"We're Supposed to be F*****g Professionals!"

Rating: 9/10 (19 May 2016)

It's no wonder that "Reservoir Dogs" is part of the reason why Quentin Tarantino first started to became known as the "boy wonder" of Hollywood. Still in his late twenties, Tarantino had directed a movie that was as smart as it was entertaining. "Reservoir Dogs" left audiences in shock (and sometimes even out in the lobby) due to its violence, yet left them in stitches due to it's hilarity. There was not a second that went by during this movie that I felt bored, and that is a credit both to Tarantino's amazing dialogue and his ability to create tension-filled scenes.
The characters in this movie are all tons of fun to watch, and are the kind of people that you guiltily end up liking even though most of them are hardened criminals. I especially liked Tim Roth's character, Mr. Orange AKA Freddy Newmandyke, and Harvey Keitel's character, Mr. White AKA Larry Dimmick. Both of these characters were complex and interesting, and their relationship with one and other in a sort of father and son-he-never-had dynamic was both touching and tragic; touching in that a hardened criminal like Dimmick could take a young thief under his wing like his own son, yet tragic in that Dimmick would throw his relationship with Newmandyke out the window once Newmandyke revealed that he was a cop. It just goes to show that there really is no honor among thieves. I also liked the character of Mr. Pink, who was the only one among the men that really saw the other men for what they were: scumbags. It was obvious that he recognized himself as a scumbag too, but what made him different was that he was a professional scumbag, and in the end that's what saved his life.
Another thing worth mentioning about this movie is the way that it is told, both visually and chronologically. This movie introduced Tarantino's penchant for non-linear storytelling, (Inglorious Basterds, Pulp Fiction) and did it beautifully. With its constant reveals through flashbacks and flashbacks-in-flashbacks, "Reservoir Dogs" lets the audience know in its own time every detail that it wants them to know. This type of storytelling is truly exciting and fun to watch, and is a huge reason why "Reservoir Dogs" works. Also, I particularly enjoyed the scene in which Newmandyke was telling his "commode story", and it cut to him in the imaginary bathroom talking to some police officers like they were Mr. White, Joe, and Nice-Guy Eddie. This is another great example of "Reservoir Dogs"'s unique style of storytelling, which is truly reminiscent of the French New Wave in that it breaks many of the "rules" of film.
Lastly, and certainly not least, the soundtrack is yet another in a long line of fabulous Tarantino soundtracks. The fake radio station "K-Billy's Super Sounds of the 70's" works amazingly in this movie, and always plays the perfect song for the moment. I mean, c'mon, I don't think there could have been a more perfect choice of music for the torture scene.
Listen, this film doesn't leave you contemplating deep life questions. This film leaves you bobbing your head to some great music, and repeating quotes from it for a good week or so, ("If you shoot me in your dreams, you better wake up and apologize"). In my opinion, this film is perfect for what it is: a kick-ass crime movie with snappy dialogue and lots of twists along the way. What makes this movie a classic isn't its deep metaphors on life or social commentary, it's its memorable characters and unique, riveting style.