Jackie Brown (1997)
A movie review by Michael J. Legeros
Copyright 1997 by Michael J. Legeros
(Mirimax)
Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Written by Quentin Tarantino, from the novel "Rum Punch" by
Elmore Leonard
Cast Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Forster, Bridget
Fonda, Michael Keaton, Robert De Niro, Christ Tucker
MPAA Rating "R" (presumably for violence and language)
Running Time 155 minutes
Reviewed at The Rialto Theatre, Raleigh, NC (11DEC97)
==
After an eclectic array of post-PULP FICTION distractions-- vampire flicks, script doctorings, horrid Christmas Day anthologies, etc.-- Q.T. is back, doin' what he does best, adapting Elmore Leonard's "Rum Punch" as the year's best black comedy/caper flick/love story/'70's musical re- vue. (Forget BOOGIE NIGHTS, this is the soundtrack to shake your booty to.) An exceptionally striking Pam Grier plays the title character, a 44 y.o. stewardess on a cut-rate airline, caught smuggling gun money (and a bit of blow) for Sam Jackson's small-time L.A. arms dealer. Fac- ing a change to an already underwhelming lifestyle, she cuts a deal with the feds, enlists the aid of a increasingly friendly been-there-done- that bail bondsman (Robert Forster), and begins concocting a scheme to win her freedom, and, maybe, just maybe, walk away with a chunk of the half mil that's also part of the plan.
Double and triple crosses ensue, but they're fairly easy to follow. Far more jarring-- initially, at least-- is the relaxed pace and straightforward narrative. (That is, unless you've never seen a Taran- tino flick, in which case you'll probably be blushing at Jackson's ample use of n***** and m*****f*****.) Other Q.T. trademarks are present and accounted for, including the expected conversational asides. (My fave: Jackson detailing the influence of Hong Kong action flicks on handgun demand.) There's less violence than you might expect and only one zany, brainy instance of time-shifting, which happens toward the end, when an event is told thrice, from three different viewpoints. The real joy, though, is in the depth of characterizations. We're given a generous amount of screen time to know and grow to love the three principals. In turn, Grier, Forster, and Jackson reward us with rich (and, in Jackson's case, also electrifying) performances. Really, the only shame is that it has to end. With supporting turns of varying success by Bridget Fonda, Michael Keaton, and Robert DeNiro.
Grade: A-
-- Mike Legeros - Movie Hell http://www.nonvirtual.com/hell
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