The Ultimate Hollywood Fairytale

Rating: 8/10 (7 July 2008)

The Ultimate Hollywood Fairytale
A script that was (party) written by Quentin Tarantino seems to be impossible to get on film. Nevertheless, Tony Scott took a shot and delivers the fairytale about "the movies". After some modifications in the storyline (which was originally connected to Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs), Scott and co. produced a true classic.
Leading character Clarence Worley (Slater) guides you during a wild ride, which contains literally sex, drugs and rock and roll. Basically, the story is about Clarence who meets Alabama (Arquette), a callgirl, falls in love with her and attempts to start a new life with her. However, there are some complications concerning her pimp, Drexl (Oldman). Clarence and Alabama end up stealing cocaine from Alabama's former pimp. The newlyweds decide to sell the drugs in Hollywood, finding themselves chased by the former owners of the "half a mill" worth of drugs.
True Romance is a film that should be regarded as the guide through Hollywood. The incredible strong cast (with appearances of, amongst others, Samuel L. Jackson, Brad Pitt, Christopher Walken, James Gandolfini and Dennis Hopper) delivers the most comic, over exaggerated, varying and creative characters imaginable. Literally every part of this movie is overdone; from the Elvis impression by Kilmer, to the stereotype director Donowitz (Rubinek). Why then, do I rate this movie with 8 points out of the 10 possible? Simply because in this movie the interaction between the actors in every scene is just fantastic, which truly is the engine of the picture. Above that, the dialogues are brilliant, and you will find yourself laughing out loud on more than 1 occasion. Most of the times it is not a good sign when you are laughing out loud during serious dialogues in an action-filled motion picture. This is not the case for True Romance. Scott displays the action fairytale in which everything is possible. The choice of exaggerating every character and scene turns out to be the magic touch that turns this movie in to a classic.
Although the entire movie keeps you on the edge of your seat, the scene where Walken, playing a mobster, visits Clarence's father, Hopper, is the very best part of this picture. During this scene, which contains of more than 10 minutes of dialogue, you are blown away by the actors' performance, their lines, character and appearance. In this scene, Gandolfini also displays his talent of playing a fearless gangster.
True Romance provides an adrenaline rush, which does not stop until the very end. Referring to Gandolfini's character, watching this movie truly feels like tasting the snow at the end of the rainbow. Hollywood's rainbow, that is.