoyed the movie breathed. It wasn't rushed. The double crossing and triple crossing was a joy to watch.
The movie is very slick. Robert Forster should not have been the only that should have got an Oscar nomination. I love Pam Grier in the movie. Hearkening back to her days in blaxploitation films it was nice to see her have a role that she could sink her teeth in. I thought maybe the screenplay could have gotten a nod as well. I enjoyed the movie very much. It's shame that it took me fifteen years to see.
My Rating
Good review Branden. Not my favorite from Tarantino because I do think it is a tad too long, but the ensemble is just about as perfect as you can get and the story gets very, very interesting. Still, not his most original work, either.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's a bad movie. I like that Tarantino made something out of his comfort zone. I admire him for that.
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