Tarantino's Best

Rating: 10/10 (4 October 1999)

Tarantino's best and most inspired work. I was unprepared for the pure impact of this movie, although the opening diner-table dialogue between all members of the cast marked it immediately as a Tarantino film. No one shows us that "crooks are people too" the way he does, yet he will follow with scenes of such crushing brutality that we once again remember the differences between the good guys and the bad guys. His colorful characters- Mr. White (with the "cool-sounding name), Mr. Orange, psychotic Mr. Blonde, and feisty Mr. Pink interact with a variety of personality clashes that produce some outstanding scenes. No one character is the star, they all play tug-o-war for our attention. A lack of musical score lends a gritty, realistic, "Cops"-like feel to the interspersed action sequences- quite unusual, and a welcome change from the orchestral bombardment present in other movies during shootouts, car chases, etc. The crime that is the center of the plot is never shown, therefore the viewer uses his or her imagination and stories from each individual character as they tell it to piece together what took place in the jewelry store. Quite a lot of blood flows in the course of the movie, but it is never gratuitous nor glorified. Oscar-worthy performances abound, most especially from greviously wounded Tim Roth and nervously intense Steve Buscemi. Some wonderful twists and a stunning ending make this movie what is sure to be known as one of the classics of the 1990's.