Not your average 'romance' movie...

Rating: 7/10 (20 December 2003)

True Romance (1993/Tony Scott) {written by Quentin Tarantino} *** out of ****
I recently purchased a boat load of Tarantino flicks, and this was one of them. Sure it wasn't directed by him, but their are still many of his trademarks (hamburgers and kung-fu films) featured in the film.

I want to start out by saying that this film has the finest cast I have ever seen on film. It starts out as the strangest Romance I have ever seen, but quickly changes gears into a violent/action/thriller. The films starts out with a nerdy Elvis fan in Detroit named Clarence(Christian Slater) who has a one night stand with a call girl named Alabama (the very sexy Patricia Arquette). They soon decide that they love each other and get married. Then, Clarence takes it upon himself to kill Alabama's old Pimp (Gary Oldman in dreadlocks ). This is were the ultra bloody/violent fun begins, when they take it on the lam.
Other players in the cast are Dennis Hopper (Clarence's father), Christopher Walken (a ruthless mobster), Brad Pitt (the ultimate stoner), Val Kilmer (Clarence's vision of Elvis), Chris Penn & Tom Sizemore (two cops), James Gandolfini (a cold-blooded hitman), and Samuel L. Jackson as a Drug-dealer (very small part). The only problem I have with the cast is that a lot of the characters either are killed off or disappear before they can develop fully. The best scene is when Walken interrogates Hopper's character. It is surreal to see such great actors in the same scene. Excellent dialogue too. I also found it strange to see Hopper in such a toned down role.
Some die-hard Tarantino fans might not like the fact that it is not directed by Tarantino, but that isn't really a problem. Tony Scott ('Enemy of the State' and 'Spy Game') does a credible job directing, if not a little fast paced. But the film has that "we've seen it all before" feeling, especially with the blood soaked climax.
All in all, a worthy effort. A must for Tarantino fans, but others rent before purchase. The DVD is excellent, and a great addition to my collection.
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