"The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men."

Rating: 9/10 (26 August 2009)

Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" is a film that needs no introduction. One of the best films of the nineties, it made Tarantino ubiquitous and landed an impressive seven Oscar nominations.
The film is comprised of three related stories. One story involves hit men Vincent Vega (John Travolta) & Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) as they pay a visit to some 'business partners' of their boss, Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames). Another story revolves around Vincent Vega once again as he is instructed to take the boss's wife (Uma Thurman) out on the town while he's away. The remaining story focuses on an aging boxer (Bruce Willis) whom Wallace has bribed to throw his next fight.
As you can see by the names mentioned above, the cast is chock full of talented individuals. Travolta, Jackson & Thurman all got awards recognition, though none of them were lucky on Oscar night. In my opinion, Jackson in particular should have won an Oscar for what is arguably the best performance of his career. The rest of the cast includes the likes of Tim Roth, Harvey Keitel & Christopher Walken. Definitely an enviable cast.
The film's sole Oscar win was for the original screenplay, which is arguably the film's strongest point. The script is loaded with memorable dialogue, the plot is original and the film manages to elevate itself above other crime films by mixing violence & redemption. It is not hyperbole when this screenplay is ranked among the very best of all time.
As for Tarantino's direction, that's superbly handled as well. The film looks great and it also sounds great. The soundtrack is exceptional, including standout tracks by Dick Dale ("Misirlou"), Kool & the Gang ("Jungle Boogie"), Urge Overkill ("Girl, You'll be a Woman Soon") and Chuck Berry ("You Never Can Tell"), among others.
All in all, "Pulp Fiction" is a top-notch film whose high stature is unquestionably warranted. Needless to say, if you've never seen this movie you owe it to yourself to do so post-haste.