Manikin Sex

Rating: Null/10 (23 April 2003)

Spoilers herein.
Excess is part of the fabric of film. In some cases, the excess is part of a strategy to enrich the film, as in `The Good Thief' and `Moulin Rouge.' Sometimes it is a strategy to simplify to dullness and just press through with the sensory overload. Rock music has this division as well.
Many moviegoers don't seem to know the difference, especially when the simple-minded excess is artificially flavored, as we have here. Tarantino's basic approach is flavored mere noise. The noise is to take character stereotypes and make them as extremely stereotypical as they can be, way past outrageous. The flavor is to do this in a way that is distinctly self-referentially ironic. That way, the audience `participates' believing themselves to be in on a celebration of excess in film through excess itself.
It seems to work, since the audience doesn't seem to need much: here a salute to comicbooks and dope. It is a simple pleasure and painless we are told, so lay back. But with so many intelligent uses of a similar device (see `Ghost Dog'). Do we really need Quentin? Do we really need him to suck all the oxygen out of efforts that would be better? Are we ever going to get it straight whether Quentin is a whore who really loves us?
Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 4: Has some interesting elements.