An Excellent Tarantino Movie!

Rating: 9/10 (27 February 2003)

This is actually very different from Quentin Tarantino's two earlier films 'Pulp Fiction' and 'Reservoir Dogs'. First of all, it isn't nearly as violent as those films, but still has some intense brutal violence. Second of all, this wasn't an original screenplay, it was an adaptation of Elmore Leonard's novel 'Rum Punch'. This really didn't differ all that much from Rum Punch, accept Jackie Brown was white instead of black. I think this different kind of Tarantino movie is actually a masterpiece! I think this is a fantastic film, with great writing, directing and especially acting (like all of Quentin's films). The story is about a middle-aged black woman Jackie Brown (Pam Grier) who is a stewardess for a crummy airline that flies from L.A. to Cabo San Lucas. When she gets caught by two police detectives Nicolette (Michael Keaton) and Dargus (Michael Bowen) for transporting drugs and money for a brutal thug Ordell Robbie (Samuel L. Jackson) she ends up in jail. When she gets out of jail on bail, an older bail bondsman named Max Cherry (Robert Forrester) who is Ordell's bail bondsman as well, falls for her. Out of jail, she must help Nicolette to catch Ordell, but if Ordell finds out her plan, he will have absolutley no problem killing her. With the choices of helping Ordell and risking going to jail and helping Nicolette and risk getting killed, she decides to play them both and work with Max to get $500,000 from Ordell, turn Ordell into the cops, and run off with the money. This film also stars Robert DeNiro as Ordell's partner in crime, Louis, Bridget Fonda as Ordell's girlfriend, Melanie, and Chris Tucker as a loud mouth petty thief, Beaumont Livingston. Great performances given in by Pam Grier, Robert DeNiro, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Keaton, Bridget Fonda and especially, Robert Forrester in the role which earned him an Academy Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor of the Year in 1997. This film is great, and I highly recommend you see it. Although not as good as 'Reservoir Dogs' or 'Pulp Fiction', this is still going to be a memorable Tarantino film. Rent it Today (But see 'Reservoir Dogs' and 'Pulp Fiction' first). Grade: A-