Brutal, but well made

Rating: 6/10 (6 October 2015)

"Reservoir Dogs" doesn't have the entertainment value of other Tarantino movies (I don't come to this for 100 minutes of escapism). But what it does have is serious cheek. Scratch that, what I really mean is cojones. This movie does a terrific job amping the tension in spartan dialogue scenes, and an even better job commanding your attention with a snap of its figurative fingers. When it's not a bunch of gangsters jawing about pop culture over coffee, it's one of them bleeding out in the backseat of a car, or another taking to a cop with a switchblade (effective ruining "Stuck in the Middle with You" for me).
It's that kind of visceral punch to the face and methodical enjoyment of sadism that this movie prides itself on. And the camera work (a simple pull back to reveal a looming sense of dread, roving camera during a tense warehouse standoff) is the mark of a director who knows how to captivate his audience. The hard-edge-to-fun balance is off for me, which is why I don't make this regular Tarantino viewing, but no question he was on his game here.
6/10