Basic plot: A middle-aged flight attendant gets caught carrying money between Mexico and the US for an American gun-trader.
Quentin Tarantino is by far one of my favorite writer-directors, if not my #1 favorite. Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, and Kill Bill are all among my Top 50 favorite movies of all time, and even Death Proof can probably squeeze its way into my Top 200 based solely on the last half hour.
Keeping a perfect record is tough. Not to say Jackie Brown is even remotely bad, but to me it’s by far the weakest link in Tarantino’s career.
It still has great performances, superb dialogue, and a few brilliant scenes, but among other things, I thought the pacing was a little off. The overall plot is good, and would’ve been outstanding if Tarantino could’ve tightened it up to a two hour movie, but considering there’s no more meat to the story than Reservoir Dogs had, it doesn’t really have any right being nearly an hour longer.
The characters are pretty good still, particularly Robert De Niro just because it’s such a weird character to see him as, but he’s only in the movie like 10% of the time. Samuel L. Jackson is pretty badass, Pam Grier works well as the title character, and the Bail Bonds guy is really likeable. Still, I wouldn’t say most of them stack up against 90% of Tarantino’s other characters from his superior movies. Michael Keaton felt completely and utterly wasted. Whose idea was it for Batman to play Generic Cop #2? Generic Cop #1 is barely noticeable at all.
All in all, it’s still a good movie compared to a loooooot of movies. Compared to Tarantino’s other movies, it’s not quite on par. I’d buy it for the sake of having it and I’d rewatch it if someone else wanted to, but if I’m in a Tarantino mood there are at least four other movies I’d watch first.
I liked it.
April 17th, 2009 at 11:36 pm
I personally think Jackie Brown is Tarantino’s second best film behind Pulp Fiction, but I’ve never been much of a Tarantino fan. Reservoir Dogs felt pretty shallow aside from the fun dialogue, and Kill Bill has always left me with mixed feelings, although it has grown on me a lot with repeat viewings.
I didn’t have any problems with Jackie Brown’s running time or pacing. Loved all the performances and I even thought Michael Keaton was good in the generic role. Also, Chris Tucker is hilarious in his tiny role. Jackie Brown is one of my favorite 90s films and I just think it’s a really fun take on crime capers.
April 18th, 2009 at 9:40 am
Thank You, Doug! I thought I was the only one. Jackie Brown is one of my favorite films of the nineties and has one of my favorite soundtracks. Great film and, as you said, “a really fun take on crime capers” (which happens to be one of my favorite genres).
On a Tarantino-scale, I rank this third in his repetoire just b/c Pulp and Kill Bill Vol. I are incredible flicks. Here’s my scale (If you count the Kill Bill films as one film)…
1- Pulp Fiction
2- Kill Bill (Vol. I&II)
3- Jackie Brown
4- Reservoir Dogs
5- Death Proof
April 18th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
Oh, and I really dig Robert Forester’s portrayal of Max Cherry. Really subtle, powerful acting. He’s by far my favorite in this film, followed closely by SLJ’s Ordell. Robert De Niro is actually my least favorite character in the film, not because I didn’t like him but because I felt like he was almost too subdued. That’s not really his fault, that’s a directing decision.
Having said that, Abel, I understand your issues with the film. It’s really the same issues most people bring up: Not enough action, too long, actors being missused. I understand and respect that opinion, but I humbly disagree. This is one of those films that is not for everyone, but it is nonetheless a really great film.
I’m still maintaining that Death Proof is the weak link in Tarantino’s directing resume. I know you really get a kick out of it, but I just don’t feel like it’s up to par with his other films. The primary reason for this is simple: I just don’t give a shit about any of the characters in Death Proof. None. But, that’s just my take on it. Still a fun movie, and if somebody wanted to watch it I wouldn’t say no. I’d rather watch Jackie Brown though.
April 18th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
One last note and then I’m done:
Just picked up the Jackie Brown soundtrack on vinyl the other day at a local record shop. It’s f***in’ great. Check it out.