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)

From the perspective of film values ​​that are important to me, Jackie Brown represents a true peak of Tarantino's films. After that, an unstoppable decline followed, and truth be told, the quality of his films plummeted like a fighter jet hit by a missile. This is not a cheap flashy film and will probably disappoint fans of wild action and violence complemented by bizarre humor and shocking lines. It is a moderate film, which, despite the genre framework of a classic crime story, focuses primarily on human relationships. It is a strong love story of two aging individuals who may have their last chance to start over and do better. Tarantino slowly and patiently builds up the film's atmosphere until its suspenseful finale. He pays attention to the dialogues, and where necessary "cool" catchphrases are present, but to a reasonable extent and where the script requires it. These characters can be trusted. It is Tarantino's most mature film with several interesting performances and perhaps his boldest, as it represents a betrayal of the traditional fan community. It is no coincidence that he came up with this film after his famous Oscar-winning masterpiece, Pulp Fiction when he felt that even such a leap would be handled by his audience. Overall impression: 90%. (06/23/2006)

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)

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)

You look at Tarantino's filmography, you click on Jackie Brown... And you finds out it's not rated. Five stars are now a certainty, although I wasn't as enthusiastic at first. Jackie Brown is a beautiful tribute (not just, but very much) to Brian De Palma, with the great Pam Grier in the lead and the irresistibly rogue Robert De Niro in the supporting role. The more times I see this movie, the more I like it. (02/03/2013)