more genius from Tarantino

Rating: 10/10 (11 March 2005)

SPOILERS Let's be honest for a second here. Out of everyone in Hollywood today, there must be few who are living the dream as much as Quentin Tarantino. With a life drenched in cinema, Tarantino is the king of "cool" cinema. Creating films which are full of pop culture references, always featuring an awe inspiring soundtrack and with magnificent characters, Tarantino has seemingly not put a foot wrong since 1992's perfect "Reservoir Dogs". With both Dogs and the more successful "Pulp Fiction" (1994) under his belt, 1997's "Jackie Brown" was another rung on the Tarantino ladder as he created a film containing humour, some memorable lines and an amazing career reemergence by Pam Grier.
Jackie Brown (Grier) is a flight attendant for one of the down-market airlines. Secretly running money into the country for Ordell Robbie (Samuel L Jackson), things suddenly seem to go wrong for her when she is arrested by Ray Nicolette (Michael Keaton) of the police. Now with the help of bail organiser Max Cherry (Robert Forster), Jackie Brown is out for herself.
It's an acceptable fact in modern cinema that if Quentin Tarantino is involved with a film, it's going to be stylish. Whether he's written the film, directed it, or simply put his name to it, the film is going to be stylish. "Jackie Brown" is without a doubt, no exception.
From Pam Grier's first appearance, through to her final scene, the film flows with a soundtrack to orgasm over. With a distinctive soul feel, it's hard not to be dragged into the adventures of Jackie Brown.
The casting also adds to the persona of the film. Samuel L Jackson as gun merchant Ordell is perhaps not as good as in "Pulp Fiction" but he's not far off. Robert De Niro as well, looking remarkably old and worn is brilliant as the stoned bank robber friend of Ordell who is just out of jail. Then, add to the list Keaton, Forster, Bridget Fonda, Chris Tucker and the amazing Grier, and you are looking at an outstanding lineup.
Tarantino also has an amazing knack for unique camera angles and sound techniques. In "Reservoir Dogs" he had Michael Madsen's Mr Blonde walk between two locations whilst music was only audible in one of the two. Copying the technique in "Jackie Brown" one scene is amazing where the story rotates between cars, all playing different songs. The way it is done is nothing short than genius. Then with camera angles he again replicates an idea from Dogs by having a camera filming from an open car trunk. Looking up at characters from the tight angle, the scene always looks strangely intriguing, almost like your secretly observing on a private conversation. Tarantino introduces us to his views on picture and sound quality, and you begin to realise just how clever the man truly is.
Everyone knows what they like to see in cinema. Whether it's a comedy starring a rubber faced comedian, or a serious drama starring an old English thespian, choice is all around. Personally though, whatever the mood, the one thing you can always rely on is that few films will be as stylish as a Quentin Tarantino feature. "Jackie Brown" might not be quite as amazing as "Reservoir Dogs" or "Pulp Fiction" but it is still one of the best films you will ever see.