Black Sheep of the Tarantino Family, Jackie's More Substance-Minded Than Style-Blinded

Rating: 9/10 (8 May 2013)

Easily Quentin Tarantino's most mature work, which admittedly isn't saying much for a director who brought us the Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique and a literal blast of adrenaline to the heart. That's not to say his films have ever lacked in substance - rather, I think the true depth of their character is merely overshadowed by those visceral moments of graphic excess and their stylish methods of delivery. Jackie Brown, instead, manages to step out from that bloody shadow and shine on its own volition. Its lingering close-ups and long doses of heady silence give the impression that the plot is moving slowly, when in fact it's going roughly a mile a minute. Tarantino just wants us to savor the performances of his all-star cast and the tangle of plot threads that surrounds them before forcing our heads out the window and punching the gas in the last twenty minutes. Along the way, he subtly, efficiently grazes a gamut of emotions that leaves us deeply invested in the (often untimely) fate of each character. Rich, complex and rewarding, it's not as flashy as Pulp Fiction or Reservoir Dogs, but it's every bit as excellent.