Tarantino's second-best film

Rating: 8/10 (24 April 2006)

Let's not get carried away - Pulp Fiction, this is not. But to anybody who knows his work, this movie screams Tarantino from beginning to end. It is clever, intriguing, observational, entertaining, but never patronizing.
Personally I think DeNiro & the stunningly gorgeous Fonda are hopelessly mis-cast here. As in PF and almost every other movie he appears in, Jackson controls every one of his numerous scenes. That's fine because he does it better than anyone else I know. But it needs a very special actor to play opposite him, and the above mentioned don't quite fit the bill here. Forster & Grier on the other hand, manage it well (for those not yet fans of Forster, check out American Perfekt.) Keaton provides good support but Chris Tucker is under-used. Locations are not really memorable and the film lacks atmosphere. What really makes this worthy is the script, the plot, and the lead's acting. Of course there's the music too, but it's all strangely subdued.
Obviously the pedigree is evident and the film is well-crafted, but it is the story that shines through here. I give it 8 only because I think QT has done better, but it really is a must-see movie.