Great follow-up to a masterpiece

Rating: 8/10 (23 May 2019)

Jackie Brown is a middle-aged airline stewardess who supplements her income by smuggling arms for crime kingpin Ordell Robbie. One day she is caught and the agents offer her a deal in order to apprehend Robbie. Robbie, however, is onto the threat and tries to have Brown eliminated. What follows is a dangerous game of bluff, deceit and betrayal.
In 1994, Quentin Tarantino wrote and directed the greatest film ever made, Pulp Fiction. Following up that movie was always going to be a tall order, especially as his previous movie, Reservoir Dogs, was almost as good. There was almost no way his third movie could even come close to those two masterpieces.
However, Tarantino gives it a good try.
Yes, Jackie Brown is not in the same league as Pulp Fiction, or Reservoir Dogs, but very little is. It is, however, still a great movie. Clever, solid, plot, based on Elmore Leonard's novel 'Rum Punch'. Has the Tarantino trademark complexity and interconnectivity of a few stories and characters and meticulous plot detail, all combined with very witty dialogue and dry dark humour.
Excellent performances, with Pam Grier (as Jackie Brown) and Robert Forster to the fore.
On the negative side, the plot does feel overly drawn out. The meticulousness slows down the pace of the movie. Also feels overly complex at times, as if some of the twists are there for twist's sake.
Still a great movie though.