Shocking and honest brilliantly scripted crime drama

Rating: 9/10 (15 December 2009)

After getting married Clarence (Slater) and Alabama (Arquette) run off with stolen drugs and attempt to sell it which leads a big drugs baron to chase after them Arguably Tony Scott's most violent film shows a true dynamic of criminal justice and vigour that could have only been well executed by the man in the know, Quentin Tarantino.
As of its release in 1993 there was a collection of relative unknowns starring in this picture that has all gone on to be huge in Hollywood. Pitt, Kilmer, Slater, and Oldman the list is endless. For the already established stars of Hopper, Walken amongst others this was one of their crowning glories. Who can forget the "eggplant" scene with Hopper and Walken, a truly outstanding confrontation where passions, opinions and controversies are running riot.
Slater leads reasonably well from the front being engrossed into his role of jealousy and determination for a better existence. However he is upstaged by hooker Alabama, played with a sophisticated sexiness by Patricia Arquette, a marvel who shines through and through. The character opens with a beautifully charming foreplay scene, to being incredibly distraught when involved with the crime sequences, a perfect femme fatale.
Despite the stunning array of Hollywood on show this is unquestionably about the startling narrative which encodes your familiar elements of Tarantino. Drugs, business like dealings, brutal killings and no holds barred language. And though Scott does a reasonable job directing this brutal story, there are moments when you would have liked the Pulp Fiction director to pick up the camera. The final scenes in the hotel could have done with a more flinching and focused styling whilst the drug taking sequences can be too kind and sparring of the audiences.
However Scott controls the necessary elements of the picture with a modest and still action orientated styling. For example the opening scenes in the bars and cinema are well managed and told with the scripting in mind and the confrontation between Hopper and Walken is certainly the best scene I've ever seen him direct.
The feeling of sexual orientation being significant is often stated in his films. The constant topless shots in Top Gun and here the carefully respected sex scene would otherwise be appreciative of the moment rather than posing to get viewers.
The ending in the hotel was good and quite stupid of me I had seen Enemy of the state prior to this and couldn't stop the comparisons flowing.
This is a great film. Flinching ordeal of a happy life dreaming mixed so fluently with shocking illegal crime activities and with an array of stars this is simply watchable.