Another excellent masterpiece by Tarantino

Rating: Null/10 (29 July 2002)

This film further solidifies Quentin Tarantino as one of the best motion picture directors in the business, and even adds a new dimension to his repertoire, as he was able to take a well done Elmore Leonard novel and make it into a well done feature length film. Jackie Brown is an absolutely stellar film for five main reasons, the first of which is the casting for the film. The stars assembled for this movie are the some of the most unlikely collection of names, with many of them playing roles that differ greatly from most of the roles they have played in the past. This movie proved that Pam Grier still has what it takes as a successful actress, and Samuel L. Jackson was an outstanding foil for her character. Robert Forster, Michael Keaton, and Bridget Fonda are very strong secondary roles, but the most suprisingly uncharacteristic role is that of Robert De Niro, who's character is almost nothing like any of the previous characters he has played in his illustrious career. It was certainly a huge departure for him, and he played it very well. Secondly, this movie has very good cinematography, which is something Tarantino has made a habit of maintaining in all of his feature films. The angle preferences give the movie a very good edge and serve to help the storyline well. Third, this movie has unexpected twists, similar to Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs in the sense that you don't see them coming, but when they happen, you see exactly why they happen and how they work. None of Tarantino's movies are predictable and they often push the envelope in terms of what you expect to see, and that's an edge that he will always have in his career. Fourth, the plot is intelligently simple, yet deceptively complicated. On the surface, the story is all about money, drugs, and guns, and what makes it complicated is the twisted nature of the consequences that come from each of the characters' involvement. Some of the characters in this movie never even meet each other, yet what they do and whatever actions they take directly affect the actions of the others, another trait that exists in Tarantino's previous films. Finally, the soundtrack is outstanding. The use of classic soul songs like Bobby Womack's "Across 110th Street," "Natural High" by Bloodstone, and "Street Life," by The Crusaders featuring Randy Crawford really serve to give this movie an identity that is distinctly different from Tarantino's other pictures. This movie has great emotion and a unique level of suspense as a result of the music, without the use of dramatic scores and orchestrations, which really is a trait that Tarantino uses in all of his movies to give them their own identities. The bottom line is that Quentin Tarantino is a master of film directorial prowess, and Jackie Brown is simply another masterpiece to add to his collection.