Pulp Fiction: An Exercise in Brilliance

Rating: 10/10 (7 March 2012)

Before I knew what a cultural phenomenon Pulp was, I knew that this film was incredible. Seeing Pulp Fiction for the first time, I was awestruck. After seeing it, I can 100% say that it is deserving of every bit of praise it gets. Lets break this down: The acting is all top notch. Whether it's Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta, Eric Stoltz, Uma Thurman and even Quentin Tarantino himself, they're all perfect for their roles in every way. Whether the character the actor is portraying is loud and obnoxious or an exaggerated mousy caricature, all are on their A-Game. The story is realistic, but at the same time it's ridiculous and over the top. While this combination of seemingly incompatible story elements could be potentially disastrous in an average film, Pulp is well aware of it's absurdity and makes fun of itself to the nth degree. The fact that the film is so over the top, yet very dark at it's core is completely offset by the hilarity that comes with the situations that the characters find themselves in,(i.e. being caught and rapped by two redneck homosexuals in the Hollywood hills). The writing, in my own humble opinion, is some of the best ever produced. Period. Whether the dialog is an exchange between two characters talking about rats, milk, or a Royale With Cheese, every word spoken is genuine and real and horribly hilarious in it's nature. You, as an audience member know that you shouldn't be laughing at what's happening on screen, but the film's sly whit is infectious and it keeps you smiling and guessing until the end of the film. Some people call Pulp Fiction "a movie about a movie". I can't argue their point; Pulp is a throwback to those crime cereals that were so prolific in newspapers and comic books of the 70's, as well as a throwback to the classic mobster movies many of us grew up with. Some people see this as a weakness to Quentin Tarantino's direction, saying that he's limited to only making homages to other things in popular culture. I don't think that's true, personally, but in my opinion it's one of his strengths. He takes a genera that is well known and popular and gives it a very fresh twist. He did that with Pulp and he continues to do it today, with films like Kill Bill and Inglourious Basterds. Boiling Pulp Fiction itself down however, the true lovers of cinema, the people who will know exactly what Tarantino is referencing or paying homage to are the ones who will get the most out of this film. That is however not to say that casual viewers won't like the film. It has a little something for everybody and is, without a doubt one of the best films of the recent generation. I hope you like this review and take it into consideration if you decide to see the film.