Near-Profound Insanity

Rating: 9/10 (9 May 2009)

:SPOILERS: I don't think there's much I can say about this film that hasn't already been said. I guiltily enjoyed the dark humor and disturbing hilarity, which was executed perfectly by Jackson, Willis, and Thuman. I found Travolta's character a little too slick and confident to be believed; his attitude reminded me of similar characters Travolta has played in the past, making it more difficult for me to separate the actor from the character.
The script, as I expected given that it was written by Quentin Tarantino, was full of gory violence and random tangents, the latter of which were both educational and entertaining. The non-linear narration was fun, though it didn't seem to serve much of a purpose other than to give greater weight to Vincent's decision to continue working for Marcellus and Jules' decision to turn away. Jules' decision, and his final monologue, elevates the film, for me, above a crazy thrill-ride. Before the final scene, the film presents characters who are funny, but nevertheless repugnant in their self-centerdness. Jules' ability to step outside himself and see his own hypocrisy and selfishness allows him to place the exaggerated travails of the film in within a moral context -- a moral context which does not diminish the hilarious insanity of the film, but reminds the viewer that a more fulfilling life does exist beyond that insanity