Another Tarantino masterpiece

Rating: 8/10 (26 August 1999)

Jackie Brown is one of those films that leaves you satisfied after a showing. Tarantino did very well, rather than what a lot of others have to say. Those who complain about the film's length should stick to a lesser story, something that isn't as layered as this Elmore Leonard adaptation.
The acting in this film is superb. Whoever casted the film deserves a mention as well as Tarantino. From Samuel L. Jackson to Robert DeNiro to Chris Tucker in a more subdued role, all are in perfect character throughout. However, if there is anyone who steals the show it is Pam Grier. Grier delivers a powerhouse performance and just like Travolta in Pulp Fiction, I hope this manages to resurrect her film career. The camerawork on Grier at the beginning of the film as she walks through the airport and later while she is walking through the mall is a perfect example of how one can have an effect on a film without dialogue.
This film ranks up there with Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs and still manages to do so without the use of gratuitous violence. The story is also presented in flashback sequences like Pulp Fiction, but again in a lesser form. Tarantino is a master with using differemt film techniques and angles and even threw in a split screen to sharpen the 70's effect. Another shot of Grier that speaks volumes in right after she has made the money switch. Frantic looking, she makes her way through the mall and seems lost and confused. As she turns around looking for someone, Tarantino circles her with the camera creating a state of confusion, then instantly stops this as she calls out a name. Moments like this are what make Tarantino one of the best directors of all time.
Tarantino is using another Leonard story as the basis of his next film and if it follows suit in the "Jackie Brown" genre, it will surely be another success.
A full recommendation for this film.
8/10 stars.