Jackie Crosses the Street

Rating: 9/10 (20 December 2009)

I make some mistakes on some of the repeat viewings I have of movies. A few years back, I re-watched Jackie Brown and immediately named it my favorite Tarantino film. And this was after the release of Kill Bill Vol. 1-2 but before both Death Proof and Inglourious Basterds. Though, Jackie Brown remains an almost excellent film, I take back my statement. Besides, I get a lot of flack from my friends who always seem to name either Reservoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction as their favorite.
Okay, I'm getting off the subject. Jackie Brown is an excellent film in reference to acting, dialogue, suspense and character depth. My problem, and the reason it's no longer my favorite Tarantino effort, is the length and his simple desire to never edit anything out, or so it seems. Recently, I watched Inglourious Basterds in the theatres and that one, too, I had the problem with the drawn out scenes. (Side Note: I've been bashed pretty hard on that one, but I guess I do have little patience for very slow moving movies. Not all Tarantino movies are, but almost all (if not all) of M. Night Shyamalan and Michael Mann's movies are. I try to avoid those two directors at all costs.) This movie should have been cut down, and by a lot. Such as a minimum of 30 minutes to make a much more tight and suspenseful film.
Regardless of that argument, it's the acting and dialogue that shines the most for me. I've never been privy to see any of Grier's work, but I absolutely loved her in this movie. Every motion she made, the nervousness, the human side to her lying/trickery was played out perfectly. But not just her, Forster (another, I haven't seen too much of to make an opinion outside of this film) had such depth, even with barely moving his face or body. You could tell he was just plain tired. Worn out.
As for the rest of the performances, they were also top notch. We already know Robert De Niro will go down as one of the greatest actors of all time, but I think his turn in this movie shocked the heck out of me. Clarification: it was the most original performance I've seen of his career, something completely different and despite him not being 100% likable, it was the range De Niro had that enthralled me.
Fonda and Keaton were also good, but there was yet another well done job by a personal favorite: Samuel L. Jackson. Sure, on the surface, it looks like he's playing every other role he's played, as he often does. But, here he certainly adds depth, and you can see how his demeanor changes as the stakes are raised. Also, the fantastic lines he spoke helps make this one of his best performances ever.
(Spoilers follow) After a rather long opening, we learn of Ordell's (Jackson) gun-selling empire, his girl-keeping properties and his $500,000-hidden money in Cabo. Two of his minions get into trouble and Ordell gets to business to get them out of jail to eliminate them. One's easy: Beaumont (Tucker) but the other has a lot more to lose and gain, Jackie Brown (Grier.) She's a fast-thinking, smooth criminal who convinces three sets of people to help her better her situation, i.e. taking off with the half million.
Group 1: the cops who are more interested in nabbing Ordell. Group 2: the bail bondsman responsible for setting both Beaumont and her free and is obviously smitten with her. And Group 3: Ordell, himself, and his gang of lowlifes. Watching her move/use her magic on the various people is part of her and the movie's charm. Will she, or even, could she get away with this without ending up like Beaumont on the slab? This is a must-see for Tarantino fans, but beyond that, anyone that loves character and plot driven stories, like myself. Throw in some awesome tunes and dialogue, and you have a near-perfect movie.
Side Note: Yeah, I know I said the opening was rather long – but I'm referring to after the immediate opening credits with Jackie on her way to work. It may seem simplistic to some, but just her standing still, while moving, in conjunction with that amazing song, Across 110th Street, is absolutely one of my favorite opening credit scenes of all time.