Film review by Kevin Patterson
Jackie Brown *** (out of four) R, 1997 Directed and written by Quentin Tarantino. Starring Pam Grier, Robert Forster, Samuel Jackson, Michael Keaton.
I suppose Quentin Tarantino was in an almost impossible position after the wide acclaim and endless hype of his 1994 film "Pulp Fiction," an offbeat crime movie that was not only possessed by a unique kind of manic energy but even emerged as something of a morality play by the time it was over. Personally, I didn't think "Pulp Fiction" was quite the masterpiece that many other movie-goers thought it was, but I can still see how it would be hard to top in terms of basic in-your-face impact. So I guess it's not such a surprise that his follow-up, "Jackie Brown," is something of a letdown.
Don't misunderstand - this film is not without its virtues. The story, adapted from a novel by Elmore Leonard, revolves around an upcoming payment of $500,000 for illegal gun sales by Ordell Robie (Samuel Jackson). When airline stewardess Jackie Brown (Pam Grier) is caught bringing a smaller transaction of money into the U.S. for Ordell, an ATF agent (Micheal Keaton) offers to get her off the hook if she will set up Ordell for them and hand over the $500,000. Meanwhile, Jackie formulates a plan that might, with the help of bond officer Max Cherry (Robert Forster) let her "take the money and run." The film spends most of the time following Jackie as she arranges things with Max while still trying to convince both Ordell and the authorities that she is on their side.
Numerous double-crosses and deceptions ensue, along with a surprisingly small body count; Tarantino has toned down the violence considerably from "Pulp Fiction" and his first film, "Reservoir Dogs." His offbeat humor is still present, however, especially when Louis (Robert DeNiro), a recently released bank robber who seems to have left his brain behind when he got out of jail, is involved; the dialogue between Louis, Ordell, and Ordell's "little blond surfer gal" Melanie make for some of the funniest moments. And as with most "caper" movies, the plot itself is interesting enough to keep the audience entertained most of the time.
I think the problem with "Jackie Brown" is just that it moves a little too slowly. There were times in this movie when I was actually kind of bored, and I think everyone, whether they liked "Pulp Fiction" and "Reservoir Dogs" or not, can pretty much agree that Quentin Tarantino had never put a boring moment on the screen before now. He has said publicly that he was aiming for a more low-key style with this film rather than trying to top himself and thus decided to focus on the characters, most notably Jackie, but I think he may have overdone it in this respect. These characters are better developed than those in most action/crime movies, but there are also some scenes which drag on too long without telling us anything very revealing about them or about the central storyline.
I figure that a movie that keeps me entertained at a very low level, through basic action sequences or simple plot manipulations, deserves two stars. "Jackie Brown" has the added benefit of Tarantino's style, humor, and character development, so it gets three. Don't go to see it expecting "Pulp Fiction II," but as a quirky, entertaining, and generally well-written crime movie, it delivers the goods.
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