Review of Jackie Brown (1997) by Rob S — 05 Dec 2015

After seeing it once when I was about 17 or 18, I didn't care too much for this film. It was "complex" - which I realize to be false after a second viewing - and it was very slow. Watching it again at the age of 22, I actually paid good attention to what was unfolding before me and appreciated this flick which diverged from the typical Tarantino style.

Going into this film, you should note that it is heavily laced with dialogue sequences and is Tarantino's least violent and least action-packed film. I suggest you pay careful attention to what is said by each character as well, as characters are being described and discussed before they appear in the film.

The main story is of particular interest, as it follows the heroine, Jackie Brown, as she struggles for survival while being pulled by two opposing forces - the arms dealer, played by Samuel L Jackson, who is hesitant to trust Jackie, and the cops who are trying to take the arms dealer down. Interestingly enough, we also have a male character who lies somewhere between these two poles. He is a bonds man, played by Robert Forster, who Jackie seems to depend on for advice. You may think he is a man of the law at first due to his occupation, but he ends up being about as morally ambiguous as Jackie Brown, experiencing Jackie's story and her actions without bringing his knowledge to the cops whatsoever.

Aside from being slow at certain parts, the main bit of criticism I have to give this film is that it seems way too heavy on close-ups or shots that zoom into close-ups and pull back as a reaction. I understand Tarantino wanted us to get close to certain characters, experience what they are experiencing, getting more intimate etc etc, but this was a motif so obvious it annoyed me.

This film may feel long at points, but it seems the extra time is necessary to develop each character in the ensemble cast well enough to understand who they are and what their goals are in this very intricate story. I would recommend this film to anybody who appreciates a good drama or to any Tarantino fans so they may experience his range as a director.

3.0/4.0.