A timeless classic

Rating: 10/10 (5 June 2005)

STAR RATING: ***** Unmissable **** Very Good *** Okay ** You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead * Avoid At All Costs
A film telling the tale of the after-math of a botched bank raid by a gang of professional thieves. The rapid alert of the police and word-of-mouth has also drawn the conclusion of an undercover police officer in their midst.
Upon it's initial release, this flick caused the biggest stir in movies since The Exorcist. A generally violent, foul-mouthed movie at the best of times featuring the notorious ear-cutting scene. Although having seen it, I can't really see what all the fuss was about. The camera veers away from that shot, whereas in Robocop you saw a man get blasted to bits by a gang of crooks with guns (as well as seeing him writhing in agony whilst they laugh at and taunt him!) and another scene where you see a man's testicles apparently get blown off after an attempted rape, yet to the best of my knowledge that was never banned, or even Candyman 2 where you actually see a man's hand being severed off with a rusty blade whilst similar taunting is going on which was never banned. I suppose the graphic, real shot of the man who's been shot in the stomach at the beginning might have played a big part too, though (in a way, it's certainly a lot more shocking than that scene.)
But all that controversy aside, we are dealing with a truly legendary film here. A small, low-budget, art-house production that leaves you more fulfilled than any big-budget, Hollywood production ever could. There is a genuinely impressive, shining quality to the writing, dialogue and story-telling at play here that no doubt cemented Tarantino's ascension to his current glory. Moreover, you can see what are probably the earliest hatchings of the 'reverse-plotting' trend starting here that lead to such films as Memento getting made.
All of the cast are excellent, and it can only be the work of the hands of fate that while some went on to really make names for themselves (Tarantino, Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi) others (Michael Madsen, Chris Penn) just got delegated to either supporting roles or straight-to-video roles. I suppose if I had to pick particular favourites, they would be Buscemi as the edgy, mechanical brains of the group, and Madsen, who has a quiet, un-nerving edge to him that seems typical of a genuine psychopath.
It is basically a film driven by dialogue and atmosphere, with a cracking soundtrack from artists as diverse as Steeler's Wheel to Dolly Parton. It's controversy may have given it a helping hand and the name 'Reservoir Dogs' is never actually explained, but for far better reasons than that, this is a film that deserves never to be forgotten. *****