Review of Jackie Brown (1997) by Devon B — 30 Aug 2011

Samuel L. Jackson and Quentin Tarantino team up once again, this time adding 70s "blaxploitaion" star Pam Grier into the mix, in what can be best described as Tarantino's most "understated" film. No really, in comparison to his other works, this is practically an Ingmar Bergman character study. Tarantino forgoes usual round-about dialogue in favor of a more structured script and the result is something more in common with the Coen brothers' style of filmmaking than Kill Bill or Grindhouse. Jackie Brown is an airline stewardess who acts as a liason between an L.A.-based arms dealer and his South American clientele. When she gets busted by the cops, her arms dealer (Jackson) decides to silence her rather than risk her turning him in. Jackie, however, comes up with her own plan.

Jackie Brown isn't one of Tarantino's most successful movies and it's hard to say why. Maybe it's a little too ahead of it's time. Perhaps if it had been released in 2007, it would've had more of an impact. Perhaps not. Who's to say? Certainly not me. I know at the time, it was considered to be a throwback to the style of 70s blaxploitation, but watching it now, I find that atmosphere to be only barely present. Robert DeNiro and Bridget Fonda have some nice scenes together, and Samuel L. Jackson is completely over-the-top as the villain, but the whole thing feels like a sedated Pulp Fiction, and maybe that's why people reacted so luke warm to it when it was originally released. Whatever the case, it's an extraordinarily fun film.