Kinetic and sneaky, narcotizing and primal...

Rating: 7/10 (22 April 2007)

Quentin Tarantino co-wrote, directed and co-stars in this flamboyant, literate, byzantine drama which is structured like a dime-store novel. John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson are Los Angeles hit-men, Uma Thurman is a gangster's girl whom Travolta is asked to entertain, Bruce Willis plays a boxer on the run after one of his fights ended in death. Critically-acclaimed picture caught fire with audiences as well, resulting in more show-biz success stories than any other film of the 1990's. Is it really that good? Yes, the verbal interplay and canny, cheeky handling is quite often exhilarating, and the performances by Travolta, Jackson and Willis (and Harvey Keitel as a low-keyed Mob kingpin) are near-perfection; however, the film's mixture of queasy, bloody violence (undermined by the jokey tone) and the barrage of foul-mouthed, low-life characters can easily become wearing. It won't be to everyone's taste, surely, but it's a visceral, gripping cinematic experience nevertheless, one with a knockout soundtrack and an Oscar-winning screenplay. *** from ****