A Surprisingly Faithful Leonard

Rating: Null/10 (18 February 1999)

My guess is that Quentin Tarantino's follow-up to his classic "Pulp Fiction" will disappoint many people. But the writer-director probably realized he could never top that masterpiece, and he didn't try. Instead, he has given us a surprisingly faithful adaption of Elmore Leonard's novel, "Rum Punch."
That doesn't mean that Tarantino doesn't have some fun. He shoots the same crucial scene from the perspective of three different characters. His camera work is as bright and creative as usual. But for the most part he takes his time. The 155-minute running time may seem a bit long, but the director is just savoring--and letting us savor--a great story and some fine action.
Putting Pam Grier and Robert Forster in key roles seems at first to be stunt casting, but they both work. And so does the movie.