The true Tarantino masterpiece; delivered deftly

Rating: 9/10 (23 May 2001)

Who could predict that Quentin Tarantino would shrink the filmmaking skills he displayed in "Pulp Fiction" - arguably the most influential film of the 1990's - by releasing the decaffinated masterpiece "Jackie Brown"? This is simply his best film yet. Sure, Q-Heads were expecting another wild "Pulp" ride, but Tarantino is too savvy to repeat himself. Set in L.A. in 1995, the eternally sexy Pam Grier stars in the title role; a struggling, middle-age flight attendant who earns extra income as a cash courier for Ordell Robbie, a loathsome gun dealer (portrayed with usual excellence by Samuel L. Jackson). Michael Keaton - in an unusually dry but great performance - is an ATF agent who intercepts one of Jackie's deliveries and threatens her with prison if she doesn't agree to help catch Ordell in action. Reluctantly serving as an open ear for Jackie's fears is Robert Forster as Max Cherry, her bail bondsman. Meanwhile, Ordell is coordinating one last transaction with his newly paroled partner, Louis Gara, played with stone-faced reticence by Robert De Niro. Unknown to Ordell, his last big deal is the one Jackie is banking on to help catch him, get herself out of trouble, and fatten her wallet with half-a-million dollars in the process.
This is clearly Tarantino's most realized film, and it took guts for him to adapt an Elmore Leonard crime novel (Leonard has cited "Jackie Brown" as his favorite film adaptation). After all, like Scorsese, crime is his cinematic canvas. The film doesn't serve solely as another crime epic from Tarantino, but it doubles as his valentine to blaxploitation movies. It's so evident in the slow, 70's style pacing, obviously Tarantino's favorite era of filmmaking - once you take away the cell phones & pagers the settings, cars, music, and wardrobe smack of the 70's completely. Casting blaxploitation queen Pam Grier was an obvious hint, as well as the fact that half the music in the film was lifted directly from Pam Grier's 1973 classic "Coffy" (Tarantino also used blaxploitation regular Sig Haig in a cameo as Jackie's judge). Like Scorsese's crime films, as well as in "Pulp Fiction", themes of redemption are abound. However, in this film there is a heavy regard towards aging. Jackie's fears throughout the film center heavily on adversities she's overcome that would be nullified if she doesn't pull herself out of this mess alive. A question she asks early on in the film - "How do you feel about getting old?" - seems to be running over in her mind the entire time.
I've saved the best part for last. The best element of this film has got to be the performance of Robert Forster. He, without a doubt(!), steals the film as the world-weary Max Cherry. Max knows all too well of life's trappings & pitfalls, but still tries to get ahead when possible, never forsaking the straight & narrow. Only Burt Reynolds' performance in "Boogie Nights" could rival Forster's for best performance of 1997. Probably the best scene in the film is the morning coffee table scene where Max & Jackie share their feelings on growing old. It is a slow scene, played out to wonderfully lingering effect by Tarantino and I cherish his desire to focus on this couple every time I see it. Not to spotlight Forster alone, the entire cast is wonderful. This may be Jackson's most malevolent character ever, and De Niro never seems to bore us despite him looking comatose throughout the entire film. Bridget Fonda is quite sexy as Ordell's dense, pot-smoking surfer girl, and the brief appearance of Chris Tucker brings uncomfortable laughter. The soundtrack, Tarantino's usual stew of funk, country, R&B and surf music, is his best ever - a complex mix of styles. Maybe people were turned off by this film because of its lack of visceral impulses. An "art-house popcorn" movie it ain't! This is a grown-up movie, for ADULTS. The 2 1/2 hour length may test some viewers, particularly given it's so dialogue driven while you're expecting ear-slicing, adrenaline-shooting, finger-chopping fun. But, if you're willing to give Tarantino your due patience and accept his proposed journey, you'll be rewarded with a great story and masterful performances. Tarantino's best film.