Film Hick: Jackie Brown

If there is such a thing as an under-rated Tarantino film  then I would posit that this is it. Not a favourite among many Tarantino fans that I know (my sources are as reliable as any Gallup poll, I assure you). I think it is a shame because the characters in this film are in some ways more rounded than any that Tarantino has put on the screen — they are not just vehicles for an idea which, even as a Tarantino fan, I sometimes have a problem with. For all the references and tributes that this film makes to others, I think it stands alone amongst other films in Mr Tarantino\’s ouevre. As well as the aforementioned roundedness of the characters there is the warmth here; the speech not coming out as some smart ironic comment on pop culture. From Grier\’s Jackie Brown to Michael Keaton\’s Federal Agent everyone gets great words to lay out there and room to move around in their character. De Niro convinces for  change — not telegraphing it in like he has done more than would wish for from an actor of his calibre. Samuel L Jackson is, as ever, the coolest motherfucker on the planet. Robert Forster is really likeable and his relationship with Grier really clicks along sexily.

Another bonus? No Tarantino acting. This is a film that is happy just being a film — telling a story in a compelling visual way with great dialogue, great casting and great acting. Why is that so rare? Probably too many suits behind the scene — the rarity of product of this quality is all the more reason to celebrate. Jackie Brown — a great film.

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