Screams 'Style!' all the way...

Rating: 10/10 (25 January 2002)

... Let's clear one thing up first: I happen to believe that this movie is not as good as "Reservoir Dogs". "RD" had a clearly defined story and aim. I'm not so sure this does. It feels more like an exercise by Mr Tarantino, demonstrating just how audacious he can be. Is there anything wrong with such flashiness when the result is this entertaining? Not in the slightest.
"The Gold Watch" segment did nothing for me, and in my opinion should have been left out of the final cut, much as I like Christopher Walken. The rest of the movie without exception is a tour de force of controlled direction (Tarantino always knows where the film is going, even if his audience doesn't) understated but powerful acting, and moments of bizarre humour. I could quote the dialogue verbatim here, but there is simply too much quality and not enough space.
This was also Sam Jackson's breakout role. For that we should be thankful, because the man is 'star quality' personified...
No amount of superlatives can come close to encapsulating the feeling that most of you will get when watching the movie for the first time. It is an absorbing experience, almost like you have stepped into a much cooler VR sim of real life. Repeated viewings do not seem to dull its stark vitality.
Those of you who abhor it for its casual attitude to violence miss out on its good points that DO NOT contain violence; namely, realistic yet captivating dialogue, flawless character development and bravura directing. It is much more than the glorification of gangsters and their subculture, a la "Lock, Stock... " and its ilk.
Calling it the best movie ever made is hollow and unsubstantiated praise that I will not garner it with. One thing that can not be denied is that from its arrival it changed our perceptions of what cinema can mean to all people.
Despite this, as I said, I don't think it can compare equally with "Reservoir Dogs"...