Tarantino does what Tarantino does best

Rating: 8/10 (10 January 2005)

Quentin Tarantino's third feature isn't generally as highly rated among fans as his previous two. Many non-Tarantino fans say that Tarantino fans don't like this film because it's central character is a woman, but the simple fact of the matter is that it's simply not as good. Jackie Brown lacks the bite and dynamic genius that epitomised Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, and instead of having a profound influence on cinema, Jackie Brown is more of a continuation of what Tarantino started with his first two features. I am neither a fan nor a hater of Tarantino; up until the Kill Bill travesty, I was a fan; but now I'm not so sure. However, this was made in a time when Tarantino was still cool, and 'cool' is something this movie definitely is. The coolness comes from Tarantino's quick-fire script, relaxed character mannerisms and old style soundtrack. The coolness doesn't do the film any favours whatsoever on the realism, or credibility front, but when you're watching Jackie Brown, you know you're watching a movie; so just sit back, relax and have fun, as Tarantino takes you on a tour of what he loves about cinema.
In technical terms, Jackie Brown is Quentin Tarantino's finest hour. This is the most intelligent and mature script he ever wrote (the fact that it was based on someone else's work not withstanding). This is also the film that he reached his directorial peak. Tarantino is good at making cool crime films; he proved it with his first two features, and this film goes a long way to proving it more. Typically, it's a long way from perfect; it's overlong (an interesting prelude to Kill Bill, which was about 2 hours overlong), the character development is cringe-worthy at times and the story gets muddled a little towards the middle; but the good outweighs the bad, and when you've got the likes of Samuel L. Jackson and Robert DeNiro chewing fat over a 'Chicks with Guns' video, you're unlikely to care about the film's problems. As usual, Tarantino razzle-dazzles his audience with his trademark 'great' cast (which really is great by the way) and a soundtrack comprised of songs that used to be hip (and now are again, strangely) and this helps to mask the film's problems also.
All in all, Jackie Brown is a lot of fun. Audiences the world over should gather round and thank Tarantino for making this film. This is the sort of film that allows you to lose yourself for a couple of hours and just absorb what you see on screen. Quentin Tarantino may not be the greatest director of all time, but he knows how to entertain and this film is immense in that department. Here's to hoping Tarantino returns to projects he can handle in the near future...