Great references

Rating: 10/10 (10 October 2006)

The reasons I hold this film so dear to my heart are numerous.
I should firstly say that all of Tino's films are brilliantly entertaining, but even more importantly shot in a visual style that arguably no modern director with the possible exceptions of Fincher and Mann can rival.
Heat was a great movie, Fight club even better, Reservoir dogs better still.
I can compare Reservoir Dogs to good Theatre seen through the eyes of a great camera.
The film is very witty, but in a banal everyday sort of way. The camera watches but never judges. Masden sits down instead of stands because he can't be bothered to get up. Keitel closes the door in the background because it opens by accident.
References to Lee Marvin (extremely funny in Paint your Wagon)are made, Buscemi shines, Roth is truly believable as the cop/amateur thief. Keital well Keital is just a movie icon and Masden is truly frightening/but never amusing. Who have I left out.
The opening is possibly like no other. Funny, brave and truly original. The opening theme is just so cool you want to stop it play it back and then write an essay on the beauty of image and soundtrack.
Who designed the set? It works brilliantly, so simple yet the perfect hiding place for a bungled heist. The only crime (pun intended) is that this movie doesn't beat other opposition to land itself in the top 10.
Incidentally this is not even my favourite Tino film.
That's Jackie Brown.
Could Fincher have done as good a job? perhaps.