"Is it this aisle Louis? Louisssss?"

Rating: 10/10 (27 August 2018)

Some say "Jackie Brown" is Tarantino's best work. I would say it at least equals the other masterpiece "Pulp Fiction". If you love his other work, then you must give this gem a chance, although everything is done very differently then in his other work, yet the Tarantino magic is still very recognizable and highly enjoyable. Higly enjoyable! I would say that "Jackie Brown" is his most playful work, yet simultaneously it is also his most serious work. It just oozes creativity and fun in his typical Tarantino direction style, but the story and the characters are still being portrayed very seriously, unlike many other Tarantino works in which characters often become almost cartoon like.
This story is told entirely chronologically, with only one flashback. It is based on a story by Elmore Leonard, who has written numerous great stories, that have been turned into movie scripts. Quentin Tarantino got to know of this famous author by reading pulp magazines in the seventies, which were the inspiration for the title of his most popular movie "Pulp Fiction". But "Jackie Brown" is totally different in style and storyline, so be warned, because some first time viewers are a bit disappointed watching "Jackie Brown" because they expected more action. It is still very funny, but it is a talking heads movie, lots and lots of talk. Some serious talk, some con talk and some hilarious talk!
"Jackie Brown" is a slowburning portrait of a woman in financial dire straits, who smuggles some money across the border for a weapons dealer (Samuel L Jackson). She gets caught and then the story unfolds in ways you couldnt imagine, because Jackie Brown has gotta save her own ass and does she know how to do that! Female empowerment Booyah! Gotta see it for yourself. Suspenseful, hilarious and touching.
The huge amount of time that is taken to learn to know the leading character Jackie Brown pleases me enormously. But some Tarantino gore fans migth find it lacking in speed. I love the slowburning flow of this story, I truly think the slowness is essential to the core of this subtle portrait. Almost 2 and a half hours is the running time and I guess 75% is pure talk with close ups of Jackie Brown and the other characters.
Shot in 4:3 format, the old television format of the seventies and eighties and this particular choice of the director further prenounciates these magnificent close ups of the characters. It's a talking heads movie, in which every eyelash, wrinkle and nervous twitch in ones facial expression can be observed. That makes for some stunning pictures of the actors in it.
"Jackie Brown" is an Actor's Gem! Best dork role of Robert de Niro ever. Most freakiest role of Samuel L Jackson ever. And Pam Grier is by far the star of this brilliant Tarantino flick. What a joy to watch over and over again. I just can't get enough of it!
Please check out the Trivia section of this film, because it is full of fun anecdotes. Interviews and quotes by Tarantino himself are often as interesting as his movies. Just a quote that I couldnt withold from you Imdb viewers: Quentin Tarantino compares the film Jackie Brown to Rio Bravo (1959). "It's a hangout movie", he explained. "Jackie Brown is better the second time, and I think it's even better the third, and the fourth time. To me, that's the thing that Rio Bravo (1959) did. I remember the first time I saw Rio Bravo (1959), but I remember more the fifteenth time I saw Rio Bravo (1959). It's about hanging out with the characters."
This was my 200th review for Imdb. Thank you for reading!