Jackie Brown

I’ve always heard that Jackie Brown was the different and weaker Tarantino film. After finally watching it, I have to say that I can’t agree with that statement. It’s not such an atypical Tarantino, it’s a heist movie with dialogues full of one-liners (though less sharp than in Pulp Fiction or Kill Bill 2), a forgotten black star and Samuel L. Jackson in the main roles, drugs, profanity, unexpected murders – is that really atypical for Tarantino? No way. The biggest difference is that, compared to the rest of Quentin’s filmography, Jackie Brown is relatively restrained, which is due to the genre. And is it his weakest film? I don’t know, he doesn’t make bad films, and from the better ones it’s hard to pick one that would clearly beat the rest. (09/12/2010)

The film adaptations of Elmore Leonard's novels, such as Soderbergh's Out of Sight or Jackie Brown, have something in common: a plot that flows slowly. But I don't feel bored, because in both cases a skilful director is behind the camera and the result is a cool spectacle. Of course, anyone expecting another Pulp Fiction must will have been disappointed. Tarantino intended no such thing, he even declared: “To make another Pulp Fiction? That would be boring.” He tried something else and I’m happy with it. I would highlight in particular the sensitively portrayed relationship of the two main characters (Forster-Grier) and the idea of the cyclical repetition of the plot in the supermarket scene. Tarantino just knows what he's doing, no matter what he's doing. (07/21/2002)

Wanna fuck? So far, the only film where Quentin not only excels in the script and it’s execution, but also in the development of the characters and their approach to the “normal” viewer. Jackie Brown doesn’t deliver the cinephile panache of Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill, but it’s written with heart and directed with indescribable wit and timing, and in terms of entertainment and viewer satisfaction, it’s on par with the aforementioned titles. Grier and Forster a great duo, the stoned De Niro and the extravagant nigga Jackson are an inimitable duo, and the scene where they pass on the money is a text-book example of how to use communicativeness for the benefit of several crescendos and the joy of the gradual reveal of the tale. This notch confirms Tarantino’s dominance over the 1990s, period. (03/28/2019)

An impressive un-Tarantino-like Tarantino movie. Exceptional acting performances (Samuel L. Jackson was even cooler than he is normally ;) and a talent for storytelling make Jackie an excellent watch. Perhaps not achieving the same quality as Reservoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction, but still extremely high standard. (11/24/2007)

It's a bit horrifying that it took me this long to share my thoughts on this almost quarter-century-old movie (a classic, actually). So, I treated myself to a rewatch today, and I'm even more convinced that I genuinely admire Quentin Tarantino, even if this film doesn't fit the typical Tarantino mold for me. The story's pace was notably slow; I didn't notice any final acceleration, and there was a lack of those sudden bursts of unrestrained violence. All that remained were your classic plotting, counter-plotting, intrigue, and manipulation. Now, that might sound like criticism, but it's not. On the contrary, I've got to give props to this film. The slow pace didn't dampen my overall impression at all. The occasional killing in this calm atmosphere had a real impact, and even though it ran for more than two hours, I didn't find a dull moment. / Lesson learned: Don't mess with a sweaty Italian. (11/08/2022)