Far from Tarantino's best work, but there are some special acting performances which make this a worthwhile film, although it does not qualify as a "must see."

Rating: 6/10 (24 July 2000)

It's difficult to distance "Jackie Brown" from the earlier works of director Quentin Tarantino. Compared to "Pulp Fiction" and "Reservoir Dogs" it falls down at least a couple of pegs. Tarantino's characters usually live in the criminal fringe of society, but most can evoke some sympathy from an audience. This was not true of "Jackie Brown" at least not for me. In the title role, Pam Grier gives us very little outside of attitude ... she might be in trouble, but she's not taking anyone's guff ... and I didn't feel that was enough. I don't think you can base a quality film on someone whose only obvious attribute is that she can vamp through an airport like Tina Turner (who, by the way, would have been a better fit for the character). Robert Forster, as the bail bondsman, gave an excellent performance. He validated Grier's character by subtly playing off her affected sassiness. Forster gave the audience a character to cheer for. Samuel L. Jackson made a terrific villain, but I couldn't stand that little braid he had growing off his chin (was that supposed to be a beard?). Robert Deniro showed, once again, why he is one of the best-paid stars in Hollywood. He played the part of a basically useless thug, a man without a conscience or charm, but made him funny and charming, in a brutish kind of way. Deniro made the character interesting, even though it was only a small part. They should show clips of "Jackie Brown" in Acting 101 classes for Deniro's performance alone. It is too bad, for the sake of this film as a whole, that Deniro's character was such a small part. Two of the best scenes in this movie are between Deniro and Jackson, in a panel truck, and between Deniro and Bridget Fonda, in a parking lot. "Jackie Brown" gets bogged down in the scenes between Grier and Michael Keaton and Michael Bowen, as two narcotics policemen. The ordinarily likeable Keaton is out of his element here, trying to play a tough but well-meaning cop. He isn't able to establish any chemistry between himself and Grier. As the hero, Forster did a much better job of that, and Jackson as well, as the anti-hero. Fonda is believable as Jackson's "blonde surfer girl". You see flashes of Quentin Tarantino's magic touch in "Jackie Brown" but mostly this film is remarkable only for a few very special acting performances amidst some questionable casting choices.