The Best Film I've Ever Seen!!!

Rating: 10/10 (16 April 2005)

#1 Best Film of 1992
When most people are asked what their favorite movie or the best film of all time is they are quick to give general responses like 'The Godfather' or 'Schindler's List' or 'Apocalypse Now', but not me. Yep, my favorite film of all time didn't even get one single Academy Award Nomination. It did get a couple of Independent Spirit Award Nominations though, and received an award for Best Supporting Actor. This movie is 'Reservoir Dogs', Quentin Tarantino's absolutely amazing film debut that stayed with me for longer then any other film I've seen. I don't know how to explain how much I love this film, but I'll try.
The film plays a lot like a play (it takes place mostly in one location - a warehouse.) The story follows six small-time crooks from different backgrounds, they are Mr. White (Harvey Keitel - Bad Lieutenant) a middle-aged old-school con with a mean streak but strong conscious, Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen - Kill Bill Vol. 2) a psychopathic hardened criminal with a sick sense of humor and a deep hatred for cops, Mr. Pink (Steve Buscemi - Fargo) a nasty, cheap and down-to-the-point little guy who's very street smart and has some hysterical one-liners, Mr. Brown (Quentin Tarantino - the writer/director of the film) a wise-ass con with a grudge against Madonna, Mr. Blue (Eddie Bunker - writer of Animal Factory) who we don't really know much about, and Mr. Orange (Tim Roth - Pulp Fiction) a young and ambitious guy who's really an undercover cop trying to frame the other cons. These six guys are put together by a gruff old timer criminal Joe Cabot (Lawrence Tierney - Dillinger) and his son Nice Guy Eddie (Chris Penn - Rumble Fish). Their plan is to knock-off a jewelry store in downtown Los Angeles that's getting a shipment of polished diamonds from Israel. The robbery doesn't go as well as they planned and the cops show up. The crooks get the diamonds but two of the six get killed during the robbery. The film never actually shows the robbery, because pretty much the whole movie takes place in an abandoned warehouse (the con's rendezvous place after the robbery). The surviving criminals start showing up there and try to figure out who set them up as they talk about the heist in retrospect.
This powerhouse of a film features one of the very best screenplays ever written filled to the brim with rich and engrossing dialogue that will intrigue, repulse and shock you all at the same time. The acting is absolutely incendiary, with award worthy performances from Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen and especially Steve Buscemi in a role which won him the Best Supporting Male trophy at the Independent Spirit Awards in 1992. The characters are so carefully detailed and layered that it seems like you've known them for all your life, which is probably thanks to not only Quentin Tarantino but the group of immensely talented veteran actors who play the four main roles. The directing is very impressive for a first-time filmmaker, Quentin Tarantino, and the cinematography is definitely worth noticing. Another wonderful factor of this incredible crime-drama is the the collection of 70's rock music. This will probably stir up memories of viewers 45-55 years of age.
'Reservoir Dogs' is a marvelous achievement in cinema, but it's not for everyone. If you are squeamish this isn't the best movie for you. 'Reservoir Dogs' is perhaps one of the most violent American movies in recent years featuring gut-shots, prolonged bleeding, ear slicing and an extremely violent and sadistic torture sequence that is both horrifying and darkly hysterical. In conclusion, 'Reservoir Dogs' has enough energy to power a 747 and then some. To quote another movie critic reviewing another movie, Reservoir Dogs is better than perfect, it's thrillingly alive. That description impeccably describes Quentin Tarantino's first masterpiece. Grade: A+
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