The curiosity of Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown is Robert Forster's worldly wise bail bondsman Max Cherry, the most alive character in this adaptation of Elmore Leonard's Rum Punch. The Academy Awards saw it the same way, giving Forster the film's only nomination. The film is more "rum" than "punch" and will certainly disappoint those who are looking for Tarantino's trademark style. This movie is a slow, decaffeinated story of six characters glued to a half million dollars brought illegally into the country. The money belongs to Ordell (Samuel L. Jackson), a gunrunner just bright enough to control his universe and do his own dirty work. His just-paroled friend--a loose term with Ordell--Louis (Robert De Niro) is just taking up space and could be interested in the money. However, his loyalties are in question between his old partner and Ordell's doped-up girl (Bridget Fonda). Certainly Fed Ray Nicolette (Michael Keaton) wants to arrest Ordell with the illegal money. The key is the title character, a late-40s-ish flight attendant (Pam Grier) who can pull her own weight and soon has both sides believing she's working for them. The end result is rarely in doubt, and what is left is two hours of Tarantino's expert dialogue as he moves his characters around town.
Tarantino changed the race of Jackie and Ordell, a move that means little except that it allows Tarantino to heap on black culture and language, something he has a gift and passion for. He said this film is for an older audience although the language and drug use may put them off. The film is not a salute to Grier's blaxploitation films beyond the musical score. Unexpectedly the most fascinating scenes are between Grier and Forster: two neo-stars glowing in the limelight of their first major Hollywood film after decades of work. --Doug Thomas
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: Deserves more Respect! Comment: In virtually every scene of Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown (Miramax), you know you are watching a movie by the creator of Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs, but the fizz? the exhilaration? -- eh -- it is missing-- er -- if not altogether gone. It is like viewing Pulp Fiction through bulletproof glass. Adapting the 1992 Elmore Leonard novel Rum Punch, Tarantino spins a twisty crime yarn that, on the surface, at least, appears to have most of the qualities that gave his earlier films their wild narcotic charge. He tells the story of Jackie Brown (Pam Grier), an economically desperate 44-year-old flight attendant who has been running cash for Ordell (Samuel L. Jackson), a small-time Los Angeles arms dealer. When Jackie is cornered by a wily ATF agent (Michael Keaton), she figures that the only way out of her dilemma, out of her life, is to double-cross both parties. So she joins forces with a chivalrous bail bondsman (Robert Forster) and becomes, in essence, a criminal undercover agent, crafting a plan to steal half a million dollars from Ordell even as she nails him for the Feds.
That said, as an earlier movie of Tarantino's, it deserves more respect then I believes it has gotten. Definitely worth the watch. Customer Rating: Summary: One of the worst movies made... Comment: Something funny happened to me today. I looked down at my DVD player and I saw the numbers 2:30. I became ENRAGED. Why? No, it's not because anything bad happend to me at 2:30 but because I just realized that I had been watching one of the worst films ever made, for an entire TWO AND A HALF HOURS! That's what I deserve for going near anything that Tarantino got within 100 yards of... OK, I liked Pulp Fiction & Dusk Til' Dawn & thought Natural Born Killers was GREAT. Thank GOD he only wrote the script for NBK, otherwise it would have been "Kill Bill Meets Death Proof" UGGGGGGG.
For the love of god everyone, just go buy a VHS of Dolemite and get it out of your system. Why settle for pseudo 70's blackspoitation when you can have the real deal? It's because of the offensive things in those films that we don't want to remember like sideburns, Afros and paisley bell bottoms isn't it? This movie is the perfect example of how his mock 70's style of shooting and his obscure Motown soundtracks wore out their welcome around the time that Madonna did. It's a one trick pony, PLEASE SHOOT IT ALREADY.
Let's face it, if Tarantino would have released the EXACT same movie under a different name, with a cast of unknowns, this movie would have been given the credit it deserves... a TWO AND A HALF HOUR remake of an episode of "the Rockford Files". There were some very interesting parts in this film that PADDED the stale plot like: "SEE Robert de Niro take bong hits for 10 minutes!", "Take a virtual tour of the BIGGEST mall in the world for 25 minutes (includes PARKING LOT!!!)!", "WATCH Pam Grier smoke half a pack of Cigarettes and lip sync!" "THRILLS!" "CHILLS!" "SUSPENSE AND STUFF!".
As far as the "Plot" goes for this movie, all one has to do is cut away all of the artsy fluff to see that by the end of the movie, Foxy Brown isn't the heroin at all, shes the VILLAIN! I'm sorry but any true film expert/critic (like everyone who rated this disasterpiece 5 stars) could see the end an hour and ten minutes away. 0 Stars, two thumbs down, and a big, giant rotten tomato for you Foxy Brown. If you see Quinton around, be sure to BURN him like you Samuel L Jackson! Customer Rating: Summary: Oh so cool with style to spare; one of Tarantino's best moves... Comment: Quinton Tarantino is one of those directors you either love or hate, but there is no denying that he has talent, and what makes his talent even more obvious is his rich sense of style. Tarantino has a very unique charm that he layers his films with, giving them such warm originality.
Much like with directors Baz Luhrmann and David Fincher, a Quinton Tarantino film is undeniably a film by Quinton Tarantino.
With that said; the fact that some have criticized `Jackie Brown' for being a change of pace or unlike Tarantino's more successful films (`Pulp Fiction' and `Reservoir Dogs') is rather preposterous, for if you truly look at the film in all it's technical aspects you can't help but see Tarantino shining through in every frame.
It bares his name, thus it bares his soul.
The film tells the story of Ordell Robbie; arms dealer. Ordell is a ruthless man who takes nothing from no one, so when stewardess Jackie Brown is arrested smuggling Ordell's money he immediately takes the defensive. He contacts bail bondsman Max Cherry in order to bail Jackie out, but his plans to kill her are thwarted when she proposes a deal. Ordell is trying to smuggle in a half-million dollars into the states, and he was planning on using Jackie to do so; yet the feds have already offered Jackie a deal of her own, if she can give them Ordell. Working both sides she concocts a plan where she can `get out of jail free', keep her life and (if all goes right) keep the money.
The film is littered with great performances by a slew of talented actors. Pam Grier steps into the lead role of Jackie Brown, and she manages to create a masterfully layered woman. She is smart, witty and strong, yet she gives her layers of fragility which help establish this woman's true nature. Samuel L. Jackson, who also worked with Tarantino (and managed an Oscar nomination) in `Pulp Fiction', plays Ordell Brown with the same quick witted sense of humor with which he played Jules Winnfield. He is engaging and hilarious and somewhat scary. The combination works just as well the second go around. Robert Forster (who received an Oscar nomination for his performance) gives Max Cherry a marvelous sense of honesty that comes of rather pure in this film filled with double crossing liars and manipulators. His character is the richest of the bunch, in the subtlest of ways.
The supporting cast, including Robert De Niro, Bridget Fonda, Michael Keaton and Chris Tucker, are all on the top of their game, especially De Niro who almost feels like a simpleton yet he builds (gradually) layers of intelligence into his character.
`Jackie Brown' is not as abrasive as `Pulp Fiction' or `Reservoir Dogs', but to say that it is Tarantino-lite is a false statement. This film may be a little slower, but that is only to build on the strong characters. The thing is, the scope of Jackie Brown is a lot simpler than that of `Pulp Fiction', which threw a large amount of characters into a twisting plot, whereas `Jackie Brown' focuses on a few characters in one plot and thus allows more time for us to engage in these particular characters and get to know them. Tarantino has a knack for dialog, and this film is no exception for the mere interactions between characters is what makes this film so much fun.
It's a slightly different approach, but the construction and delivery is all Tarantino. Customer Rating: Summary: Might Be Quentin's Best.... Comment: 4 and 1/2 Stars.
The story of a 44 yr old black woman struggling to get over a criminal past and a mid-life crisis serves as an unlikely follow-up to Quentin Tarantino's enormously successful 'Pulp Fiction'. This film, a much more character driven piece, is probably his most realistic and linear of the five he's completed.
The plot revolves around a gun-runner's attempt to traffic his money while being pressured by the ATF. But the clever part of the movie has to do with it's shift from the initial plot to the lives and relationships of it's characters (all of which come off very naturally). And because the pleasure of the movie lies in the relationships and dialogue of the characters (all of which is dynamic and plot-driven), the film is ripe for repeated viewings.
There's not much else to say here. The movie is very entertaining. The heist plot is terrific but the 'hang-out' scenes really make the film great, utilizing incredible dialogue and acting prowess (otherwise unseen from this group of actors and actresses, sans DeNiro) to tell a typical genre story in a much more subtle and personal way.
Funny, sly, clever, the movie is thoroughly enjoyable. Recommended. Customer Rating: Summary: Non Receipt of Item to be Reviewed Comment: I have attempted on two separate occasions to purchase this item through Amazon.com... In each instance I was told that the order had been cancelled and my money refunded to me... Hence I have never received this purchase...
