True Romance (1993) [Directed by Tony Scott]

Rating: 7/10 (5 December 2002)

NOTE: This review is in reference to the Unrated Director's Cut, and it may refer to some scenes not featured in the original release.
True Romance has for a long time been considered the middle-piece in a loose trilogy by filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, wedged in between the now-classic Reservoir Dogs (1992) and the always timeless Pulp Fiction (1994). However, I am urged to disagree with public opinion -- as is usual -- and shed some light on why True Romance is not a Tarantino film. Firstly, it is directed by Tony Scott -- a man who's had his moments, but should really leave movie-making to Ridley -- and, therefore, has a very shallow, action-based tone (despite it's desperate attempt to be categorized as independent). This is made extremely evident in some utterly ludicrous "adrenaline-rush" scenes (e.g. the roller-coaster segment) and in the inscrutably dull performance of Michael Rapaport (who plays a poor -- both financially and literally -- actor somehow capable of purchasing rare, out-of-print film posters, framing them, and hanging them on his wall). But I must confess that what irritated me most about True Romance was the ending. For those of you who aren't as well-informed about Quentin and this screenplay, the original ending (SPOILERS AHEAD) involved Clarence being killed in the Mexican stand-off and Alabama becoming a call-girl once again (eventually teaming up with Mr. White from Reservoir Dogs). Tony attempted to justify his compromise -- which is basically having Clarence and Alabama live happily ever after, despite the fact that stole a suitcase full of cocaine and pumped more shotgun shells in their opponents than any other two lovers I've seen on the silver screen -- by saying that (and I quote) "I loved the two main characters so much that I wanted them to get away with it." Although I may not speak on behalf of the reader or any other viewer, I didn't care at all for Clarence or Alabama. Perhaps if their roles had been given to more experienced and "loveable" actors, this ending would have worked. Okay, I will give this to fans of the film: Patricia Arquette isn't bad, but I couldn't stop thinking that Christian Slater looked like the devil. This said, True Romance does have some good aspects: the soundtrack was unique and worked well with the mood, Quentin cleverly incorporated Elvis' ghost into the screenplay, and supporting actors James Gandolfini and Chris Walken are great. The best thing about this movie, though -- and the only thing that keeps me from giving it a lower grade -- is Brad Pitt. His performance is, for lack of a better word, hysterical! And I found it very interesting that even though all he does throughout the film is lie on a couch and get high, he ends up causing half of the deaths in the movie -- and no one even knows it. Also, I feel compelled to mention the recently released 2-disc DVD set, which features Quentin's only audio commentary ever recorded, and a montage of the alternate ending. In conclusion, Tony Scott's interpretation of True Romance might have worked if Pulp Fiction or Reservoir Dogs had never been made, but with shoes that big to fill, it can't help but become a failure.
Grade: C-