Slightly flawed but still good fun

Rating: 9/10 (4 August 2008)

This is an entertaining crime-flick made from a Tarantino script. It isn't as good as Reservoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction; in fact, it isn't nearly as good as those but it is a good film none-the-less.
This movie contains all of the usual Tarantino style dialogue  pop cultural references, un-PC stuff, funny one-liners, etc. And it has to be said, it is one of True Romance's strong-points. That and the acting; this film really does have a very good cast. There are excellent turns by Gary Oldman, Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken, Chris Penn, Bronson Pinchot, Brad Pitt and Saul Rubinek. Every one of these actors really makes the most of their screen time. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the two central players. Christian Slater is unconvincing, although his character isn't exactly the most convincing Tarantino creation  a comic book assistant who instantly turns into a gun-toting, unhinged madman? Come on now! And Patricia Arquette, despite being incredibly sexy, comes across as just a little too gigglingly moronic most of the time. Generally speaking, the romance aspect of this film was really trite and unengaging. These weren't great characters to hang the story onto to be perfectly honest.
But all of that aside, the rest of the film is very impressive both in terms of tension and writing. The Gary Oldman scene is terrifying. The Walken/Hopper confrontation is an acting master class. And Bronson Pinchot, in particular is absolutely hilarious as Elliot the cowardly actor  I particularly enjoyed the scene where he is pulled over for erratic driving  priceless! Despite the unappealing central characters, True Romance is a film that is well worth seeking out.