Distinct characters, witty dialogue, bullets & blood

Rating: 9/10 (31 May 2019)

Tarantino's love of genre, his deep understanding of the importance of genre to storytelling on film is evident in 'Reservoir Dogs'. It is hard to believe this is his first movie: an argument can be made that it is still his best. The casting is excellent: Lawrence Tierney as the mob boss, Madsen as the psycho, Keitel as the career criminal (who wants to get tacos after casing the jewel heist). This film gets better with repeated viewing. High-priced talent would not have made this a better movie, in fact movie stars probably would have diminished its brilliance. (Tarantino's casting acumen is also evident in 'Jackie Brown'). The story is told episodically, delving into each character's connection to this heist. As events unfold, and people die, the stakes are raised to a boiling point. Deception, betrayal, mis-placed loyalty, depraved violence ensue in a truly satisfying drama.