"You shoot me in a dream, you better wake up and apologize."

Rating: 9/10 (22 March 2009)

Only the likes of Quentin Tarantino could make a gangster movie as unconventional and as fresh as "Reservoir Dogs." With it's chunky dialogue, unsettling violence, non-linear storyline and excellent performances from it's talented cast, it's everything you would expect from the director and something that more movies should aspire to be.
During a daylight jewelry heist, six well-seasoned criminals find themselves at odds when things go terribly wrong. The alarm is tripped, the cops show up and a lot of blood is shed. Despite the fact that they don't know each other's names -- they are instead given color-coded aliases to go by -- they have formed a kinship with one another that is broken within two crucial minutes. Retreating to a nearby warehouse, they tend to one of their own who has been wounded in action while simultaneously trying to figure out which of them is the rat. When talking doesn't settle things, they resort to gun-play, while the true story unfolds behind them. What results is a tightly wound, slow-burning little crime-drama known as "Reservoir Dogs."
Setting a precedent for crime-dramas, "Reservoir Dogs" is notable not only for it's unconventional story-telling, but also for the fact that the "job" is never shown on-screen. Instead, the movie focuses on its characters, played by the likes of Tim Roth, Harvey Keitel, Steve Buscemi, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn and Tarantino himself. Keitel and Buscemi, in particular, are truly natural in their roles and keep the movie feeling genuine and engaging. Madsen plays the unpredictable role of Mr. Blonde almost too realistically, constructing a character that nearly steals the show, and who certainly has one of the most memorable moments of the film. Tim Roth doesn't have much to do here besides gush blood, but in his back-story, shows both strength and vulnerability. Tarantino -- despite being somewhat of an amateur at the time -- finds his vision early on in the film, establishing a style that pays tribute to his influences, while simultaneously breaking new ground only to influence a wave of film-makers in his wake. Made for just under a million, Tarantino stretches an inch into a mile into this amazing little film. It's simple, yet effective. It's loaded with fresh dialogue and a cast that works so well together that you feel like you're in that warehouse with them. Even when you know how the story goes, and it you find yourself watching it over and over again, it never fails to entertain and stimulate the senses, making "Reservoir Dogs" a certifiable classic.