Gritty, realistic, very good

Rating: 8/10 (21 July 2009)

Reservoir Dogs is a very misanthropic picture, but very strong and convincing. Unlike Pulp Fiction or Kill Bill, I do not believe for a moment that Tarantino took pleasure in the violence he was orchestrating for this picture, although I'm sure many would disagree. There is no wit, no jokes, no heroism or mannerism, What Tarantino gives us is very primal and visceral but remarkably real.
The story follows the aftermath of a jewelry heist gone wrong. Five out of eight robbers (one who is badly wounded) hide out in a vacant warehouse and try to figure out what went wrong. They begin to suspect that one of them is a rat. Each character gets a flashback told from his point of view, showing how he became part of the operation.
One has to respect Tarantino for the risks he is taking. Considering it is his first film as a director, one might think he would want to do something that attracts an audience rather than repulses them. Tarantino turns so many things on end, making Reservoir Dogs a very difficult film to watch, but it should not be dismissed as bad. It is an impressive movie, but not one for the light hearted. View only if you think you are ready.